Nearly time for home. . . . . The end of a big adventure!

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I'm sorry that it has been so long since the last entry and sooo much has happened. India really shouldn't be just one country, it is more like a whole continent. Each state we visit is different and the cities are so different from the rural areas. There is so much variation in terms of food, clothes, landscape . . .everything.

Our 3 weeks in Assam was such a good experience. The hospital was so interesting. There are currently only 3 doctors working at the hospital and they see over 200 outpatients a day. It works on a first come first served basis, so patients come very early in the morning and just queue. Some people are travelling upto 5 hours to get to the hospital! The medicine we saw there was very different from home; lots of malaria, TB and even leprosy which has been totally eradicated from the western world.
In addition to the outpatieents there are 150 in patient beds that the doctors cover, about 5 deliveries a day (some caesarians) plus on average 2-3 general operations a day eg) gall bladder removal. We were so impressed with the dedication of the doctors there. They work so hard and in addition to this they also have 2 kids to look after. They normally get up around 5 am and go to bed maybe 10pm but are often woken up in the middle of the night for emergency surgery. We decided that because of this immense work schedule and the fact that it is in the middle of nowhere and the shops only seem to sell biscuits that life as a Christian missionary in the jungle is not really for us!
Nevertheless we were sad to leave as we got to know the whole community, particuarly the nurses and we really enjoyed spending time with the doctors children too.
However we really were stared at the whole time. I really don't think most of the people there had seen a white person in their lives. Most can't afford a trip out of the town let alone the rest of India. And a TV is a major luxury so i think they initially thought we were some sort of alien life form!!! The adults used to totally stop in their tracks and clear a path for us and the children usually cried.

We were happy to leave Assam and get back onto the open road. When we reached Bangalore we were so happy to see civilisation. Bangalore was our first real view of modern India and so we spent most of the time shopping and in the evening would go to bars. We were so surprised that they sold alcohol as it seems quite frowned upon in the rest of Hindu India.
From there we went to the market town of Mysore and back to Bangalore where unfortunately Becca spent 2 nights in a hospital bed. She started off with a small tummy upset and we all thought that she would be fine after a day or 2 as long as she kept rehydrated but she just got worse and worse until she pretty much passed out at Bangalore station. We decided at that point it was probably best not to put her on an overnight train to Kerala but maybe she needed to be on a drip instead. We took her to this plush private hospital and she had her own room where one of us could stay over in too. The bench wasn't that comfy though i have to say.

Anyway she is better now but still taking the antibiotics and we have just spent a relaxing few days at the beach. We are now in Allepey and are about to set off on an overnight backwater trip. Should be relaxing and they cook us nice food and hopefully see a bit of wildlife.

Will be home very soon. I think i am ready now as India is not the easiest place to travel around. Communication isn't easy unless you are in more western or tourist orientated spots.
People also try and rip us off for as much money as they can get which can be quite frustrating!!

See you all very soon.

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