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Published: December 11th 2007
Hello again! Just been reading my last entry to see how far I got before. God I was feeling rough when I wrote that! Glad to say that the tablets the hospital gave me seem to have done the trick (touch wood!) and I'm feeling a lot better now. Hopefully its for good this time! Thanks for all your 'get well' messages! They really helped!
I'm still in Udaipur and have been at the animal hospital pretty much every day except for the last today and yesterday. I'm loving it there. It's not physically hard as such (well maybe a bit compared to sitting in an office!) but its really emotionally draining. When I first started, it was completely manic too, so you were running around all day. There were so many animals (I was about to call them in mates but think that may give the wrong impression!!) there, and a wk or so ago we had about 15 or more puppies, a lot of which were still being hand fed several times a day, so it was a hell of a workload. Unfortunately, we lost a lot of the puppies. They were looking really ill from day one, and one of the mums was also really really sick. We lost her too. The ones we have left though are doing incredibly well. Two of the older ones were released the other day and I think they'll be just fine - one of them was a real feisty little thing. He always got all the food, and wasn't worried about telling the bigger dogs what was what! Those we have left are all feeding themselves now, so its mainly playtime duties now which is really fun. We've also released a lot of the bigger dogs too, including Henry (he had his leg amputated after it was caught in a trap) and Winston, who were two of my favourites. The day we released them, I was so sad. I don't think it was just saying goodbye to them...you know when you've had a run of small but annoying or upsetting things happen, and then there's just one more small thing which opens the floodgates. Well that was it for me! After that, the smallest thing set me off again! Hopefully they didn't all think I was completely crazy! I am actually really glad they were released, especially Winston as I know he was really ready. Henry, I was suprised about, but the vets thought he would be fine and they're the ones which know. That's what it's all about too - getting them well and then getting them back 'home' again. It's just a shame that home isn't a nice warm house with two meals a day! Some of the guys, saying that, are real street dogs and I don't think they'd be good pets as such, but some of them, like Henry, would have made someone a beautiful best friend! Anyhow, I won't go on about them! The space has made way for many more guys who have come in. Two of my favourites are Annie (she was always referred to as A9, which was her kennel number and I couldn't think of a name for her. Switching the n and the i became Annie which seemed to kind of suit her) who has a vaginal cancer, and Loppy, who I think has been hit on the head by a brick or something. When he came in, he was really crazy and was put in isolation as they thought he could have some neurological disease which may be infectious. Luckily he doesn't. He started off being really crazy. When you went to see him, he was uncontrollably happy to see you and you weren't too sure whether he would turn and get snappy. He never did though but he would playfully bite. After he'd got all the excitedness out the way he'd just crawl under your legs and go go to sleep, mostly with his head on the ground and his bum up in the air! He has done great since he's been there though and is much more settled. He's even going out for walks. He's totally controllable now too and walks really well on a lead, but his head is always on one side. They think he's got slight brain damage from an impact injury of some sort. He's so cute though. There's also a couple of black labrador looking dogs (but def crossed with something) who are lovely. One has a really bad cut around one eye, or several cuts. Its strange because the cuts are straight as though it was done by someone or something rather than another dog. Who knows. We never really know the full history when they come, its just a case of getting them better. He also has a dislocated shoulder so he can't walk that far. He has it in a sling right now, so hopefully it will be better again soon. The other one has a really bad cut on his ear, but he's really happy to go out for walks. They both are really happy to see you - loads of tail wagging going on...especially if you have biscuits!! Foxy Lady is doing great....the name stuck! She's adorable now and is always the first one up to greet me in the morning! Unfortunately she's not really carrying her back end very well and needs her legs dressed constantly to try and reduce the drag wounds to her legs. She can be left off the chain now quite happily which shows how well she's settled there. We do try and keep her still for half a day each day though to give her back legs a rest, but then for the other half a day she can wander around the hospital as she likes....that is until she decides to go into the field and then she ends up back on the chain for bad behaviour!! She really hates it though and ends up tying herself up in knots trying to get off it. We're having a bit of a nightmare with the locals at the moment. They've just planted their crops and obviously, and understandably, hate the dogs going into the fields. Most of them we can keep off no problem, but with so many, its inevitable that one or two get through without being spotted and the locals go mad. They're in the middle of building a new site in the village though, which is a bit further away from the village. I say building, the site is there, but they're building kennel blocks etc so we can move some of the animals up there. The yard there is much bigger than what we have right now and it's enclosed apart from two gates. If we can get the gates secure too then we can take all the paralysed dogs up there and they can all run around freely without being chained which will be great. So what else has been going on there? Oh one of the dogs escaped and had Julie and I and then a couple of the dog catchers chasing it for an hour or so, but we never did catch it. We've caught it twice since but both times he got away...once jumping over a 7 ft wall (it isn't 7 ft on the inside, but its a 7ft drop outside) and once he bit Julie and then tried to bite someone else and he got away. Since then, he's just been roaming around the field next door but never getting close enough to be caught. Its a shame, because he's got really bad mange and it would be good to treat him, but some dogs I guess just don't want to be helped. Having said that, I'm suprised he's hanging around......maybe he'll change his mind one of these days!
So apart from the animal hospital I haven't done a great deal! I have had today and yesterday off as I thought I should actually see some of Udaipur while I'm here too! Yesterday Magda, another volunteer, and I went to Shilpgram which is like an old tribal village, or actually it has houses in the style of 5 or 6 different local tribes. I guess a similar kind of thing to the Weald and Downland museum back home, but Indian Tribal styley. It was pretty good, but a shame they didnt have more writing so we knew exactly what we were looking at. Some of the houses did have a narrative, but the museum had mainly pictures with no real explanation. It was good though. They had a puppet show (they seem to be quite big here!) and a few stalls (more hassle to buy stuff!) and then we stopped and had a samosa before cycling back to Udaipur. It's actually really close to the animal hospital and we could have gone after work one day, but it was a nice ride down there anyway. In the afternoon, we hired a peddle boat and went round the lake. Did you know James Bond film Octopussy was filmed here? Well that's the main tourism thing, and nearly every restaurant shows the film every night of the week....yes, every night! The Lake Palace here was where it was filmed and its now a very expensive hotel and restaurant. Its in the middle of one of the big lakes and you have to get a boat over to it. Also in the same lake is another island with a garden and you can get I think drinks, I'm not sure about eats, there. Anyhow, it was this lake that we peddled round. We knew we wouldn't get anywhere near the lake palace in the peddle boat, but we thought we may be allowed onto the other island, but we were shooed off from both! Our peddle boat obviously wasn't good enough! hee hee! We had a fun afternoon just peddling round and stopping every now and again and enjoying the peace! You don't get much peace here in Udaipur, just continuous hassle from shopkeepers, beggers etc. Saying that, there are many people who are really nice, genuine people, but sometimes you walk straight past them as you're so sick of the hassle you get from most! Needless to say, I've not been shopping here at all yet! Best avoided I think. In Shilpgram we did look around the stalls, and Magda bought me two lovely photo frames for my birthday which was really nice. Sorry Mum!... there may be another package coming for the cupboard!!
Today I went horseriding with Saskia. I'm glad to say, it was nothing like the Dharmsala experience. The horses were beautiful. I think the breed is Merwar (or something like that). They are so well looked after too. The guy who does the riding is at the hotel which Magda stayed at, Khumba Palace. I spoke to him there and he's a real animal lover. He has two dogs there, Robin and Roxy. Robin is an old labrador (and really overweight!) and Roxy is a 6 mth old great dane puppy who is huge and really playful. Both of them are beautiful. Its also lovely to see some healthy 'home dogs' after the hospital. Anyhow, I'd had a lot of good reports about the riding, from Magda too, and about how well looked after the horses are there, and Saskia wanted to go too, so we went for it. Well looked after is an understatement. The horses are beautiful...you can tell they're well loved. They are so full of energy too. Saskia rode Black Beauty and I rode Rani. Black Beauty was the biggest of the group and Rani was the smallest, but Rani definitely had the most energy. He just wanted to go. I spent the whole time trying to hold him back which was a shame. There was another couple in the group and the guy had only ridden once so we only walked. Mind you, if we have gone any faster I think Rani would have been gone.....probably all the way to China! so it's probably a blessing in disguise! It was a really nice ride though and we got to visit the Tiger Lake which is lovely and quiet and surrounded by mountains. We also stopped at the animal hospital....the horse safaris always stop there, which was good as Saskia was able to treat her cow and I could say hello to Foxy Lady and some of the others! After the ride we had lunch at the ranch and then headed back to Udaipur. All in all, a nice day! I didn't make the city palace in the afternoon, but that can wait for another day. Magda and I also want to try and have lunch or dinner at the Lake Palace. It's expensive in Indian Terms...probably 10 or 20 times the price of the cheaper restaurants here (the ones I normally go to!), but in pound terms its about the same as England, so not too over the top! Anyway, we may treat ourselves one evening. I heard from someone it's really nice there and it would be nice to see the inside of the palace. From the outside, it's really beautiful. I may have to go to one of the Octopussy showings while I'm here so I can compare the film to the reality. I have seen it, but ages ago and I can't really remember it.
What else? My hotel is still ok. I think its probably one of the cheapest ones in town which is good, and its not that bad. Its newly decorated. The only downside is the place is a building site where they're having an extension done, but where I'm at the hospital all day the noise doesn't effect me. It has no hot water in my room either which at first was fine, but now its getting so cold at night its not so good! I can get bucket hot water though which is ok! The only funny thing there is they wanted to decorate my room while I was out during the day! Two reasons I didn't like the idea...the smell of paint and the fact that someone was in my room with my stuff... oh and I had to pack up my things so they didn't get all covered in paint. With them having been so good to me when I was ill, I felt bad about saying no, but I think I explained it v diplomatically and they decided to leave it until after I'd left! Its really funny here - the culture is really you can do whatever you want and the locals really don't get upset by it. They must think us tourists are really fussy! Farida's (the landlady there) breakfast is fab though....poached eggs, tomatoes on toast. Most of the food here when you eat out is really oily, and this really isn't so its really good. I tend to eat out most evenings though, either meeting up with Magda, or Saskia and Ben or all of them, which is really nice. They're volunteering too. Saskia is a trainee (or v nearly qualified) vet from Germany and Magda, like me, is just an animal lover. Ben is Saskia's other half and is studying for his mechanical engineering finals when he gets home, but he comes to the hospital from time to time and helps with some of the construction needs! Like he says though, its slow work as they don't have the tools! It all helps though. I get on very well with all of them too which is fab. I was hoping Magda may come to Goa with me, but she's decided to head home for Christmas instead. I'm sure we'll all keep in touch though.
Ooh, and I also went and had my palm read. I have to say, the bits about my past and my characteristics were uncannily accurate and they were things which really wouldn't apply to everyone. My future didn't look too bad. Apparantly I may be fat in my old age though! hee hee! tits at last!!! And apparently my life partner will be a toy boy...wur hey!!!!
Oh my god and I saw my first elephant!!! I was so excited I wanted to say hello. The guy riding him said the normal '10 ruppees' and told me to give it to the elephant! I was a bit confused, but the elephant held out it's trunk to me and I gave the note to him (or her?) and he took it and then lifted his trunk up and gave it to the guy on top! Really funny. Now that was worth 10 ruppees!!
Cheers guys for all the birthday messages and cards. It was a really nice day. Quiet, but nice. I was at the hospital during the day and then was invited to Erica and Jim's for dinner. They set up the animal aid charity. They have a nice house in the same village so Saskia, Ben and I caught a rickshaw up there (Magda was ill). I got a huge tray of cakes to take with us, but didn't realise they were vegan! I (stupidly) asked what the reasons for veganism as opposed to vegetarianism were and got a bit of a lecture on how cows had to be pregnant to give milk and were therefore continually fed hormones or something. I have to say I didn't know this and am not sure exactly whether its quite like this. All the dairy cows I've seen, seem quite happy. The egg thing I can understand over here. In the UK we can choose the free range option, but I'm not sure that exists over here. Anyhow, luckily the rickshaw turned up fairly soon after so we could go! All in all it was a nice evening though and Saskia, Ben and I managed to polish off the cakes by the end of the next day! Oops, I really will be fat when I'm older!!....or maybe sooner than that! Its a good job I'm cycling to the hospital each day!
Anyhow, that's about it.....before I bore you all to tears! Hope you guys are all well and happy. It's fab to hear all your news, so thanks and keep it coming! Loadsa love x
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Di
non-member comment
Happy Christmas!!
Hi thought i'd drop u a quick note to say hope you have a Great Christmas and New Year, sunning yourself on some beach in goa with your tinsel on some palm tree! I finish work tomorrow lunchtime and wont be back in until the 2nd, so have a great time! Love Di x