First Day at Hope Clinic

The day started out late yesterday, which was pleasant for all of us.  We had a late wakeup call of 9:00, and we were set to leave at 10:00.  We loved our hotel in Jaipur, but it was finally time to go to the clinic and see Daisy!  Although we were all packed and ready in the lobby at 10:00, there was some information that was lost in translation and the bus didn’t arrive until 11:00.  Hurry up and wait.

After waiting for an hour, we had an hour-long bus ride to the airport.  There we were told to wait 30 minutes before we could check in.  So much waiting.  When we were finally allowed to check in, we had lots of complications because we each had two bags, and the weight limit for Air India is 30 pounds, while our bags weighed 50 pounds.  Somehow Karl negotiated and we were able to carry two bags, each 50 pounds.  Oh, and during that time the flight was delayed an hour.  Good grief.

We finally landed in Mumbai after constantly waiting.  There we had our layover and our flight was delayed.  Nate and Madeline W. bought some delicious snacks that we all envied.  Thankfully they shared.  Once we were on the plane it got delayed and we arrived 2 hours later than scheduled. 

As if we weren’t tired of traveling enough, there was another 3-hour ride to the clinic.  I believe that we all slept, except for two of our folks who have the Flu.  Finally we made it to Daisy’s home!  She welcomed us with open arms and showed us our rooms.  It was 2:00am before Madeline C., Madeline W., and I went to sleep.

Today we slept in and woke up to a delicious breakfast of tea, coffee, fresh fruit from Daisy’s garden, and other traditional Kerala foods.  I could get used to this food.  We had a tour of the clinic, emptied out all the supplies, and are having a relaxing day.

We hope to hear from you all soon,

Caroline

      

            Today started off with a breakfast in our excellent hotel, where we woke up early because Tal had the time wrong. This has been the nicest hotel yet, and breakfast was delicious. After breakfast, we departed for the Amber fort, where we arrived early to secure a spot in line to ride elephants. This was the highlight of our day. We rode up the hill and were treated to a beautiful view while photographers along the route took our pictures. Later in the day, once we had explored the fort, some of the photographers found us as much as four hours later to sell us the photos. The fort was very complex, with many balconies to view the surrounding land. At one point, we visited a room covered in small silver mirrors. The guide took out his phone, turned on the flashlight app, and showed us how the mirrors were made to make the illusion of stars in the night. On our way down the fort, we were heckled for our photos and random tourist goods. Maddy H. accidently paid a 1,000 rupee bill instead of a 100 and realized it half way down the stairs back. Our great tour guide Ali helped her get the money back from the guy with a combination of fake crying and intense Indian negotiating.

From the fort, we went to see the water fort, which was located in a man made lake on the way to our next destination. There, we met a young boy who showed us amazing magic tricks such as pulling money out of Nate’s shirt and Caroline’s ear. We continued on to a textile factory, where the workers showed us how they made the prints. At the factory, we got our shirts and arms stamped with cool elephant designs. They showed us rugs, which we didn’t buy, and then showed us cloth items, which Nate and Maddy H liked. Their prices were very high, so most of the group waited for later on. We went on to lunch from the textile factory, which was excellent. We were served a particularly great garlic-y dish, which we don’t know the name of.

After lunch we stopped at an observatory that could count time down to 2 seconds using ancient sun dials. Next we visited a palace where, we saw a wedding in preparation, which really excited Tal. We ended our day with shopping for all sort of goods. The group liked that part a lot, as most enjoyed the intense bargaining. We are about to go off for a meal, which I believe will be Indian food…again. Happy thanksgiving to everyone back home!

-Nate, Tal and Spencer\\\

Arrival to India, the Taj, Driving Down the Wrong Side of the Road, and Nan… lots and lots of Nan: Ladies and Gentlemen, India.

Hello all! Our time since departure has been great! India promised to be an experience far different than Portland, Oregon, and it has not disappointed.

The flight was long and without any complications. In Amsterdam, we discovered that a tall Starbucks coasts $8… Ouch. Other than that, all went smoothly and Tal learned a few Dutch words from our flight attendant. We got into Delhi at about 1 AM.  On our way to the hotel, we were stopped by an elephant kicking it in the middle of the road.

Welcome to India.

After a brief rest, we started the next morning with our first dose of excellent Indian food and a tour of Delhi. We toured at the Red Fort, Jama Masji–India’s largest mosque–the Qutub Minar, the India Gate, the President’s House, and the Raj Ghat–a monument that marks the place where Gandhi was cremated. I almost made the record for the first one to get sick, but ended up second when I lost my lunch. I continued the tour with a garbage bag and rode a rickshaw through shops of everything possible. We think it was a reaction to the malaria medication. I feel much better now.

The next day we headed to Agra, the home of India’s most famous sight: the Taj Mahal, a shining white mausoleum. The weather was perfect, not too hot and not too hazy. It was absolutely incredible. We also visited the Agra Fort. Made mostly of red sandstone, the ruling place of the Mogul dynasty was brilliantly filled with carvings. As we walked through it, we could almost picture it in all its glory. We got our first tastes of haggling, which I wasn’t so great at, but I’m learning.

Today we arose before the sun rose and watched it rise next to the Taj. Pollution makes for some very pretty sunrises. Picture can not to the Taj justice. Then we saw the Baby Taj, which is another mausoleum. The art and carving were highly influenced by a Chinese style of art. We then packed up and hit the road to the Fatehpur Sikri, a beautiful red sandstone that was the capital of the Mughal Empire for about 14 years. It was abandoned and the capital returned to Agra when water ran out. Again, the carvings were incredible.

As I write this we are currently on a bumpy tour bus on our way to Jaipur from Agra. When I look out the window as we drive down the left side, I see camel carts, donkeys, cows, horses, tractors, cars, trucks, bikes, and motorcycles–with 2-5 people riding on them­– all sharing the road. The horn is used as a tool for letting others know you’re around; traffic lanes and laws are more suggestions than rules. It’s been fun.

And Nan is delicious.

~Maddy H.