AUG-A-2

THE INTERVAL IN LEH, REGROUPING,

AND FAREWELLS TO THE LADAKH-03 TEAM,

NOW VETERANS OF HIMALAYAN MEDICAL MISSION,

AND WELCOMING AND ACCLIMATIZING

THE ARRIVING PARTICIPANTS OF THE LINGSHED TREK-03

AUGUST 1—4, 2003

The return to Leh was a time of regrouping and unpacking for more stuff for me in storage to trim down to only one duffel to be carried by the donkeys on our trek. It was a time for those who are leaving from Ladakh-03 to stock up on a bunch of souvenirs, and to pack up some of the stuff to get it all home. I loaded the Action Packer with the stuff I had and Lee’s sleeping bag, and then went with Rena and Jim Campbell to see Aimee my Kashmiri merchant. We reviewed a lot of little things at his shop and they bought many more antiques, as well as Lee stocking up on every Christmas present for his extended family. I then went to the carpet showroom and helped them select an even finer silk rug. They trotted out four antique rugs of some size for me, including a Turcoman and a Shirazi Persian each over a hundred years old, and heirlooms. They were the right size, but were also priced like museum pieces. They will b e on the lookout for some antique rugs for me of the kind and size I had described to them for my next pass through.

The merchant had four pieces of Chatoosh—the scarves made of the belly hair of the Tibetan antelope, which is so fine a weave it is called ring wool—it passes through a wedding ring in a full size shawl. I believe it is illegal to import because the Chatoosh is made from an endangered antelope and only the old ones can still be found since they are not made any more. Lee looked over a Pashmina shawl, which he liked, but I had already loaned him some US $100 bills, so he could not afford the $635 price of the Pashmina—which is too fine a wool to be practical—sine I showed him that it pearls.

The arriving students of the Lingshed Trek were ordered to go to bed, and that will rest them in this higher altitude, but will also put them really out of whack with respect to their jet lag, so I saw each of them around lunch time, and suggested they write cards or read by flashlight in the night as they are sleepless, and that the next day I would take them out to see the Shangri-La for the arrangement of the Stok Kangri climb, and other adventures at the end of our trek. They were keen on doing the climb during the interval of my return from Ladakh-03 and the start of the Linghsed-O3—but I would be ready to take on a 20,000+ foot peak and they would not, and I will be heading back as they would not, since they are each extending for the climb.

My three GWU students, Matt, Rob and Jen Ake all arrived and are bento by the time zones and altitude now and will be getting started on a little more adaptation tomorrow when I walk them around.

MY FIRST LOG IN TO MY EMAIL ACCOUNT,

AND A FORWARDING OF THE COMPLETE LOG OF THE

LADAKH-03 EXPEDITION

I FINALLY GOT ON THE Internet in a day that was completely erratic as electricity cut off repeatedly. The internet café set up a generator to keep the power going, despite the fact that I was coughing and sneezing as the diesel fumes blew into the room and caused me so much eye watering that I could scarcely see to complete the attachments of the thirteen chapters of the Ladakh-03 log. But, I believe I did it! I also opened about three of the four hundred or more emails that came in during the interval—showing the number that I need to see. I found a report on July 31 from Dale Kramer that all the trees and logs from the big trees threatening the newly remodeled house have been not only taken down but packed away. But the bad news is that they never could get the housing “plat” as to the situating of the house on the property and they required a new survey, which was done, but with some confusion as to the boundaries. This will delay the permits, and will not delay the demolition, but will hold back the construction on the schedule of the footings and excavation for the planned timing of the first of August. The production manager Glenn and lead carpenter Tim were brought over to the property by Dale and walked through it so they are tuned in on getting the demolition started on time as Dale is continuing to work on the survey “plat” through Widmer whom I had called before leaving. There are two or three other “little glitch items” that add up to big bucks beyond the contract—such as the tree felling, plat surveying, and now, it seems, that tile rather than hardwood flooring would be put in for the breakfast room to allow under tile heating for a warm floor at an additional expense. So, as we already know, it will always take longer and cost more than even the outside estimates on the maximum it could reach. Sigh! It is probably just as well to be climbing big mountains on the far side of the world, and leaving the worry and management to those who do that for a living.

PARTY TIME:

IT IS JUST AS WELL THAT I WROTE OUT EVALUATIONS OF SEVERAL

STUDENTS BEFORE ETHEIR BIG BLOWOUT FAREWELL PARTY!

I have returned from the big farewell party and dinner at a local restaurant, at which the majority are still “in attendance.” This is a euphemism for sleeping under the tables or being carried out, and each is staggering toward the hotel Kangri late for the five AM wakeup for five thirty AM departure to the airport where they check in at 6:00 AM. I doubt any will be aware of having left, but my attention now turns to the team of the Lingshed Crew who will be oriented after breakfast tomorrow morning—even though I believe they will b e awake all the dark and electricity-less night, having slept through all day. So, the old order changeth, and now, I put together a new team for a more rigorous expedition on foot to more remote clinics in the Zanskar Range!

DEPARTURE OF THE LADAKH-03 TEAM:

ORIENTATION OF THE NEW LINGSHED-03 TEAM

At dawn Lee moved out with the stuff he had packed, and all the assembled group from Ladakh-03 were seen off at the hotel Kangri. I went back to my room to regroup, repack and put together the other component records I had been postponing in order to get the items needed to leave with the departing group, such as the letters to be posted and the film in mailers to be dropped in the US post along with my Reebok test shoes after their last evaluation runs up and over Tsemo Gompa. I came down to breakfast and gave the prep talk to the incoming group about what is expected of them and the three parts to this coming expedition: 1) A rip-roaring stressful high-altitude adventure; 2) a high quality and integrity medical care under supervision of an indigent grateful population; 3) an even higher quality and highly professional medical education experience that is second to none and will be a life-long memorable introductory clinical experience across culture, language, geographic and technologic economy barriers.

THE DRAMAITS PERSONNA\E OF THE

LINGSHED-03 TREK

GWG—medical supervisor and medical education leader

Team One:

Yoshiko Tamura—Team Leader, Med/Peds Resident University of Rochester

Jennifer, Ake—GWUMC MS-1, Ocean City MD

Maura Mahoney—University of AZ MS-3

Catherine Gagnon—NS-2 Montreal Canada

Melissa Stokes—UVA, Charlottesville MS-1 and Wellsboro Pa

Team Two

Nicole Fenney—Team Leader Med/Peds Resident classmate of Yoko at Univ Rochester

Rob Benowiscz—GWUMC MS-1

Rick Esquisito—Mt Sinai, MS-1

Evalina Nova Scotia, NS-2

Team Three

Kishor Team Leader, UMDNJ, Anest, Ms-3, born in India

Abe Butz---Univ. of South Dakota, Rapid City, MS-3

Maura Mahoney—Univ of AZ, MS-3, Tucson, AZ

Lindsay Hood—Tom’s and Guy’s Hospital, MS-3, London, a Glaswegian

Team Intake/Triage/BP

Ajay Piloscetti—College Grad, Genetics Lab Worker, born in Danville, IL and lives in Alexandria, LA

Charles Young—high school grad, born of Chinese parents

No Dental Team

No Ob/Gyn/Maternal Health Team

One local MD to join us at Padum at the end where road access is possible

Dr. Scarma, the only “orthopedist” partially trained in Jammu, will briefly visit with us at Chalets on the route in toward the trek start in Fangila tomorrow

THE SENDOFF OF LADAKH-03 TEAM THIS MORNING

THE FURTHER ACCOMMODATION OF THE LINGHSED-03 TEAM TODAY,

ORIENTATION INTO MEDCAL TEAMS AND HELP WITH SHOPPING

At 5:30 AM the whole Ladakh team took off, along with Lee Dutton who will be flying back from Paris to IAD and Derwood, dropping off some of my luggage and Jim Campbell’s new rug. I then oriented the Lingshed team who were supposed to be keeping a slow pace to accommodate the altitude and the jet lag, but I helped them by going to my Kashmiri merchant friend Aimee and having him show them his treasure trove of ancient Tibetan collections. I later took them back to make a careful review of hand made carpets both silk and woolen and each of them made good purchases. That leaves me as the one who has not made a major purchase, but I have had several good rugs of classic antiques set aside for later review upon return from the Trek.

NOW, THE TIME FOR PACKING UP AND SETTING OUT

ON THE LINGHSED-03 TREK HAS ARRIVED

I will not have access to this laptop, email or electricity for that matter for the next three weeks of wilderness trekking along the Zanskar remote wilderness. I believe the team is aware of what is expected of them, and I have oriented them and organized them into the teams you see described above. Now we will have to see if the stress of the trek is going to cause even more minor problems than have emerged already as complaints of flu or diarrhea are surpassing the problems of the jet lag or altitude. I have sorted the medicines for packing on the horses, which I have stressed are for the gear to be carried, and they are there for riders only as evacuation vehicles that will make a one way trip out. I will see now if they are up to the task, and we will start out at 6:00 AM tomorrow to drive down the Indus River passing the junction with the Zanskar and on our way up the “Charder Road” the frozen way out in the dead of winter. Then we leave the vehicles and are off for the far reaches of the remote populations we will serve. We have sent ahead a bus of half the medical supplies to Padum where we will hold clinics supplied by the road on the far end of the roadless trek.

Bon Voyage!

Return to August Index

Return to Journal Index