Planet Bollywood

After leaving Nepal, Bombay (currently known as Mumbai) was a huge difference.
Upon entering you get the feeling you are in a big city, purely by the differences between the two airports. Bombay looks like our standard western airports: clean, air-conditioned and well organized...and no power-cuts. Did I mention the power went out in the airport in Kathmandu? If you wanted to scare me before a flight in a third world country, there was no better way to do it.
I spent the first few days with my paternal grandparents and was spoiled with all my favourite Indian dishes by my grandmother, God bless her. I'm sure she was slightly disappointed with my appetite however as going from eating two meals a day to eating three huge and delicious meals a day is a lot for my stomach to handle.
I then made my way to my godmother's house where my aunt from Montreal and maternal grandmother were visiting. We made a short trip to Goa, where my family is from and it was amazing. Goa is so different from Bombay. Everything is laid back and has that beach mentality. Speaking of which the beach was great. The monsoons are not a great time to arrive as the water is very rough and quite dangerous so no swimming, but the beach still maintains that paradise feel to it. Little shacks and shops dot the coastline along the beach and one can only imagine how relaxing it must be during the high season. After thoroughly pigging out on delicious Goan dishes including a wide variety of seafood, we headed back to Bombay for me to shop till I dropped. The prices here are just too good not to.
The coolest experience for me has been by far the surgery I viewed. My uncle, a surgical oncologist, took me into the operating theater to watch him perform a lumpectomy (surgical removal of a lump) from a breast. I passed his "no-faint" test by viewing pictures of surgeries without passing out so he let me stand right beside him as I watched him operate. I even dawned the surgical scrubs, mask and hair-net which completed the look. Impressed with my ability to handle the "gore" I'm going to see a throat surgery which promises much more blood...we'll see how I handle that.
I'm heading to Goa again this weekend...I just can't get enough.

My Nepal Surival Guide

As the end of my trip approaches, I decided to put up few helpful tips as well as observations I have made starting with my arrival in Nepal to now. Hopefully anyone coming here in the future can learn from this.
1. Don't tip anyone at the airport and definitely don't show them you have US dollars in your wallet...you'll be taken advantage of.
2. When buying cotton candy at the Swyanmbunath monkey temple, make sure to keep it OUT OF REACH of monkeys; they WILL take it, violently if need be.
3. If you leave a bar at 11pm in Thamel, make sure you know where you are going, street lights don't exist and Nepalis give awful directions
4. Always drink filtered water...enough said.
5. Never eat street fruit unless you want to have the same issues as you would have should you try unfiltered water.
6. In the village, there is no toilet paper, let alone a western toilet...learn how to use your hands, and make sure to use the left for wiping, the right for eating...you may be stared at otherwise.
7. The chiya pasal (tea shop) in a village basically means community center.
8. If you are shopping, make sure to mention you are from India but studying abroad, instant discount.
9. When hanging out of a microbus with nothing but your hand holding a thin metal rod, make sure to tuck your body in when a bus/car/truck/bike passes in the opposite direction.
10. In addition t0 #9, make sure you have rainwear, a Nepali rainstorm hits hard and fast.
11. If you plan on staying in Thamel, make a budget...then double it, you will definitely spend that much.
12. Don't pet street dogs...
13. Don't pet street cats...
14. Don't look monkeys in the eye
15. If you go to a Pashupatinath and see a cremation (and you will), try to avoid breathing till you are well away from the funeral pyre.
16. If a Nepali quotes you a time, multiply it by 4, I developed this surprisingly accurate formula and tested it...
17. Should you decide to sit on top of the bus, make sure you hold on tightly...very tightly.
18. Make sure you have rainwear handy for #17
19. If you are stuck in a petrol que, don't try and estimate how long it will take you to get out...just start walking, it's more than likely faster!
20. Only use an ATM during bank hours and have a backup should your card get eat or the power goes out
21. If you feel a rumble in the building, its probably an earthquake, don't sit in the building debating whether it was a pre-shock or the real thing.
22. Learn what day your village participates in power load sharing
23. If you decide to shower during a load sharing day, make sure you have an alternate source of light available in the shower, you can't wash what you can't see.
24. Buy hand sanitizer and take it EVERYWHERE
25. Don't bother looking for a garbage bin, you won't find one. Instead look for a trash pile.
26. Don't walk towards/through a banda (strike)
27. Should you decide to ignore #26, go with Nepalis or make sure to stress you are North American...I'm glad I did
28. A nikon camera strapped to your neck means instant 300% markup
29. Every Nepali child knows the capital city of the country (and in some cases, the state) you live in...they are also very good at then proceeding to ask for money for their demonstration of intelligence
30. Every Nepali seems to know a relative/friend in the city you live in...they also seem to think you are kindred spirits as a result and will expect you to buy from them.

I hope you feel prepared enough for Nepal...next, back to India!

I had a shower...with an elephant

A group of six volunteers decided that a great way to end placement would be to go to Chitwan National Park and take in some natural beauty.

A 5am wakeup call saw us on our way to the tourist bus park to begin our 6 hour bus ride to Chitwan. The ride was an adventure in itself with the bus coming very close to the edge of some cliffs on MANY occasions. Those of you who think the Sea to Sky highway is dangerous, you're all a bunch of babies compared to what I went through! The occasional turned over bus on the side of the road only added to our anxiety, but we got there in one piece.

The first day we met our guide and went on a small walk through the jungle to the river to watch the sunset, it was gorgeous and we got our first view of a Marsh Mugger crocodile. The resort was lovely and we had the whole thing to ourselves since it was the off season.

The next morning was a treat. At 10 am to large elephants came strolling into our resort and we hopped aboard. No saddle, just bareback on a 2 ton pacaderm. The hairs on an elephant are like mini needles poking you, so after the initial excitement of being on an elephant wore off, it was a little uncomfortable. The elephants slowly walked towards the river, yes the same on the crocs are in...and then proceeded into the water. We had no idea. Next thing I knew, the elephant was shaking and I went flying into the river. It was incredible! After being thrown off more than once, I went to the elephants trunk and stood on it, at which point Punam Kali, a 31 year old elephant, lifted me up onto his head, only to shake and throw me back into the water.

1 hour later we dried off in the resort and prepared for our next elephant adventure, a walk through the jungle. We saw a rhino and some deer but unfortunately no tigers. Not surprising since our guide who has 25 years of experience has only seen a tiger 20 times in his life. We also did a dugout canoe ride down the river and saw some crocs and another rhino...however he wasn't happy to see us since he swam directly towards our canoe...quickly. Paddling like crazy our guide managed to fight the current and take us to a point that was acceptable to the rhino because he turned around and went on land.

Overall Chitwan has been the best experience so far here in Nepal and I would highly suggest if you ever get the chance to come here, bathe with elephants!

Photos.....the bain of my existence

It seems every attempt I make to upload photos somehow gets messed up. As you can tell if you visit the link that has always been on this page, there is a small album of photos of the children. Unfortunately Internet Explorer crashed when 50% of the photos were uploaded (another reason you should ALL switch to Firefox) so the upload ended prematurely.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2198635&l=4a3da&id=21000684
This is a public link to the same album on facebook which I managed to successfully upload. In the future if my online sight fails to upload, I will provide a link that directs to you facebook (which hopefully was successful). If any of you can't see the link, please let me know.

Ryan

Mount Everest

"I may not have climbed mount Everest, but I touched it with my heart."

I was originally reluctant to pay the $150 fee for a one hour flight to Mount Everest by charter company Bhudda Air, afterall, $150 USD is a small fortune in Nepal, many people won't see that much in a year. However curiosity finally kicked in and I paid, even managing to haggle down to $140 in typical Nepali fashion.
Arriving at the airport at 5am (6:30am flight) with a group of seven volunteers who had decided to go I was dumbfounded when I realized the airport was not even open yet. The guide had told us to get there at 5:30 but we decided to get there early to get good seats; true to Nepal, everyone showed up at 5:30 to actually open the airport...or what is considered and airport.
After paying our departure tax and all trying to get seats near the front of the plane and avoid the wing, we waited at the gate. I was disappointed since I got a seat at the back of the plane, sure to be a disaster for getting some good pictures...I was soon corrected.
The plane was a small Beech twin propellar aircraft and it became apparent that the back of the plane was the best place to be. After a 15 minute ascent we reached above the clouds and within minutes began to see peaks. They were gorgeous and the hostess came around to vainly explain which each peak was. Finally commotion stirred in the whole plane, we were near Everest. One by one passengers of the seventeen-seater made their way to the cockpit for the best view. Finally it was my turn.
When I first got there I didn't know what I was looking at, but soon it became clear. Sitting there, higher than them all with a little "cloud halo" was Everest; it was beautiful. But the other peaks were just as amazing, all looking like giant ice bergs rising up out of an icy ocean.
Definitely worth the $150!!!

Nepali Life

Leopards, heavy rain, leeches, a total lack of toilet paper...welcome to Nepal.

Bistachaap was the beginning of my Nepali adventure. After spending two days in Thamel (the tourist district) and meeting all the other volunteers, we shipped out for this quaint city which is within a valley of the Kathmandu Valley. I met my host family and immediately became very attached to the two children, and apparently the little girl (Unisa) became attached, even possessive of me. Any girl who came near me would get a stern "NO!" and a punch, usually in the head. She was only 5, so it was cute.

The family lived on a nice plot of land with their own mini barn, corn plants and a small rice paddy (like almost every Nepali family). Mornings began at 7 for me, although technically I was up at 5 because Nepali's usually wake up this early anyways. No toilet paper so I went traditional and exercised my left hand...fun. Language lessons and tours of the valley accompanied each day. On the 5th day we finished training and went back to Thamel to await placement. I took advantage of computers, showers, WESTERN toilets and more importantly a variety in meals. Nepalis only eat two meals a day, Dhal Bhaat...twice a day, every day for all eternity. Some Chiya (sweetened tea) adds variety for a snack.

I was placed in a small village about 30 minutes from Thamel. My new host family is great and loves hearing about Canada, although I will miss Unisa and the rest I left in Bistachaap. I have my own room, similar to mine in Vancouver and a western toilet!!! Awesome!

The daily routine starts at about 7am and I go to Charity, the name of the orphanage I work at. The children are not well off at all but they all have bright smiling faces. My favourite almost immediately is Bishnu Pun Magar, a mischievious little 7 year old with a laugh that makes you melt and a smile that lights up the room.

The day begins with giving all the children their required medications and vitamins...almost 40 children means it takes about 1.5 hours. The health cases range from phimoses for boys (look it up...its not fun) and scabies for everyone. I drench myself in purel after every case, Lord knows what these kids have; actually I do know, hence my prophylactic regimen. The kids then eat Dhal Bhaat...shocking...then off to "school". I use that term lightly because if you saw it, you'd never know. The evening is a follow-up check for most of the kids, usually evening medications and general checks. If a child has to go to the clinic, we take him during the day. I'm dreading an overnight hospital visit, but its certainly not unheard of in this place.

Thats all for now. I'll try and post some sort of picture soon, I promise. I'm doing an Everest flight on Sunday so I guarantee I'll post something from that.

Kolkata

Touring the city I was born in was a good experience. I started the day fairly early with a government organized city tour. The tour guide spoke English which was a welcome feature and the tour was small, only about seven people, which was nice because it allowed us to move at a decent speed without having to wait.
We started with all the major monuments in Kolkata. Unfortunately it was predominantly a bus tour and most of the places we visited can either not be reached by the public, or there is no stopping. The governor's house was absolutely huge and almost all the buildings that we saw had a very colonial British look. I was later informed by Dad's friend Rajiv that this is because Kolkata was once the capital of India before Independence in 1947 when it moved to the present city of Delhi. I had to end the tour early because I was feeling a bit ill but I felt better later that evening.
That evening I went out to a club in Kolkata with Rajiv's son Karan and it was a fun and new experience. Clubs here are very similar to those in Canada and it was a lot of fun.
The next day I woke up later than usual and went to visit Mother Theresa's Mission of Charity. It was amazing. It was much smaller than I expected, with a small courtyard leading to Mother's tomb and a small room that outlines her history among a variety of poster boards. I got so caught up with reading about her accomplishments and her letters that I lost track of time and the opportunity to see her bedroom passed. I knew she was an amazing woman, but truly when you read about all that she accomplished with what she had, it really makes her seem like a saint.
Later in the afternoon I had a lovely lunch at the CCFC (Calcutta Cricket and Football Club) with Rajiv and his family followed by a very special drive down memory lane. Rajiv took me to the apartment I used to live in, the bank building (HSBC) that dad used to work at, and most importantly Woodlands Hospital, which, on May 18, 1986 was the hospital where the world became a better place. Rajiv also took me to buy a pair of Kurta Pyjama's, a comfortable cotton outfit which is very comfortable for lounging but I bought a pair that can also be dressed up and worn with jeans.
Kolkata was definitely a great experience. It was nice being able to see where I was born and spent the first year of my life but was also nice to see India from the pre-independence capital.
Tomorrow I leave for Nepal so I can't guarantee when the next posting will be, so bare with me.

Rahul Doloui

I arrived in Kolkata at about 8pm on the 26th evening. For those of you that don't know, I was actually born in this city, so I felt it was my duty to come and visit before I leave for Nepal. I'm staying with my Dad's friend Rajiv and his family who have been very kind to open their home to me. Actually the majority of my travels in India are spent with family friends of my parents. The entire Delhi trip was organized by my dad's very close friend Uchil who not only provided me with a place to stay, but also a car and driver to travel in. A big thanks to him as well.

On the 27th morning I headed to small village on the outskirts of Kolkata, about a 2 hour drive. I sponsor a child through Christian Children's Fund of Canada and specifically chose one in Kolkata because I was born here. Mr. Ghosh (a CCFC associate) accompanied me to the village. Upon arriving I was greeted in a way you would only reserve for foreign dignitaries and celebrities. The children were dressed in ceremonial clothes and almost half the community had gathered around the community center to see me. "I'm kind of a big deal."

Then, after looking through the crowd, there he was. No taller than maybe my hips, little Rahul was dressed in his finest clothes sporting a CCFC baseball hat. He was very shy but came up and greeted me in the traditional way of touching my feet, then his face and head. It was adorable. After a brief stay in the community center, which is little more than a large garden shed, I was taken on a tour of the village. It looks like something out of National Geographic. Straw huts dot the village with cows, chickens and the occasional goat roaming about. On either side of the 2 foot wide brick path are either a big man made pool for growing fish and shrimp, or rice paddies.

After the tour we went back to the community center for lunch. I was not looking forward to this part since my stomach wasn't feeling great, and we all know what that leads to in foreign countries. Luckily I was armed with a bottle of Pepto Bismal. Lunch was rice, dhal, shrimp, more shrimp, and fish. It was quite delicious, but for the sake of my stomach I took it easy. They women kept trying to put more in my plate and as bad as I felt, I had to finally just take my plate away.

After the lunch, it was time to finally meet Rahul's family. I thought it was just a case of walking there, the community had other plans. Making me feel like more of a big deal, there was a huge procession. About 30 kids and some adults all dressed up. One boy was banging a drum and two girls in ceremonial dresses on either side of me throwing flowers on the ground and in the air as I walked, pretty amazing. When we arrived at the house, there was a sort of stage set up out of various tarps (it started raining) where some of the children did some dances and sang some songs, very cute.

Finally I met the parents. They honestly could not have been more than 25 years old. The mother looked really young. But they were so sweet and the mother even went so far as to make a Saree for my visit. It was beautiful, a red one with embroidery on it which I was told is usually sold or exported. This for sure looks like something you could get on Main Street, I'm sure for about 10x the price though. I gave Rahul and his sister Riya their gifts, a t-shirt for each and a Team Canada soccer ball for Rahul. Next I was shown their home, which after stepping in I immediately thought "I'm truly blessed". The entire house was no larger than my bathroom at home with a "porch" the size of a walk in closet. But they make due. That was the fascinating thing, amidst all the poverty in this community, everyone was still so cheerful, hospitable and just all around happy. I never saw anything but a smile.

Finally it was time to leave. I was going to take the father to the nearby town to buy him and his wife some bed sheets as well as a Saree for her and a shirt for him. Before getting into the car I learned my first Bengali words "Ami arash bo" - I will come back, which they really urged me to do. In all, a very humbling experience.

The Capital

Today was my day to tour the capital city of India, Delhi.
It's a great city, full of history and culture...and great food as I would soon learn.
The first thing I noticed (even before my tour) was that road rules do NOT apply in Delhi...probably India. Everyone who thought Vancouver had bad drivers, bite your tongue and come to Delhi. Yeah there are lane markings, but no one follows them. I wish I could say it was uncommon to see 3 motorcycles to a lane, or 2 cars and a bus sharing 2 lanes. Forget to indicate when you were changing lanes? No worries, just do it...everyone else is. It seems the way to indicate that you are changing lanes, breaking, overtaking, turning...driving, is to honk your horn. The horn is more of an alert in Delhi than a way to reprimand someone for crappy driving, although I'm sure that is done too. Cycles, rickshaws and even pedestrians navigate through moving cars with ease. Actually, these are probably some of the best drivers, I haven't seen a single accident.
The day started with a visit to Qutab Minar, a HUGE pillar erected our of red stone that is 72m high. It was built by Akbar, but I have no idea why. The thing to note about all Mughul architecture is the symmetry. Even the Taj and Agra fort were the same, everything was symmetrical. An arch on one side would have an identical arch on the other. Two gardens on either side of a building would be the same dimensions and same look, which basically means if you see one side of a building...you've seen all sides.
Next we saw Red Fort, a MASSIVE fort in Old Delhi which was built by Indians, taken by Brits, then taken BACK by the Indians...lousy British. Red fort has some great architecture with lots of intricate inlays. It also has two museums which outline Indian military history as well as one that outlines the history of the dynasties that ruled with artifacts of actual notebooks of the leaders of the dynasties.
After Red Fort we crossed the street...which was a little more than game of Frogger with the being me, and instead of a colorful mass of blocks making a vehicle...I had a real bus/rickshaw/car/bicycle who had no intention of stopping but decided honking was just as effective.
Jama Mosque is a very nice place but walking up to you reminds of what Jesus was so upset when he saw people selling and gambling in the Temple. The mosque is surrounded by a huge bazaar and even the stares approaching the mosque are covered with people selling things. I wish I could tell you what was inside...but I wore shorts...and had a camera. The camera they were willing to let slide for a mere 200RS but the shorts were unacceptable and they wanted me to wear pants. I was almost liquid from the 40 degree temperature...long pants? Are you insane? I skipped the inside of Jama Mosque and went for an authentic Mughulai meal instead, delicious. Navigating through the Bazaar after the meal was not only a good way to take in some culture but a good way to digest...dodging traffic, Delhi's biggest hazard in my opinion!

The Taj Mahal

If I could sum up Agra in one word it would be: Amazing!
The road to Agra is long, whether by car or by train. I never thought I would wake up at 4:30am on vacation, but suffering the effects of jetlag, I gladly woke up at 3:30am and ended up watching Indian TV for about an hour before the driver arrived to take me to Agra.
The 5 hour trip is pretty comfortable if you are in an air conditioned car and stopping midway for a breakfast of Dosas only made the travel better.
About 200km from Delhi in the state of Uttar Pradesh is the city of Agra. Upon arriving, the first thing we did was head for the Taj Mahal. Built for the memory of his wife, Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal out of marble and gem stones and it is quite possibly the most beautiful monument I have seen to date. Walking through the red sandstone gates you finally see it. It glistens in the sunlight, and although I couldn't see it, apparently it is spectacular under a full moon. You can't help but stand and stare in awe for a good minute while you look at it; I even caught myself smiling as I just stood and stared. It is sandwiched between a mosque and a guest hall both in red stone which are also equally beautiful. The Taj sits in front of the river Yamuna which is a slow flowing river that runs through Agra. I wish I could say it was a beautiful river, but it is quite polluted.
Next came Red Fort, the famous fort where Shah Jahan's own son imprisoned him when he took power. From this fort, Shah Jahan stared at the Taj (and the grave of his wife) through the windows of his room. The fort itself is quite spectacular. It is huge and has some great views of Agra city. At the top of the fort you can get an idea of what Shah Jahan was looking at as you get a crystal clear view of the Taj.
On to Fatehpur Sikri now, where Mughul Emperor Akbar WALKED to from Delhi (200km) to get the blessings from a priest to have a son. After the walk, he was indeed blessed with a son. Fatehpur Sikri, although impressive, has unfortunately not been as well maintained by the Archaeological Society of India as the Taj or Red Fort. Because of this is is crumbling in places and the locals have more or less taken over. Still, it is quite beautiful when you walk around its walks and various room and chambers. It is helpful to have a guide as well as they show you shortcuts and what to see. Did I mention ours was only 12? Nakeem, he is a student...and apparently a businessman. Visiting it after the Taj however takes away from its beauty stince really, nothing can compare once you've seen the Taj Mahal.

One Night in Tokyo

Tokyo, aside from its insane prices and its extremely complicated subway system is amazing. Everyone is really friendly and contrary to what you may think, most of them speak English, well!

After an 8 hour flight in which I probably watched 10,000 BC and Vantage Point about 3 times...each, I arrived at Narita.
A friend of mine who used to work at Artigiano lives in Tokyo so I could not think of a better guide. Hisako gave me detailed instructions on how to get to her in Tokyo station...but she failed to realize just how overwhelming a Japanese subway system is to a foreigner.

Luckily, Im sure the Japanese tourism office knows too since they have a special office for foreigners to book tickets.

The lady at the office was very helpful and helping me organize my trip into Tokyo. For a small price of only 2900yen (only $30 to a ride a train....) I was on my way to Tokyo via the Narita Express, an express train that gets you to Tokyo in a little over an hour and a half.

Arriving in Tokyo Station Hisako took me on a brief tour of the Imperial Palace. It was 6pm so the Palace was closed to visitors but we walked along the outside, in the pouring rain. We decided indoors was best so we walked along the extensive underground network of stations which are pretty cool. Dinner was the best. Up high on the 35th floor Hisako treated me to a dinner that I can:t remember the name of, but was declicious...only 16,000yen....good thing I get paid so much at Artigiano...

After dinner Hisako showed me the cheaper alternative to get back to my hotel. Sacrificing a comfortable express train seat for a standard subway system seat and taking on transfer to a different train ride, I made it back to my hotel Nikko in the same amount of time for only 1,200 yen. Thank God for for Hisako!

That all for now. I definitely want to come back to Tokyo, but for more than just an evening this time!

Ps. Did I mentioned they have beer in vending machines? what a country!