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Published: June 19th 2006
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Jambo!
India 3
Sothern India was so refreshing after the trials of the central plains. The people were so chilled out; it felt like a Caribbean island! I love the idiosyncratic movement / swivel of the neck the Indians use when talking, its very endearing. Goa is a beautiful resort with a Portuguese influence in its numerous Catholic churches dating back from the 1500's. Their patron saints, St Francis Xavier died in 1552, but even in 1622 his body had never decomposed, until the Jesuit community decided to divide it up as relics among their different missions. I hope he wasn’t planning to come back for a second stint in it, because now all the kings horses and all the kings men couldn’t put poor ol’Xavier back together again.
The palm tree fringed, white sandy beaches were picture perfect.
I heard how the day before the tsunami all the elephants and dogs made their way to higher ground, and were completely unaffected by its devastation! Isn’t nature just amazing? The locals have learned to take heed if they ever see them take such action again.
On an Indian national newspaper, Ireland came first as a most favourite holiday
destination for retired Indians!
The overnight sleeper buses are a great way to make your way around India, meet other travellers, have a nap or take in India as you mozie across the country. I made my way from Goa, south to Mangalore, east to Bangalore (the IT Capital) and then on to Chennai on the East coast where I flew out to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka was on a war footing, with numerous soldiers at the airport and various road blocks. The people were lovely here too. But it was still the rainy season and it monsooned down on top of me most of the weekend. I was happy just to chill out at a nice hotel, after the hectic pace of exploring India.
Dubai
I had three hours to wait at the airport, so I decided just to get in a taxi and see the city. It was great. Dubai dawn is beautiful. Its a very clean, well planned city. I tried to phone my cousin Grainne who lives there, but couldn’t get an answer 😞 I was hoping to have breakfast at the Al Arab hotel, but unfortunately
you need to have a booking... got some cool pics though.
Kenya
Kenya is surprisingly green (the 'long rains' have just transformed the country for the time being). Flying in over the vast plains was very exciting, with those uniquely African small tress that speckle the countryside. I was met by some of the local ICROSS staff, who have been great in helping me out since I got here. There are six other 'western' volunteers here too, so we can all share the trials and the craic.
I have been doing mostly admin (proposal applications) since I got here, but I did spend a few days out at the field posting in Bondo, on Lake Victoria in the SW. Its a very poor region, with a high rate of aids patients and orphans. ICROSS supply medicine and training to volunteer care givers within the community. I'm heading back there to stay for a while this week (just need to get my visa extended first).
Last weekend I went to Mombasa on the Indian Ocean coast. Its a lot of fun being 'white' over there, you get lots of attention from the young ladies, some told
me I look like the actor from Gladiator! Seen some crocodiles and hippos at a local park. Mombasa is a great destination.
There’s a wonderful coincidence linking me with Icross: Last year a documentary on Irish TV showed the amazing work the organisation is doing. I was moved to tears seeing the impact of their work. I went on to the web to print their postal address. The next day I went to the bank on Grafton St to get them a draft. As I walked out of the bank; guess who walked past me???... only the Dr Mike Meegan from the documentary…I didn’t even know he was in Ireland ( he has been living in Africa for the past 25 yrs). It took me a couple of minutes to realise who it was. I thought to myself; ‘Is he the Dr. from the documentary’?? I checked the web print-off in my breast pocket and low and behold there was his picture. I went down Graton St hoping to catch him. But in the two minutes it took me to confirm his identity, he was nowhere to be seen. I said to myself ‘If life wants me to meet
him, then it will happen’. The following week I was out for lunch with my colleague, and guess who was sitting at the table opposite me?? I went over, congratulated him on the tremendous work he was doing and told him of the coincidences. He asked if I’d consider giving a year in Africa. At the time I had no intentions of working in Africa and made a few excuses, but my intuition constantly encouraged me to give Kenya a chance. Later that summer a trip to South America with my mates, confirmed for me that travelling to Africa was the perfect move for me. Peru was a very poor country, but the people were so full of spirit and joy that my expectations to feel depressed where instead feelings of inspiration and admiration. Any resistance I had about working in Africa dissolved, and so here I am.
I hope my time here with ICROSS is a success. It would be great ''to make a difference'' before I leave.
Cheers,
-Adrian
Programme Development Director!!
"The dead are free from bondage. Mourning is the chain forged by the mind to bind itself to
the dead" - Sri Ramana Maharshi
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Toronto Brian
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Wow
Please continue keeping us abreast of your adventures. Great stuff!!!!