Photo: my host family in Bagalkot At least I had no more fevers last night, though I still didn’t sleep well at all. We moved by bus to Bagalkot. Along the way to Bagalkot, we crossed the longest bridge in India, 5 kilometers. Here I went with my host to his home to rest. Along the way we stopped briefly at the local hospital to see the casualty department and ambulances. As seems to be typical (except for the one place) the ambulance had only a stretcher and some seats in it. I was told that occasionally you can find an ambulance with some oxygen in it but that is it in the smaller cities. Not that I would call this city of 2 lahk (200,000) population small! Inside the Casualty Dep’t (ER) I saw them operating on the leg of a person who had a soft-tissue injury resulting from some kind of accident. They also showed me what I gathered to be the trauma recovery area which had oxygen, suctions, IV set-ups, one monitor, and a portable x-ray machine. I did see what appeared to be a crash cart with a defibrillator and medications on it. Again I am amazed at how they can do so much with so little. I do feel often that I have stepped back in history. I am looking forward to see how India progresses in the next few decades. They just don’t have the resources now in the smaller cities and rural areas to create an EMS system like we have in America but everyone I have spoken to seems to feel it is coming. They apparently do have systems in place in less than a dozen cities in the country and it is growing.
They way Indians greet us is overwhelming, I may have spoken on this subject before, and if so, I apologize. Everyplace we go we are given roses and often leis of jasmine, roses, and a marigold type flower. Most places also place the bindi on our foreheads too, yellow and red, men and women. They treat us with the highest honors. I really think many have never seen anyone of another nationality in their life. When we stopped in the middle of nowhere at a fuel station to fill the bus, there were 7 men working at the edge of the pavement crushing stones by hand and spreading it. When we got out to stretch our legs, all of them stopped work and just stared at us for at least 5 minutes before resuming work. We are definitely a novelty here. It is kind of strange for me too to not see anyone but Indians for so long, not even tourists (except my teammates, of course). Besides visiting the temples and forts that they are proud to share, we are also really getting to see the inside of India everyday that not many people get to see.
I am on mandatory rest again today. I hate this, I am getting so bored. Thank goodness for computer games. I’d rather be out doing stuff with the team! I know I just can’t do it though. I can’t lay down on my right side without feeling like I am drowning and having coughing fits. What ever it is must be in my left lung mostly and drains out when I lay that way although I can’t bring anything up. I hope it isn’t turning into pneumonia. I know these blogs are getting longer but I have to kill the time somehow. I enjoy looking at their photo albums and I shared mine but we ran out of photos. I wish I’d brought more photos. Maybe someone can e-mail me some and I can show them on my computer. How about a photo of the inside of one of our ambulances to show how they are stocked? Not that I’ll get the e-mail for a while as internet access has gotten scarce. I don’t think I’ve gotten on in over a week. I know some of you are probably getting worried but typing and saving these blogs here in Word is the best I can do. I think when we get to the state of Goa, things will get better. We are not in the most affluent part of India right now although my hosts have been great! At least there is power most of the time so I can keep the laptop charged although I am saving the last of my camera battery juice for lack of a charger. Sometimes the power goes out when you least expect it though my hosts are used to it and immediately have a lamp at hand. The hot water is limited too as they have water heaters up on the roof that are often solar powered. I have had more than one hot shower end as a cold one. Thank goodness the cold water here isn’t that cold and is quite tolerable, actually rather comfortable when I have a fever. I think my new hosts here in Bagalkot are as disappointed as my last ones in that I don’t want the Indian food. I am just barely keeping the plain rice down. Maybe it’s the antibiotic?
Ah, I convinced my host’s wife to make a plain vegetable soup for me. It had carrots, peas, potato, red onion, and black peppercorns in it as well as a pinch of sugar and salt and some kind of tiny garlic. She put it in the blender for a full minute and pureed it which I didn’t expect but I added plain rice to it and it came out wonderful and almost still had an Indian flavor to it, I’m not sure why, but yet was American and easy on my poor stomach. I call it Indian-American Vegetable Rice Soup. It was like eating heaven to me! Unfortunately, no one else would come anywhere near it and wouldn’t even taste it!
They way Indians greet us is overwhelming, I may have spoken on this subject before, and if so, I apologize. Everyplace we go we are given roses and often leis of jasmine, roses, and a marigold type flower. Most places also place the bindi on our foreheads too, yellow and red, men and women. They treat us with the highest honors. I really think many have never seen anyone of another nationality in their life. When we stopped in the middle of nowhere at a fuel station to fill the bus, there were 7 men working at the edge of the pavement crushing stones by hand and spreading it. When we got out to stretch our legs, all of them stopped work and just stared at us for at least 5 minutes before resuming work. We are definitely a novelty here. It is kind of strange for me too to not see anyone but Indians for so long, not even tourists (except my teammates, of course). Besides visiting the temples and forts that they are proud to share, we are also really getting to see the inside of India everyday that not many people get to see.
I am on mandatory rest again today. I hate this, I am getting so bored. Thank goodness for computer games. I’d rather be out doing stuff with the team! I know I just can’t do it though. I can’t lay down on my right side without feeling like I am drowning and having coughing fits. What ever it is must be in my left lung mostly and drains out when I lay that way although I can’t bring anything up. I hope it isn’t turning into pneumonia. I know these blogs are getting longer but I have to kill the time somehow. I enjoy looking at their photo albums and I shared mine but we ran out of photos. I wish I’d brought more photos. Maybe someone can e-mail me some and I can show them on my computer. How about a photo of the inside of one of our ambulances to show how they are stocked? Not that I’ll get the e-mail for a while as internet access has gotten scarce. I don’t think I’ve gotten on in over a week. I know some of you are probably getting worried but typing and saving these blogs here in Word is the best I can do. I think when we get to the state of Goa, things will get better. We are not in the most affluent part of India right now although my hosts have been great! At least there is power most of the time so I can keep the laptop charged although I am saving the last of my camera battery juice for lack of a charger. Sometimes the power goes out when you least expect it though my hosts are used to it and immediately have a lamp at hand. The hot water is limited too as they have water heaters up on the roof that are often solar powered. I have had more than one hot shower end as a cold one. Thank goodness the cold water here isn’t that cold and is quite tolerable, actually rather comfortable when I have a fever. I think my new hosts here in Bagalkot are as disappointed as my last ones in that I don’t want the Indian food. I am just barely keeping the plain rice down. Maybe it’s the antibiotic?
Ah, I convinced my host’s wife to make a plain vegetable soup for me. It had carrots, peas, potato, red onion, and black peppercorns in it as well as a pinch of sugar and salt and some kind of tiny garlic. She put it in the blender for a full minute and pureed it which I didn’t expect but I added plain rice to it and it came out wonderful and almost still had an Indian flavor to it, I’m not sure why, but yet was American and easy on my poor stomach. I call it Indian-American Vegetable Rice Soup. It was like eating heaven to me! Unfortunately, no one else would come anywhere near it and wouldn’t even taste it!
1 comment:
Oh my word, Misty. I just read all your catch up blogs. What an incredible journey you have been on. And the magic with which you bring us into your experiences is remarkable. You my dear girl, are talented beyond belief. We are so glad for all the experiences, emotions, and historical journey with the wonderful peoples of India. Thank you so much for the sharing.
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