Ok. I know I said I would write later…I am, just quite a lot later! So much has happened since I last wrote- I have a feeling this is going to be a long entry! I am currently…a certain number of feet up in the air…not sure how many exactly. I am on my flight from Bangalore to Kuala Lumpur. It is quite shameful really that I haven’t written for over a week, but don’t worry I have been making notes so I won’t forget anything.
The last time I wrote, it was early morning on a Wednesday. That day we went on a Mobile Clinic Visit. The hospital has a mobile clinic, which is essentially a massive box on wheels!! The picture below from the outside doesn’t do a good job of portraying what it is really like so I will do my best to explain!
There are 2 benches, one on either side for the patients to sit, 2 pull out tables (one for a clinic table and one for a pharmacy table), a blood pressure monitor and a big trunk full of the most commonly needed medications (e.g. Gamexin- to treat Scabies! And Ciprofloxacin- to treat a whole variety of infections). There is no such thing as patient confidentiality and all the patients sit in the van as each is seen, and if anyone needs to be examined, there is lots of shuffling and standing and putting of children on laps until there is space for them to lie on the bench. It sounds basic, but it was actually very cool. Things just appeared, as they were needed! Old sari material had been used to fashion a sling which was suspended from a hanging scale which could be hung from a hook on the roof of the van to weigh children as needed, and there was a tank of water in the corner attached to a tap over a small sink so that hands could be washed. I was really impressed! The mobile van is really an amazing part of the Adivasi hospital’s care – some of the tribal villages are really far away and really deep in the jungle so it is an absolute mission for them to travel to Gudalur Hospital. With the mobile van – the care can be taken to them! The van goes to each village (as nearby as possible) once a month. The Adivasi can then come to the van with any problems that they have, for antenatal checks or to collect medications. So, on Wednesday we got to see the whole process in action. What we did not realise however, is that even though the villages are informed by a health animator (like Parsu J) of the mobile clinic date- everyone still hikes from house to house and village to village in the mud when we get there to make sure that there aren’t any Adivasi who are too sick to come to the van or if they are just reluctant to seek care. In this time the patients have time to make their way to the mobile clinic so that when the Doctor, health animator, and (sometimes) nurse get back, all the patients are ready waiting. The hiking part would not have been a problem- it’s a bit muddy and slippy – but the scenery is spectacular and its so interesting to see how the Adivasi live. I even got to play the instrument that they make out of wood to scare away elephants! HOWEVER. We were not prepared, we didn’t realise hiking would be part of the days agenda. I was the only one with appropriate footwear, so whilst the others chilled in the mobile van I set off to inform the villagers of its arrival. When we got back, many patients had arrived and we set to work. lack of translator in the van proved to be a problem! At the hospital, one of the nurses, Suda – who I absolutely love, she is so sweet- and who also speaks English perfectly- translates for us when we are alone, but she hadn’t come on the visit! Even though the Doctor spoke English he was too busy with the long queue of patients to spend much time translating for us so I mainly checked blood pressures and did an antenatal check. It was still really interesting to see how it worked even though I didn’t get to do much. Also – I met the sweetest kid who I just wanted to hug he was so cute- but I didn’t as he had horrific scabies all over. I asked him if I could take a picture of him with his hands outstretched so that his scabies burrows and scratches could be seen. He agreed and was so delighted at seeing the photo he wanted another- and another, and for each one he put his arms outstretched even though I tried to tell him he didn’t need to!
After lunch- we took the mobile clinic to another set of villages, a bit further away, and again set off to call patients to the clinic. Literally. It started to pour with rain and Parsu decided instead of hiking to the village across a valley – we would call across really loudly to check all was well and inform them that the van had arrived!
On the walk back to the mobile van, the rain hardened and Dr Gopal and Parsu sent Mona, (who had decided to come despite her poor choice of footwear) and myself a quicker route back whilst they took a longer route with a broader path so that they could share an umbrella!
This was a mistake. We should have gone the long way. Instead we ended up getting extremely confused about the turn off from the path and convinced ourselves that we were lost. In the rain. As if this wasn’t bad enough, disaster struck. I suddenly felt a sharp pain above my right ankle. I rolled up my trousers to reveal A LEECH.
Now I’m not sure if I have mentioned the leeches before…first of all let me say that these are no ordinary leeches. They aren’t the big fat slow ones that I have seen in England. They are quite small and super speedy and move in the weirdest way – with a movement similar to the breakdance move where they get down on their chest and wiggle along the floor….anyway- its hard to explain but it is SERIOUSLY freaky. They love muddy paths and so there were quite a few where we were waiting for someone or something to latch onto with one end of their body. Then they inject an anticoagulant of some sort and then suck loads of blood. Initially they are very slim beings, but by the end they are obese. Unless you get them off quickly. I had previously not been afraid of these leeches (although obviously it was preferable to keep them as far away from my skin as possible) but I figured I would just pull them off, no bother. HOWEVER, I had been scared that very day by Dr Gopal as apparently if you pull them off and their sucker stays in- you can develop a chronic itch at the site lasting YEARS! In that moment when I looked down and saw the leech dangling ominously from my leg – all I could think about was suffering from a terrible itch for years to come. And I was terrified! I decided to run in the direction I thought the van was in but then slowed to a powerwalk in the fear that somehow the leech would fall off leaving his sucker lodged in my skin. Thankfully I got there and we tried the theory we had heard that if you spray a leech with DEET it lets go. Thankfully we proved the theory. I love DEET.
The leech saga exhausted me completely and I dozed as much as possible on the return journey to Gudalur (which wasn’t much as the roads are so bumpy). You need to concentrate a lot to stay sitting on the benches in the back, which is where we were sat. There was no time for rest either as I had plans to purchase my train ticket to Pondicherry as soon as we arrived back to Gudalur, which I was very excited about. I have always wanted to go to Pondy as I love all things French and French influenced and had read a lot about it. I had planned to travel there for a weekend whilst working at the hospital but it was really quite far, so I figured out that the best way to do it would be to go following our time in Gudalur, before spending a week in Mysore, a week that had been organised for us by the hospital. However, I was unable to convince either Mona, Duana or Juli that a 29 hour round trip involving 2 night trains and multiple buses was a good idea. So I decided that I would do it alone. Now, I have travelled alone before, but only in Europe, never anywhere as foreign as India, but I decided I could handle it and that it would be an interesting experience! So it was with a positive attitude and a spring in my step (partly because my leg wouldn’t stop bleeding!) that I headed to the travel agents to book my night trains! Although the system was down, the agent assured me she would book them ready for me to pick up the next day, Thursday. Delighted and nervous at the prospect of a night train alone I took a rickshaw to the Doctors quarters to meet the girls so we could walk together to Dr Shyla and Dr Nandukumar’s house for our last cookery class! It was wonderful! They say a picture tells a thousand words so:
On Thursday morning I woke up nervous and excited, and packed up all my things ready for my trip to Pondicherry! I had booked the night train for that evening from Mysore, and was going to go to town early afternoon to pick up my tickets and take a bus to Mysore, about 2 hours away. I had arranged with the girls to bring my big rucksack to Mysore as they had a car booked straight from the hospital to our hotel, and I was going to meet them there on Monday morning. After breakfast, we went to the hospital for my last outpatients clinic. I was very sad! I said all my goodbyes to my nurse friends- especially Suda and Shiela and to all the Doctors who were absolutely wonderful the four weeks we were in Gudalur. I am embarrassed to say I bawled my eyes out! After all the fond farewells (it felt so weird and sad to say goodbye to Duana and Mona and Juli- we had spent all our time together in the preceding weeks and had grown quite attached to each other!) I set off into town to pick up my tickets.
However, on arrival at the travel agents, I found out there was a problem- my return night train had not been confirmed. There was a chance I might end up stuck in Chennai. Disaster. I did not know what to do. I really, really didn’t want to get stuck in a far away city for an indefinite period of time. Alone. The train booking system in India is REALLY, REALLY complicated, and I just couldn’t figure out the best thing to do. I was number 17 on the waiting list for class 3 AC and I had no idea what the chances were of 17 people cancelling. After much umming and ahhing I chickened out and decided not to go. I just couldn’t decide whether going was a really stupid idea when my return was uncertain. So feeling pretty blue- and even bluer when I realised I was going to have to see everyone again after already having said such heartfelt goodbyes, I plodded into town, not sure what to do! I called Mona and her Juli and Duana came into town to meet me and we went for tea and cakes at Lulu Bakes. I had two cakes. And two teas. I was depressed. There was nothing I could do and so we headed back to the quarters where I didn’t think I would be returning- at least definitely not that soon! It was a weird feeling! But then, at dinner that night, all the Indians convinced me that I could go the following morning and either get ‘quota train tickets’ (a certain number that are released on the day) or take a bus. So I decided I would head to Mysore the following morning and see if I could get myself to Pondicherry!
The next day at the break of dawn (well, 7:30am) I left and caught a bus to Mysore. I managed to book a quota train ticket to Chennai where I would then be able to catch a bus to Pondicherry. However, the train ticket purchasing system is so weird. I had to queue, to get a form, to queue again, to find out I could only buy a ticket between 1 and 2 pm! So I returned at 1pm on the dot to buy a ticket. But I still couldn’t purchase a return ticket! To purchase that I had to go to a separate office in a different building, 5 minutes away. There I had to take a ticket and wait for my number to be called. 45 minutes later, I was still waiting and about to miss my outgoing train! I had to abandon the waiting room to make a dash for it. I made it, but I was still without a return ticket! The train to Chennai made a stop at Bangalore- 2 hours away and I am ashamed to say, I chickened out yet again and got off in Bangalore!
So there I was, in Bangalore, no idea what I was doing! The girls were due to arrive in Mysore the next day, so the choice was between going back to Mysore and staying there a night till they arrived or spending one night in Bangalore and heading back to Mysore the next day. I couldn’t face getting straight onto a bus and I also needed to get my camera fixed as it wasn’t working well. A big worm like shadow kept appearing in the middle of all my photos and ruining them. It was really annoying. So I found a place to stay- the second place I tried, the first one was really dodgy, put my camera in to get fixed and then did a spot of shopping. Bangalore is a good shopping city- with lots of little handicraft shops, and big emporiums, as well as Fab India- a fantastic shop that sells really nice Indian clothes, bags and accessories. I spent a bit too much money there! I headed back to Mysore the next day at around lunchtime although with a more broken camera than I came with. They were not able to de-worm the camera and it now no longer focuses. Disaster.
I made it back to Mysore, although I was SO sick on the coach. I don’t know whether it was something I ate – I think it may have been the milk I had the morning I left Gudalur- apparently its only partly pasteurised and you have to boil it before drinking. I did not know this. Anyway, whatever the reason, I ended up back in Mysore feeling significantly worse for wear and desperate to get to the Green Hotel where I knew my pals were. But this was not to be an easy task. At all. There is a pre-paid rickshaw stand at the bus station in Mysore, and you have to use it as all the drivers just serve the rickshaw stand. Basically, you tell the guy where you want to go and he calculates how much it should cost depending on the distance and prints out a little slip with the destination and the price. For this you pay 1 rupee. The amount you pay the driver. The whole point is that a fair price is paid. However, my allocated driver had no idea where this hotel was and drove me to a random location and said we were there. We were most definitely not there so I refused to get out as I had no idea where we were! He then insisted I pay him more than double the amount on my slip. I again refused. So he drove me all the way back to the pre-paid auto stand. Extremely frustrated and still feeling awful, I jumped out the rickshaw to confront the dude behind the desk. Turns out, he had put the wrong address. So he printed me a new slip, again the wrong address when I checked it against the address I had. By this time a big queue was starting to build up and my rickshaw driver had parked his rickshaw in the middle of the street to come over and join me at the window. He was very rude to me and I was started to get worried I was never going to get to the hotel! My problems had only just begun. First all the rickshaw drivers waiting for passengers started to leave their rickshaws and come over to the window of the prepaid auto stand to express their anger that a huge queue had built up and they weren’t getting any passengers. So the dude behind the desk refused to help me and refunded my 1 rupee. Then, a huge cry and my rickshaw driver was running like the wind down the street after his rickshaw. It had just been stolen. OMG. I felt terrible even though I know it wasn’t my fault. But the rickshaw drivers all seemed to think it was and they got even more angry- all of them shouting at once and getting pretty worked up. I had no idea what to do. Thankfully – an Indian man who had heard my predicament called up the Green Hotel, got precise directions and managed to get me a relatively friendly driver to take me there. My hero. I was so delighted to arrive at the hotel after my ordeal I gave him a fat tip. I still felt pretty bad about the first rickshaw driver though. Even though he was really mean. I hope he got his rickshaw back.
So at this point in what is shaping up to be the longest blog entry EVER, I have to stop for a while as the laptop battery is quickly dying and there is no means to charge it on the plane! We are up to Saturday night, last week and there is still much to tell! I was sick all of Saturday night and Sunday morning but by Sunday afternoon I was ready to explore all that Mysore had to offer. And I was very happy to be reunited with my travelling buds!
