The Jodhpur trip – sightseeing, camels and toilet violation

Decided to go on the Jodhpur sight seeing trip at the weekend. The 7 hour bus journey on the way there was actually quite pleasant. Was nice to see the country side and enjoyed the novelty of seeing monkeys by the side of the road. The constant sound of the bus’s horn was the only thing which stopped this journey from being truly relaxing. We arrived at our hostel and had dinner, um not 100% convinced of the hygiene of its restaurant but go with the flow anyway.

In the morning my suspicions were proved right, the day started with a good bit of toilet violation. Then we went t o see the memorial and fort which are situated on the hill overlooking Jodhpur. Both were spectacular. The fort was a testament to India’s many civil wars – though saying that England has had quiet a few over the years. Conclusion: people like fighting, regardless of culture. Having flavored the delights of the hostel restaurant we decided that we might go to Mc Donald’s for lunch – in part because we enjoyed the irony of a Macy D’s in a Hindu country. It was surprisingly up market, cleaner than English Mc Donald’s – but needless to say beef was not on the menu.

After lunch we were taken by jeep to the desert. Was a 1hour 30 minute bumpy journey, but a lot of fun. We were chatting and listening to music on route. We visited yet another temple on route. Again wonderful architecture, but the experience was somewhat mired by the now excruciating heat, and general level of filth that is standard in India. Finally we arrived at our home stay. We drove over the dunes until we finally stopped at our hut. We were greeted very warmly by the head of the family who made us all chi. The family had the obligatory set of animals – cows, camels, dogs, goats – every house/hut has at least on of each in this region, but our family could boast they had several. The baby goat was very friendly, we spent some time cuddling it whilst hoping it wouldn’t end up being our dinner. We then had a mad dash up the dunes to watch the sunset, made it just in time. Sunset was beautiful, was really nice to be away form the hustle and bustle of town. I really am a country girl at heart. The rest of the group was not however. We had got covered in sticky burs on the way to the dunes which were prickly – earning them the name of ‘spiky bustards’ and by the time we got back to find we would be sleeping outside with the animals, the others were starting to dismay. We were fed and then treated to traditional dancing and music. The locals came round to join in with the party, much merriment all round. The two women made us dance with them, I think they regretted this decision as the dance moves required us to raise our arms, and being armpit height, I think we must have stunk them out. After dancing it was time for bed. Sleeping under the stars was great – the dogs fighting woke me up but other than that a very peaceful evening. And the camels didn’t lick us, which was what the others were worrying about.

At 4.30am we were woken with chi ready for our camel ride. Laura was not in the best of moods, she had been up all night violating the toilets, which had given up the ghost after her onslught. Laura and myself were the first to tackle our camel. I was on the front, getting up was interesting but not as bad as I had anticipated. I was still glade that it was dark as I could not tell how high up I was sitting. Camels are a bit taller than Mr T. Clair and Sebrina were next, unfortunately their camel stood up before Sebrina had got properly into her seat, which resulted in a nasty tumble. Fair play to her she got right back on, but it made the rest of us even more nervous. We rode in the dark for 40 mins until we reached the top of the dunes to watch the sunrise. The camels took the opportunity to fall back asleep whilst we waited. My stomark took the opportunity to complain now that I was safely out of reach of a toilet. I ignored it, and hoped that I wouldn’t end up violating the camel on the way back. The Sun rose, many photo’s were taken, and then we headed back home for breakfast and toilets (broken toilets are better than no toilet in a desert of ‘spiky bastards’). Our camel herder – which was in-fact a small child – decided he couldn’t be bothered on the way back and refused to lead our camel, or even give us on the reigns. This left Laura and myself at the mercy of the camels good will. Luckily it just followed the others and took the occasional snack, never-the-less we were a little bit nervous to say the least. After breakfast we packed up to head home.

Fist leg sweaty jeep ride to Jodhpur, then horrid hostel lunch with complementary mice at our feet (god knows why we went back there). The service was so slow that it made us late for our bus. As a result we had a terrifying rickshaw ride to the bus station. Ravi must have told them we were in a hurry. Our driver seemed to think he was something out of grand theft auto and drove accordingly. The girls screaming just seemed to spur him on! We were charging the wrong way down the duel-carriage way, head on into a stampede of oncoming traffic, weaving through them, then swerving into the other side of the road through a gap in the central reservation, I’m pretty sure we were only on two wheels at that point, and our driver was smiling all the while. Actually mental! He only slowed to ogle the girls we past. Still we made it to the bus, in once piece amazingly. The bus home seemed to only travel at 10 miles per hour which meant no breeze to cool the unbearable heat. A horrible 8 hours later we arrive in Udaipur, particularly horrible for Laura and now Ben who were feeling the effects of the hostel. God bless Imodium.

Channel youth, the rainbow song, and a rude cow

OK, diary extracts will possibly take too long, so I’ll just do a summery of the last few days.

Actually I should start by filling you in on the project. I signed up via GVI, but the project is actually run by channel youth. The staf that are working directly with us are Gaurav, Ritu and Ravi, all enthusiastic 20 somethings who really believe in bringing education to Rajethstan. We also have a cook Meena Ji, her helpers Tulsi, Pinki (I think are her kids buy not sure), and Kaniya Ji (her husband) is our driver. Atm there are 5 other volunteers, Ben, Fiona, Serina, Clare and Laura. Sometimes there are as many as 25 volenteers working so its pretty quiet atm. Currently we are working on three projects. The day school in the mornings, the boys orphanage on Monday to Wednesday evenings and a disabled kids school Thursday and Friday evenings.

A bit of background. Udaipur is a very poor area with 90% of the population below the poverty line. The policy of ‘more hands to more work’ stands here, so families are large. Girls are sen as expensive/liabilies due to dowerys, so arranged marrages with fixed doweries are common and sometimes baby girls are even killed so familes don’t have to deal with theexpense. Many parents are alcoholics. Children are regularly orphaned from disease or poverty. Its preety intense. The channel youth project was set up to improve education. Education is not valued here, so kids had to be lured in with the offer of a free meal before their parents would allow them to stop working and attend. But the kids are lovely and really happy to learn. They are the first in their families to do so.

Conditions at the school are basic, just a concrete room, the doors don’t close so occasionally the wild dogs wonder into the class room. The orphanage is far worse. 90ish boys live in very basic conditions, 25 beds are crammed into rooms with ½ a foot between them. There is only 1 family looking after all 90 boys, so parenting is non-existant. The orphanage boys are understandably a little more rowdy then the school kids. What really surprised me was how nicely the boys played together. One boy voluntarily wrote ‘I love my friends and my teachers’. If I was locked up with 90 boys day-in-day out I don’t think I would be writing words of love. The disabled school is far nicer. It is funded by a private charity. Rooms are still basic, but they at least have a rug, and there are enough staff to look after the kids.

I’ve been thrown in the deep end as a teacher. I teach year 1 at the school with Laura. Tuesday did not go so well, 18 6 year olds turned up, we were out numbered and it all went the way of lord of the flys, ending in blood shed. Yesterday and today however were much better, we were given a bigger class room and split them up which helped. I think I’m making progress at teaching them the rainbow song, we had some mumbling today. See I’m helping – even if it is only by teaching the rainbow song, which is actually inaccurate, but hay ho.

What with teaching, lesson planning, Hindi classes, cooking workshops and meetings I’m a very busy bee – has been good as I’ve yet to even have a chance to feel properly home sick yet. Oo I forgot to mention the trip into town. The dirty bustaling India I enjoyed viewing from the security of the truck is far less enjoyable when your walking amongst it. They do not drive on the left in India – they drive everywhere! The constant beeping makes me jump out my skin, but at least you have fair warning that they are about to run you over. The cows give you no such warning unfortunately. I was unceremoniously chucked into a gutter by a wondering cow. The dirt was the thing that got to me. Dust and the smell of open sewage fills the air and force me to close my mouth and hold my breath at times. Just a bit intimidating right now, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it with time.

Oo forgot to say my bag finally cought up with me, unfortunalty not all it contents came with it. Lesson one in India – if Its not bolted down, it will be stolen.

I’m leaving on a jet plane, I hope I make it back again

So first post, I’m in India, safe and sound. Not sure how to write a blog so I thought I’d just take extracts out the old diary.

On the plane and it STILL doesn’t seem real. Currently focused my attention on the time zone difference but am baffled. My in-flight interactive screen tells me ‘local time at destination:1.36am, but hasn’t changed for the last 5 minutes. I’ve come to the conclusion that it is wrong. This is all rather academic anyway as, even if I did know the time in India, I have yet to work out how to change the time on my watch…Today has also been strange as I’m not looking forward to the trip at all. I feel sad and scared which is odd as this is something I’ve planed to do for so long. I suppose I’m sad because I’m leaving so much which I love so dearly and scared as I’m undertaking my biggest challenge yet. I am for the first time in my life, really alone. If I get into grief it falls to me to fix things and I don’t feel capable to be honest. Still if you never try, you never learn. I hope that by the time I return home I will no longer doubt my ability, no longer look to others to sort out my problems and never again worry about being alone. I also hope to appreciate what I have and know more about other cultures and ways of life.

Its now 7.58 Indian time, 3am ish English and we are about to arrive in Delhi. I’m tired. I’m going to see if I can steel the Jet airways blanket.

One blanket stolen, unfortunately my hold luggage predictably didn’t make it. Kalama I suppose. I have a 2 hour wait for the next flight and just want to get there now, feeling very alone in the airport. Its raining which is disappointing in a way, although it might work in my favor as it will keep the mossies at bay now I don’t have any deet. Right, going to read my trashy book before my thoughts wonder too far down the ‘should have stayed at home’ route.

And then I arrived. Met Claire at the airport arrivals. We soon worked out that as the only white people at Udaipur airport we were probably both waiting for GVI. We were met by Raj and driven in a bus with plastic sides the 30 min drive to the house. This was the India I wanted to see. The calm clean cold environment of Delhi international airport was replaced by the hectic dirty madness which is the Indian road system. Cows in the road, while families on one bike, breaking replaced with beeping, people driving the wrong way down the duel carriage way. Bright saris and stools contrast with the dull dirt on the roads and the half finished houses. Wild doge roam with cattle, some tied, but most free to amble where they please. Somewhat overwhelmed we were given a tour of the house. The facilities are pleasant, the house can house about 30 people but only 10 are here at the moment. The other volunteers then came back, they seem really friendly. We are just about to head out for a meal. My spirits are cheered, lets hope I don’t get food poisoning on the first night. 

just playing about

testing testing 1, 2, 3