Kerala, South India

Traveled with Vishwa, Melinda and Kristin
Today is Thursday, I had my steroid injections on Wednesday morning and today I fell great!  I have energy and can enjoy myself again.
Fly into Kochi. Stayed at Villa Romantica. Very nice, even went for a swim after arrival at 11pm
After a healthy breakfast of fresh fruit, eggs and dosa (Indian fare) we drove to visit Athirpally waterfalls, one of the best waterfalls in India and one of the most famous tourist destinations in Kerala. 

It was raining. Lots of water.
Look I am holding my umbrella with my right arm! Went swimming again in the morning. After visiting the waterfalls we drove about 3 hours to the backwaters. Driving is as crazy here as in Delhi. I find it even worse as there is more open space and it is ALL filed with billboards obliterating the scenery. It's so intrusive. We then took a turn off the main road and spent another 1/2 hour on narrow roads filled with crazy Indian drivers.



Lakesong

We finally entered the gates of LakeSong resort and it was Gorgeous! Peaceful.

                                                                                                                  Lakesong is great. The grounds, accommodations, service and location, right on the lake removed from the "outside world".
Food OK, not great.
Kerala is known for its ayurvedic massage, had to try it!

Long strokes then steam bath very relaxing. One lays down on a hard teak table, no towels and lots of oil. Entire body.  It was difficult to move as you would just slip in all the oil.  Coconut oil is used. The smell was unusual, a bit like thyme but then they told me its coconut. There are plenty of coconuts here. When I think of Kerala I will associate it with coconut oil (not a pleasant memory). Even after my shower I still felt the smell was on me.



Houseboat tour.
Wow! We are treated like royalty. The houseboat only sleeps four, for the four of us. Nice lounge chairs complete with foot stools. Hop on boat at noon right from the resort. Yea, no driving today. Lunch at 1:30. We stopped on the side of the canal for lunch. It was good. Two kinds of rice. The rice in Kerala is big thick rice. Had fish, cabbage, beans, two chutneys, poppas, and of course dal. Very good.
Just sitting here doing nothing! Melinda and Kristin downstairs and Vishwa and I are up top. No need to sit with them as they are very poor conversationalists. Vishwa and I do very well together easy conversation.    I am having trouble with the formatting of the pictures and text.  My apologies, but thought the pictures help describe the trip.

Our private houseboat.  Sleeps four.

We are sitting upstairs and I start smelling the coconut oil again. I thought it was me but then realized it was dinner being cooked. Guess what oil they use? Yup, coconut! The good thing was that it wasn't me who smelled. Lunch was very good but then dinner, all the same tastes. Coconut oil. I have had enough of that.

Houses on small islands in lake.  Each house has a canoe

Lotus Flowers
                     Sunset on Lake Vembanad in Kumarakom

                             People use the lake for all purposes, bathing, clothes washing, playing, transportation....

Wake up time at 6:30am as air conditioner is turned off. Ok let's go! Went for a nice brisk morning walk as we had about 1/2 hour before we departed. Rice fields. Lots of old people. Men here were a towel wrapped up as a skirt, never seen that style before. The look of the south Indian are quite different. Most of the men have mustaches and chubby cheeks.
People using the canals for all their cleaning chores. Kids playing in the water. Simple life, I think. The language is different than in Delhi so Vishwa cannot communicate in Hindi.

When the boat was approaching the end we were given a sudden jolt. We crashed into another boat! The engine didn't start. Now I don't know if there was a problem with the engine that caused us to crash or after the collision. Minor damage to our boat, but the other one had the deck wood damaged. Everyone was very calm, no yelling. We were then taken by a row boat to the end. Excitement!!

                                                      Chinese fishing nets In Kochi

                                                     We paid for this picture!  Helping pull in the fishing net

The remainder of the day was spent touring Kochi. We visited the sea, the Chinese fishing nets and a few churches as this is where the Dutch settled. Many Christians in Kerala while very few in Delhi. In one of the churches was a tomb dedicated to Vasco de Gama, a famous Portuguese sailor/explorer. It was very interesting to me as I have visited many sites in Lisbon dedicated to Vasco de Gama, so I felt I had a connection. What is amazing to me is the distance the boat would have had to travel in 1502 from Portugal to southern India. 
Another good trip away from Delhi.

Plans for Laos and Cambodia!

Just wanted to let everyone know that western medicine works! My steroid injections in both shoulders did the trick, no more pain. Back to my old self - YEA!

It is amazing how different my attitude is.

Ready to start blogging in an upbeat manner.

Things are looking up.

As the injections worked I can now be positive. I just booked my vacation to Cambodia and Laos for after my fellowship, October 31st. I had thought about this trip before my departure but wanted to see if I wanted to travel around India after being here for 6 months. The answer is NO! I do not want to be in India any more than I have to. The adventure trip is hiking, biking and kayaking in two quiet, peaceful countries. It will allow me to unwind before returning to USA.


Laos A land of beautiful temples and lush vegetation.

Medical Care

No pictures for this one.
I had a previous post discussing a Dr visit.  This is an update to discuss medical care in India.
My shoulders have been dysfunctional for over one month.  Dr took Xrays, said I have arthritis and a bone spur.  Recommendation: take some medication and do physiotherapy every day for two weeks.  It's been almost 4 weeks and I do not feel any better. 
Medical insurance is offered by a few of the private companies but most people pay out of pocket for private practices.
My initial visit with physician was $30 USD.  Each session of physiotherapy is $7.  At home my co-pay is $12. 
Care:  all the physiotherapist does is heat, ultrasound and electric stim. Nothing else.  Didn't even give me exercises, probably because I wouldn't be able to do them as it's difficult to lift my arm to my shoulder. It's been three weeks and I don't fell better so talked to the Dr again.  He gave me different drugs and added a few more medications.
The diagnosis and medications are all written on a 8x11 page of paper with the Dr's info at the top.  I take this piece of paper to the chemist aka pharmacist. They fill the drugs. My first visit for 4 medications was about $10.  I could have taken the "prescription" to as many chemists as I wanted.  One of the drugs was an opiate (to help me sleep) and there is NO regulation. 

I asked for an MRI and scheduled it for the next day.  Clinic was OK.  Cost up front for MRI was $160. What is it back home, $1000?  I was asked to wait outside the MRI room until they finished up with the previous person.  Outside the room the banging of the magnets used for the MRI was REALLY  loud.
My Dr said they don't usually schedule MRIs as India is not an affluent country and he would not recommend an MRI unless he was going to operate.  I guess the conservative approach has its merits and can  save people money.  But on the other hand the USA might way over use technology as its there.  As always there's good and bad with everything.          

Nubra valley

Nubra valleys' original name was Ldumra (the valley of flowers). Nubra or Siachan River forms a large valley that separates the Ladakh and the Karakoram Ranges. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 ft. Most accessible over Khardung La the highest motorable road from Leh. Nubra is a high altitude desert with rare precipitation and scant vegetation except along river beds, where irrigated, and on high slopes. The villages are irrigated and fertile, producing wheat, barley, peas, mustard for oil, and a variety of fruits and nuts, including apple, walnut, apricot and even a few almond trees. Most of the Nubra Valley is inhabited by Ladakhis who speak Ladakhi; the majority of them are Buddhist. A rare species, the Bactrian camels has two humps on its back are seen in the valley. The Nubra valley opened to tourists only in 1994 and is still virgin territory for travellers.  

Drive to Khardung La Pass from Leh. Up mountainside following switchbacks from 11,562 to 18,380 feet.

 

 

 

 

 I would definitely recommend people to come here. The road was much better than Pangong but there were a few scary moments. The Khardung La pass sat at 18,380 feet, 5602 meters, the worlds highest passable road in the world. Great views and you could look into the valley towards where we are going. Soon after crossing the peak the road became paved that made for a more pleasant ride.

Didn't really increase speed as many sections were washed out. Before we went to the tenting site we went for a camel ride in the dessert. This was a first for me. Only walked, but a comfortable ride sitting between the two humps. The camels lay down, A pad and rope were placed between the    humps then I swung my leg over. i was instructed to hold on tightly to the pad as the camel rises- off we went. OK. We walked into the sand dunes, stopped for a picture and returned. The experience was only 15 minutes but that was enough time to enjoy the experience. Good!     The drive to the tent site, Mystic Meadows, was along the valley floor. Passed a couple of towns, Disket and Kurdu, small nice towns in patches of green areas. The valley floor consists of sand dunes and the river that runs through the color of grey mud. It is hard to distinguish between the the sand/mud from the river. Crossed the river and climbed up into the green hills, traveled along washed out dirt roads to our resting spot. Mystic Meadows is an oasis of gorgeous flower and vegetable gardens mixed together. Owned by a native Ladakh woman, Aganeo who works the gardens.    The sunflowers standing tall and proud welcome guests to the place. The gardens are so lush and full, never seen such a productive garden. The secret is the tons of fertilizer from the donkeys and cows. Sandeep, the manager of MM said that they compost human waste and use this also. Most of the people are vegetarians so why not.   Nubra valley is the entire area, not just the place we stayed. MM is located in the town of Summur. There are many guest houses all with gardens. On this trip I am a complete tourist. There is a 2 km walk to a monastery but I don't have the energy or desire to go.                       

Whys that? Probably as my arm pain keeps me depressed and zaps my energy. This place would be great to stay for a few days, take short walks and rent mountain bikes to explore the area. The valley is relatively flat and town is up on a hill, so there would be much to explore, the locals, the monastery, views of the mountains. MM doesn't rent mountain bikes, but maybe one could rent in Leh and bring along as they drive to Nubra Valley.  The season is only June to mid September. Already in September the chance of snow is there and can make traveling difficult.  I did see ONE bicyclist riding up the mountain - WOW is all I can say, all up with NO relief.

Ladakh Day 3, Pangong Lake

 Pangong Lake trip
 Admired for the different blues and greens the lake displays while nestled in the stark hills/mountains.
Romila was not able to join us today as she probably is having altitude problems. She stayed in bed all day, I felt sad for her that she couldn't join us. We started the day at 5 am. Packed lunch to eat at the lake. The drive took about 5 hours to reach the Lake. 

The drive to Pangong might have been more exciting and adventurous than the lake itself. The drive is 167 km and should take about 5 hours. The driving is slow, even though some of the roads are paved, they are narrow and large trucks travel the same roads.


We are slowly climbing into the hills, all of a sudden the driver,Yontun, turns right up this dirt path that went straight up a hill. Looked more like a hiking trail than a road.     
We climb up and up along switchbacks there were some large boulders that look ready to go, very scary! The driver makes the trip about 2X per week. I felt very safe with him. The paved road turned to dirt and gravel for the remainder of the trip.  The vehicles are not 4 wheel drive but probably all wheel drive similar to a Toyota 4runner. The road was all switched backs until we came to another paved road. We were told that it was a short cut and saves about 15 minutes.

We crossed a Chang La pass at 17,348 feet. The third highest motorable pass in the world. Tomorrow we will go over what they claim is the highest motorable pass in the world. Very cold up top they said it was -6C at 8 am. Saw this man attending to his Yak. He was more than happy to have us take a picture with him, for a small price. His Yak looked better kept than he did. Had a nice cup of hot Chai tea. Going down was quite a challenge.

Other obstacles we encountered were flooded roads that are piled with rocks so the vehicles can make it through.  

We passed one landslide area that was very difficult to pass, can't imagine doing this on motorcycle. Traveling these mountain roads is a highlight for many bikers. A real spirit of adventure is needed to ride the (often)  single lane road with other trucks, blind curves and road obstacles. The landslide happened two weeks ago during the day. All traffic was stopped. People were stranded at the Lake and had to wait 2 days before the road was reopened. That's a bummer as many of the tourists only travel to Pangong Lake as a day trip and might not be prepared to stay overnight, Oh well.

Blind curves are plentiful.  You are supposed to honk as you enter the single lane turn. More than on one occasion we rounded a bend and another car was approaching - Yikes!

The military put dips in the road to slow you down. There isn't any warning so if you don't know the road.... I can just imagine a motorcyclist hitting one of them.

Over the pass we go down and down passing two valleys. In the first one we saw cows, yaks, horses, and sheep. Looked nice.


Pangong lake has only become a tourist attraction within the last two years, no wonder the road is very primitive. Only one truck, at least that we saw had fallen off the road. That surprises me as I felt that we would at times.

Arrived safely to Pangong lake. The lake is nestled amongst many mountains/hills, nice. Some of the hills were different colors, brown, beige, whitish which gave the lake lots of character. We only came for the day, good thing as the shops and accommodations were very minimal.

We bought lunch to eat but were told that we could not eat it by the lake as there are many establishments selling food and they want tourist to buy from them.
It is a nice long lake that runs into China. Sun was high with some clouds which took away from some of the deep blues that we would see at sunrise. Made it back to Leh around 5pm which gave time to relax. My patience at the end of the day was wearing thin as the bumpy car ride was not good for my body.

Dinner is included In the room. It's a buffet with good variety and tasty food. Bed early

Ladakh Day 2 - Monasteries

On the way to Hemis Monastery with Stupa

 July 27, 2012 day to visit Monasteries.


There was 3 scheduled on the agenda, Romila requested that we visit a fourth, Hemis, which is the oldest and quite a bit out of town. The drive was really nice. The barren mountains in the hills closest and then a few higher mountains in the distance that still had snow on them. Sindhi river ran through the valley.





Tibetan prayer wheels are devices for spreading spiritual blessings and well being. 
The practitioner most often spins the wheel clockwise, as the direction in which the mantras are written is that of the movement of the sun across the sky.

Hemis monastery was up a long hill. Tiered garden plots which people were attending. I like the Facial features of the people here much more similar to Bhutan and Nepal than the Indians I see in Delhi. Each monastery has multiple temples, after a few they are pretty similar. Two of them had these giant 3 story Bhuddas in them. This is neat to see. At the feet are many prayer shawls, money, food and gifts as blessings and thanks. Monks are living at many of the monasteries and take care of the premises, one of duties is to collect the entry fee.



 

Other monasteries visited were Thiksey, located above the village and beautifully maintained.  The last place we visited was Stok, built into a hill. 

I took a few pictures of the dogs as their coats are long haired and thick needed to withstand the cold winters.  This area is only accessible by road between the months of June to September. After that the snow falls with road closures and dangerous driving conditions.  One can visit in the winter but travel around is limited.  Busy day.  Didn't return until about 6 pm. Need to get up at 5 am for our 6 hour drive to Pangong Lake. Todays weather was perfect. In the sun hot, but in the shade there is a cool breeze. Needed sun screen for the first time since been in India.

Along the curvy roads are motivational sayings. Some have a sense of humor, here are a few
Time is money life is precious
Drive the curves do not test them
All will wait better to be late
Accidents do not happen they are caused
I'm curvaceous be slow (thought Christopher would like this one)
After whiskey driving is risky
Better late than never

Leh, Ladakh Day 1

Morning flight from Delhi to Leh.  Read that it is good to sit on left side of plane as the sun rises on the right.  Partly cloudy nearing Leh so couldn't see the mountains clearly.  The area surrounding Leh is dry, brown with small patches of green where people live.  The snow covered peaks are off in the distance. 





Ah how nice it is to be away from Delhi! The air is fresh, the sky beautiful blue with white puffy dream clouds, and the mountains are such a nice change from Delhi. The altitude is 11,000 feet, as we are departing the plane the pilot told us that there is 40% less oxygen in the air. That's a significant decrease. Just walking up a slight hill I could feel my heart rate increasing, climbing stairs made my legs weak. I completely understand when they tell you to take it easy in the first two days. I took a nap soon after we checked into Ladakh Regency, nice hotel with beautiful flowers- you know how that makes me happy.

There are three of us on this trip. Vishwa, from PH office and Romila who is a friend of Priya who I met through Yoga. The planned trip doesn't leave much room for free time so I didn't have to worry about each of us with different agendas. Vishwa is great as he's so easy going a kind nice guy. Romila on the other hand is taking a bit of getting used to, but it's OK.

In the PM the driver, Yontun took us up to the Shanti Stupa, a Bhuddist monetary. All the monasteries are Buddhists. 


We attended a prayer and meditation service where monks were chanting along with methodical drumming. We sat for about 1/2 hour and it was great. The drumming definitely helped me enter the mediation mode. A positive experience. The stupa was at the top of a hill, so the views were really nice. Got to see Leh from above, the green areas amongst the barren hills. Had a cup of Chai tea when we got back to the hotel. The tea is already mixed with sweetened milk. Quite good, much better than the instant coffee. Walked around town a bit, many tour companies to help with planning trips and souvenir shops very similar to the ones in Nepal, prayer flags, pashmina scarves, singing bowls, tee shirts, and misc items. Dinner at hotel is included, the buffet is fairly good. Bed early for the busy day tomorrow.