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Published: November 21st 2006
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Hi all! So it's been a while between blogs but I have good excuses all round!
For about the last 2 weeks of my stay in Banlgadesh I got sick with a fever of about 38 to 41 degrees that lasted almost 2 weeks. Needless to say I felt CRAP, but am finally better, Hooray! Biggest thanks to Cam and Nic who looked after me and came with me for my blood test (didn't even hurt!). No Typhoid (Yay!) and just need to re-check the Dengue test back in Oz. Those things aside, I've said goodbye to my Banlga family and workplace and headed over the border to India. Kent and El, Nic's brother and his wife and also friends of mine from Australia joined us for the adventure which was great! You will be pleased to know there were no Orna related incidents and once far enough away from the border, I was able to discard said Orna FOREVER!!!!
I do however have to give the 'Best Use For Orna' Award to these two kids in Sikkim.
For a fun time squat on two flattened plastic bottles, on a hill (preferably on a downward inclination), take orna in hand and
A sign in Sikkim
Possibly why we loved it so much run. Fun times!
The Himalayas were fantastic! After a few too many jeep rides on narrow, steep mountain trails with sheer cliff like drops, landslide areas and road works, we crossed the border and made it to Sikkim. A beautiful country situated near Nepal and Tibet which has been taken over by India about 30 years ago. The people are so laid back and we enjoyed the freedom of no one caring what we did and no one staring. Perhaps I will miss the celebrity status, but only time will tell.
Another Jeep ride to Yuksom where the 9 day trek start was a little too eventful. The Jeep, quite fittingly named 'Chocolate' (I was secretly disappointed we didn't have 'Brad Pitt') was a little clunky, and after one bump too many there was a big clunk, walking 100 metres down the road I found the brake pad from the front tyre which had managed to fall out and slash the back tyre on the way out. So an hour or two on the side of the mountain, eating chocolate and playing four square with the Cadbury tennis ball we got for buying lots of chocolate, another Jeep came and
EVIL DZHO
We opened the tent door one morning to face this! picked us up. A better, mechanically sound Jeep.
The trek was great, a lot of "up, up, up" as our guide liked to say. I decided to adopt his other saying "Slowly, slowly, enjoy the nature" as slowly, slowly was all I could manage after being sick for so long. We saw snow, some amazing mountain views, ate very well, danced and sang with the Sherpa's (I am ashamed to say that when they demanded us to sing, the only 2 songs we could remember the words for was 'The Road to Gundagi' and the theme to Burke's Back Yard... yep did Australia proud... strangely they didn't ask us to sing after that) and had a few Dzo encounters.
Dzo are the evil breed of animal that is half yak and half cow. A huge beast with massive sharp horns curled in a particular manner that if they decided to gauge you they would take your kidney, liver and spleen and be able to reach your lungs as well. Although they carried all our camping gear, we did not make friends. Our guide said that 'Dzo share their happiness' but I say they have no happiness to share! I saw
no happiness in their crazy eyes when we were pressed against a cliff and forced into nettle bushes as they passed by, trod on Cameron, almost trampled Penguin (will explain later) and butted Sonya when she walked too slow. This may not have been a problem except the paths were so narrow that no one could pass and we would hear the dreaded ring of the bells they wore and scamper into a hiding waiting for them to pass.
We thought we were pretty buff climbing a mountain or two, but the porters soon put an end to that. These amazing guys would skip up the mountain, whistling and singing wearing nought but thongs and having a huge basket load weighing on their heads. I could only console myself with the fact they had been doing it for years...
I made it to 4500m altitude, where the air is so thin and walking back from the toilet tent would leave me completely puffed. I was forced to eat popcorn and raw garlic, which apparently helps with altitude sickness (I'm yet to see how?!) and headed for lower ground the next day.
We then spent a few days in Darjeeling
(the famous tea region, I forgot to drink any tea) where we met up with Nic's Mum and Dad. It was a good rest for us stinky hikers who hadn't washed in 9 days (My theory that I was naturally clean and didn't need to wash was completley disproved as I spent the next week washing ingrained dirt of my skin). But a cruel joke as we had to walk up 69 stairs just to reach the hotel.
I was suprisingly sad to leave Cam and Nic in Darjeeling as I headed home (via Badogra, Calcutta, Bangkok and then Perth) and they headed to Bangladesh (f the country wasn't in chaos as it is very close to elections and riots and unrest are getting worse). They have been a wonderful substitue family, have been heaps of fun (party era has officially started!) and looked after me so very well when I was sick or scared or a little bit sad.
2 days in Bangkok, consited of eating. I love Thai food. Thanks to my two guides Mike and Daeng I was able to try all sorts of delicious cuisine (including silk worms and crickets, mm mmm yum, thanks
guys!). It was great to catch up with Mike (from Perth) and we had a fun two days. Monday is King day where everyone wears yellow, the King's colour, because they love him so much. I too wore yellow and now I love the King of Thailand. I wrote a letter to him, (King Bhumibol) so I'm hoping he'll write back soon.
Well it has been a great adventure and an amazing learning experience. Thanks to all you wonderful friends and family for your help and support. I really enjoyed hearing from you and keeping up with what's been going on at home. Friday I should find out if I had dengue (fingers crossed it's not). I am sad to leave, but it is always good to come home. I am looking froward to drinking the tap water, walking bare foot and seeing the beach. We really are lucky to live in Australia and I think that's something I will be appreciating a lot more. Looking forward to catching up with you all and I'm even looking forward to going back to work(?!).
Cheers,
Carol
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