MY MESSAGE HOME FROM THE PLUSH LUXURY OF MY TEMPORARY STAY
AT THE PARK HOTEL IN DELHI, AT DEPARTURE,
AN EMAIL MESSAGE ON LEAVING INDIA TO BALANCE
MY PRIOR EMAIL MESSAGE ON ARRIVAL IN LEH, LADAKH,
THREE WEEKS AGO AT THE START OF LADAKH-'01
August 6, 2001
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2001 3:50 PM
I am writing to you from the ridiculuous contrast of my luxury suite in the
Park Hotel, Delhi, rented for the benefit of a shower and "real dinner,"
after quite a rugged "adventure travel" that brought me here, before
departing at 2:45 AM from Delhi via Frankfurt to Washington after the "Accomplished
Mission" you see briefly reported in the "Subject Line" above.
For a very brief outline, you may see the summary of the typing I have been able to do with a rare electric line current, since the laptop has failed entirely, crashing on any battery power, unable to even boot??not a "plus" in the regions I have been where the only power is variable and intermittent generator supply of unknown consistency!
So, I will send you this message with the details, tapes and photos to follow, mainly those textual notes done by ballpoint on paper??a rather old fashioned, but much more reliable method.
Now, from half a globe away, and a 10 1/2 hour later time zone, I am heading back to what may seem like a place where jet lag is more the norm in Marylnad than in parts far removed, since I leave a week later for Kamchatka, Siberia in the mountains of the ice? covered Pacific Rim of Fire!
"Om Manne Padme Ommmm!"
Cheers from "Inja!"
GWG
JUL B 1
MEDICAL MISSION TO LADAKH?'02
JUL A 1 Index to the Jul B Series: "Medical Mission to Ladakh '02"
2 The final countdown to Ladakh and Lingshed: A weekend long run ptp punctuated by a push to produce one of several past due chapters
1.. Launch the long haul to the far side through Frankfurt and Delhi to Lei,
Ladakh
4 First really mobile morning in Lei, Ladakh: visit the cybercafe, Tibetan market,
then climb up to Lei Palace and Tsemo Castle; afternoon?set up Thiksay clinic
and tour 14th C. Gompa; evening?Ladakhi culutural festival of dance and music
1.. The first day at altitude on the run?with a small group passing the halal
market, then to the "inaugural" of our first clinic day, introducing
our all?green noveau clinicians at Thicksay Gompa clinic; ending with dinner
with Dr. Dava, Chief Medical Officer of the five block district of Ladakh
2.. A morning headache precludes my run around the heights of Lei; we complete
final clinic at Thiksay Gompa, including playing with the kids and throwing
Frisbees and having lunch before an early return to pack up for our safari to
remote Lake Pangong
7 The long ride up through Chungla Pass, the highest motorable pass in the Himalayas,
and our setting up medical camp in Tangste, following a remarkable welcome ceremony
in this first?ever medical camp in this remote setting
8 First day of a mobbed clinic in the Tangste PHC and a greeting from the commanding
general of the nearby Indian army base; a review of cases by the medical students
and lecture, then a twilight walk to the Gompa
9 Early morning excursion to the VIP station and a dip for some of us in Pangong
Lake; then a return to mobbed clinic and total of 588 patients; the special
cultural program prepared in our honor far into the night
10 Final farewell ceremony sendoff from Tangste, and a recrossing of the Chungla
Pass to return to regroup at the Hotel Khangri in Lei; then a superb run all
around Lei and over the Tsemo Castle mountain and a return though the irrigated
gardens: A special evening dinner and medical diplomacy at the Hotel Indus and
a full court press in meeting Indian officialdom
11 Launch the extensive trip from Lei to Tso Morari through the spectacular
scenery of the Indus River canyon: entry by special permit to the restricted
Karzok District and medical camp at Lake Tso Morari
12 First medical camp clinic day at Tso Morari, explore the immediate environs of our lakeside camp and summary case presentations by students
13 Concluding clinics at the medical camp Lake Tso Morari, and afternoon climb
of the mountains over the village and lake of Tso Morari
14 Early departure from lake Tso Morari and return to Lei, regroup, repack,
and farewell celebration with important members of our group as we part
15 Our team separates, half to Delhi and US departure, and half to go on through
Khardungla to our final extended medical camp to begin Aug?A?series
AUG?A?1
CONCLUDING CLINICS OF EXTENDED LADAKH MEDICAL MISSION
AUG A 1 Index to Aug A series concluding medical mission to Ladakh
1.. Panamic: our last, and possibly most spectacular medical camp venue, from
the guest house near the clinic, our late arrival begins with a delivery, and
proceeds through a very busy first?time clinic with a very different ethnic
group events of our first clinic day of our extended mission with half our former
staff
3 The second full clinic day at Panamic, which begins with me trying to wade
the impassable Shyok River, and concludes?unlike the previous day with me climbing
a mountain?? with a grandfathers' celebration, before I crash, ill with a bad
URThe slow start and drowsy return drive through Khardungla, to arrive at Lei,
still ill, but with enough energy to re?pack and pick up the tailoring I had
ordered in the tailor shop, before our evening rendezvous and regrouping
1.. Our "holiday at leisure" in Lei, as half our residual group
leaves early for a futile airport wait; the intrepid six take on the class iii
white waters of the mighty Indus River?one swims and loses time and good pics?and
all of us wave at an overflying aircraft, which does not contain our colleagues
delayed to Delhi, so we are now all going to try again for early departure
6 "D?Day" for Departure to Delhi, to begin the long and laborious
return trip from the far side of the world, at its Roof Line and Coming Down
to its Water Line on Virginia's birthday: a long delay through intricate, redundant
security checks, while awaiting coffins, battery?stripping, and hand baggage
sequestering, until we fly to Delhi, to check into the unaccustomed luxury of
the Park Hotel to await international takeoff
7 The 2:45 AM alleged departure time of Lufthansa from Delhi to Frankfurt, connecting on to the Washington flight for a return home?a harbinger of a half dozen repeat global round trips for next year?
Forgive the random numbering that the computer has inexorably injected to scramble
the sequence, but the textual titles should be in the correct order, although
the obstinate machine insists on changing the format!
Cheers from Delhi in transit!
gwg
Business Center
The Park
15 Parliamant Street
New Delhi 110 001
INDIA
Phone : +91 11 374 3000 Extn 1812
Fax : +91 11 374 4000
Visit us at : www.theparkhotels.com