Freedom of the road; Wales and England

Our time in the U.K. was short, but wonderful and much needed. Bit of a culture shock at first with all the clean streets, orderly traffic, and helpful locals, but it was a welcome change. Spending our last 10 days in the U.K. was the perfect way to wrap up our trip and get us back to a state of mental sanity once more. I think we all needed the decompression time after the craziness of India. We rented a car for our first 8 days in the U.K. so that we could see as much as possible, and no longer have to rely on public transportation.


Our first few days were spent in Oxford with Erinch (a good friend of Eric's) and his three roomates, who were kind enough to let us crash in their spare bedroom, take REAL warm showers, and show us around the beautiful town of Oxford. Our time was short, but we were able to see quite a lot and it felt great to be among friends. We saw Christchurch Cathedral and the great hall where Harry Potter was filmed, walked along the banks of the river Thames, and Got a burger and beer in the famous Turf Tavern (the tavern where Bill Clinton "did not inhale"). Also while in Oxford went to Primark (clothes store) to complete my European integration outfit which consisted of boots, scarves, jeans, and a peacoat. Yes! I finally felt clean and like myself again!


Then Eric and I took to the open road and made our way to Stonehenge.  From what I had heard you weren't allowed to go up to the stones, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a footpath which led us all the way around the monument, affording great views, and bringing us within 20 feet of the stones. It was impressive. The stones were HUGE and the place just had a feeling of antiquity and mystery about it. We listened to an audio tour to learn what's actually known about the stones and the people who built the structures. Stonehenge was always on my list of things to see in my lifetime, and it didn't disappoint!

Stopped in Bath for dinner, then crossed the bridge and border into Wales to stay in the capitol of Wales and seaside town of Cardiff. Upon crossing the border we immediately noticed the street signs made a switch over from English to Welsh and we amused ourselves for a good while trying to pronounce the amazingly long words chalk-full of consonants. It was fun to hear the Welsh language spoken as well. The next day we went out to the Gower penninsula and took a hike out to the Worms head which was full of beautiful rock formations and tide pools. Pembrokshire coast national park was another beautiful coastline we visited along with St. David's Cathedral, over 1500 years old and apparently the next best thing to visiting Rome on the holiness scale. The lonely planet informed us that two visits to St. Davids is the equivalent of one to the Vatican, and three visits equals a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Beautiful cathedral full of ornate woodwork and detailed stained glass.

Took a hike up to Dolgoch Falls and Eric and I went into picture taking frenzy with all the beautiful trees, moss, ferns, waterfalls, and caves. I think we might have been a bit nature deprived. The hike was short, but led us up to a pretty viewpoint of the valley below. A few days later up in Northwest Wales near Caernarfon we took another hike up the the summit of Mt. Snowdon in Snowdonia National Park. Mt. Snowdon is the highest peak in Wales or England standing at 3560 feet. The climb took us about 2 1/2 hours, and the closer we got the the summit the colder, icier, and windier it got. Even though it was a short mountain in comparison to others we've climbed, it actually felt like a summit with the biting cold and about 3 inches of fresh snow on the ground. The gusts of winds were strong enough to blow us over, but we made it, took a few quick pictures, and headed back downhill to warmer grounds. Snowdonia National Park is absolutely gorgeous. The landscape is dominated with grass shrubs, and very few trees. Lakes lined the valleys and there were beautiful boulder fields, bubbling brooks, and castle ruins strewn along our 8 mile hike.

Both Eric and I were very impressed with Wales, its beautiful coastlines, National Parks, and welcoming people. It has a relaxed, slow-paced feel, and has far fewer tourists than its next-door neighbor England, but has so much to explore! Back in England, we drove into the Peaks District where we explored some awesome limestone caves affectionately named the "Devil's Arse" near the cute village of Castleton. Castleton is home to numerous cave systems, many of which are still being explored, and is also where a famous mineral called Blue John was mined back in the day. Our tour guide was a very animated and awesome lady who told  us all about the history of the caves, the rope-makers who used to call it home, and the handful of movies that were filmed there including the Chronicles of Narnia (BBC version).

Our last three days were spent in London where we were reunited with Ian and got the chance to exchange stories from our last few weeks in India. It was great to all be together again for the end of our 3 month adventure. We stayed with our friend Doris who was awesome and showed us all over London! We got around the city using a combination of buses, trains, and the underground. We saw Big Ben, Parliament, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, the Princess Diana memorial walkway, and Westminster Abbey. We also had time to go to the Natural History Museum and the British Museum which were both amazing and you could easily spend weeks exploring the various exhibits. It was a short period of time to explore such a vibrant, history-packed city, but we had a great time and got a good taste of London! 

Christmas, New Years, and our adventures thereafter.

So unfortunately this will be a quick update, but I wanted to post some pictures...

We are currently in a snowy mountain town in northern India named Mussoorie. In planning our trip to India, the thought of below-freezing temperatures didn't even cross my mind, but here I sit in an internet cafe with every layer of clothing I can possibly manage while still maintaining functionality and I am still cold! As miserable as cold can sometimes be, we are finding it a welcome change and a temperature that feels much more like a January day should! Mussoorie is perched in the hills and is home to beautiful waterfalls, gondola rides, and hiking. We are enjoying the slow paced feel and friendly people here. It's down to Eric, Camille (A friend, and welcome new addition to our little travelling troupe), and I now. Ian has headed to southern India to explore the warmth and intrigue of Mumbai...we hope to meet up again in the U.K.

Previous to Mussoorie, we spent a couple days in New Delhi (huge crazy city) and before that, Christmas in Agra touring the Taj Mahal and surrounding historical sights, 3 days in Jaipur in all its hustle and bustle, and a day in Jodhpur "the blue city." Finally, 10 days in Jaisalamer, a lively, colorful desert town. We spent new years there on a desert camel safari in fact, and passed our days riding through the desert dunes wearing turbans and guzzling water like camels ourselves. The camels were fascinating animals and we all had a love-hate relationship with our given beast of burden. I christened mine "Momo" after the delicious potsticker-esque food common in this part of the world. Each had a peg nailed though its nose to facilitate steering. Our legs and bums were quickly hurting from bumpy ride, but the scenery was beautiful and the desert was absouletly gorgeous. New years eve was spent dancing around the bonfire, listening to our guides sing songs of the desert, and running through the dunes under the stars at night. I will never forget this new years.

Back in Jaisalamer we also took an Indian cooking class and learned to make curries, naan bread, and lassi. The class was taught by an amazing Indian woman named Rama who took us under her wing and taught us well. We are now well versed in 6 different curries, naan bread, and lassi. In addition, both Rama and her husband Jag were desperately attempting to set up an arranged marriage between their son and I. The only stipulations were that I would have to become a vegetarian, and I would have to work in a non-science profession (women get too many ideas). They were thrilled with the prospects of what they kept calling a "cocktail baby" between their son and I with pale skin. I politely turned them down.

 Eric, Ian, and I also rented motorcycles and mopeds for a day and decided to brave the insanity of the Indian road system and drive out into the desert on our own. It was a 50 km drive out to a national park nearby, so we rented our bikes, donned our helmets and headed for the dunes once again. Terrifying at first, we slowly got the hang of things, and soon we were driving the open highway dotted with cows, goats, and the occasional tea stand. Eric and Ian even taught me to drive the motorcycle on an uninhabited road we found along the way.  I killed it numerous times in trying to shift into first, but when I finally got it into gear and started driving it felt great! The guys were patient teachers and nice enough to run along beside me till I got a feel for it because they knew I was nervous. So much fun.

So many more stories I could tell...but that's gotta be all for now. We have one week left in India, then 11 days in the U.K. before flying back to Seattle. Miss you all!!

First week in India...oh boy.

Our border crossing from Nepal was shockingly simple. Checked our passports out with Nepal customs, then just walked right across the border and into the India customs...total time: 15 minutes. Didn't check our bags, didn't need any info other than name, visa number, and length of stay. The immigration office was decorated in rust stained walls and mud floors. Eric was feeling little overwhelmed by the transition to India...and maybe the noisy crowded streets. haha.

We took a jeep to Gorakhpur, then boarded a night train to Varanasi. In our little cubicle-like section of the train, the bunks were three high on either side of a narrow aisle. across the walkway there were another 2 bunks. Our bags were on the beds with us, so we were unable to sleep unless curled in a fetal position. Even with the cramped conditions and the loud snoring of our Indian train neighbors, the hum of the train lulled us all to sleep for our  7 hour ride.

Unfortunately, Varanasi was no respite for the stress of life in India and barrage of the senses. The streets are more polluted than any I have ever seen and hope to ever see again. Cows, goats, pigs, and chickens, and wild dogs run loose, owner-less and often starving. Garbage can be seen covering almost every square inch of  the muddy streets, along with human waste and other unrecognizable refuse. Men squatted in corners and peed next to shops without shame. The constant honking from rickshaws, taxis, and motorcycles adds to the feel of disaster that hangs in the air.

Varanasi is the oldest continuously habitated city in the world, over 5,000 years old, and the holiest city in India. The Ganges river flows along the Eastern side of the city and is lined with temples and ghats (stairs leading down to the water). We hired a boatman to take us out on a sunrise paddle along the shore. It was foggy, quiet, and dark, and as the sun slowly rose we were able to view the city come alive with people bathing, washing clothes, and worshiping along the river. We were also afforded the opportunity to observe the funeral pyres. Over 300 bodies a day are burned there along the river banks. Family members come to celebrate the life of their loved one, and deposit their remains in the river. No crying is allowed. It was a humbling experience to walk amongst the smoking remains of the recently deceased, and feel the heat rising from the ground as we walked past the fragments of what was once living, breathing, people.

 

Lucknow was the next city we visited, and the morning we arrived was one of the most frustrating, stressful, and demoralizing yet. As we walked through the streets trying to find a place to stay, we were repeatedly rejected and told with a quick shake of the head "you no allowed here." In other words "no whites allowed." We are truly strangers in a strange land. After nearly 20 different rejections we finally decided to stop in at an internet cafe and either buy a ticket to another city, or find a place to stay online. We had heard that the Lucknow Homestay was a good one, so we looked up their address and were delivered there after a few wrong turns by our rickshaw driver. Finally a place we were allowed. The rest of our day we spend exploring the neat historic district of the city. Incredible mosques, archways, bridges, and dilapidated mughal-style buildings.


Checked out the Lucknow zoo as well, but it turned out that we were more of an attraction than the animals. Although not a new experience for us, the unabated staring is starting to wear on me. Men will stare unblinking and unwavering for as long as they are able. You will notice someone in your peripheral vision and be unpleasantly surprised to find someone inches from your face staring silently. Even when you catch them staring, they will continue, unphased. A train ride gives every man in your car the ability to stare for the entire 7 hour duration of your journey, while not a single one says a word. Not-so-sneakily they will hang their camera phones over the back of their seat to snap a picture...each time given away by the shutter noise that many phones make. Some, more polite Indians, will just come right up to us, say hello, and ask to take a picture with us. Or of us. Or just of me. We are celebrities here, but the attention is tiring and uncomfortable.

Nepal and India are so vastly different that it will take some time to get used to this new country. I am excited for the month that lies ahead, but I do dearly miss home. I hope all is well, and Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

Filters for Familes and Arsenic mitigation

On December 12th we arrived in a small town called Parasi, west of Chitwan National Park and Just north of the border with India. Getting there required some work, and we found ourselves quickly lost in a maze of unmarked streets and non-english speakers. Throughout our trip 90% of people have spoken fairly fluent English, but here, off the tourist circuit, there is no need for it. Luckily, we ran into a group of students who turned out to be a handful of the high-schoolers that we were coming to teach! They lead us to Filters for Families and we got settled in.

Over the course of the next week we taught crafts to kids ages 5-10 each morning, and in the afternoon the high-schoolers arrived and Eric and I taught science while Ian taught photography. Science lessons included plate tectonics, watersheds, soil and sediment erosion, GPS and map reading, and Arsenic removal. The kids spoke English very well, so very little of our talks needed to be translated to Nepali. They were so enthusiastic and excited to learn!! They also were very excited to get to know us. The girls were teaching me Nepali and wanted to know all about things back home. A couple of the girls even brought me flowers and henna on the last day of classes and decorated my hand! Talking with some of the kids, the education system in Nepal is severely lacking good teachers and funding. Most teachers only enter the profession for the money, and don't make education interactive or hands on at all. It was so rewarding to get to know the kids and I was sad to say goodbye.

In our free time from teaching we were able to tag along with Linda Smith, the director and founder of Filters for Families to go see the Arsenic removal techniques, educational methods, and difficulties she faces in working alongside an apathetic government.

Arsenic poisoning (Arsenicosis) in Nepal is a huge problem and although most Nepalis are aware of it, they can't afford to do anything about it. The specific geology of a region called the Terai has supplied the soil and groundwater with a huge supply of Arsenic. Sometimes digging a deep well (over 150meters) can provide drinking water, but these are very expensive and don't always solve the problem. The healthy standard for Arsenic consumption is only 10 ppb (parts per billion) maximum in a day. The water that many of these people are drinking is upwards of 600 ppb. In addition, when they cook their food with Arsenic contaminated water it concentrates the toxin as well as in their local alcohol. So, along with getting a dose from their drinking water, they also are consuming Arsenic in their food and other drink. A particular individual can be intaking over 3000% the recommended maximum daily dose of Arsenic per day!!!! The poorer the nutrition of the individual, the more their body clings to whater it can get, including Arsenic.

Arsenicosis results in skin splotches, painful skin lesions, wart-like growths on the palms of the hands and bottoms of the feet, and finally cancer if exposure continues. 5 out of 40 pregnancies will result in neo-natal death if the mother is exposed to high levels of Arsenic. One town, Manari that we visited had just had two brothers die of cancer within 5 months of one another, each only in their mid-thirties. They were given a filter awhile back, but their symptoms had already progressed too far for the change to help. Unfortunately this is a common story among small villages in the region. Filters for Families is an organization which educates and distributes filters to families throughout Nepal. They use the SONO-filter which is highly effective, easy to maintain, and lasts up to 12 years. With each filter installation they also educate and teach the family how to care for the filter and keep it maintained. The filters are assembled in Parasi, and one filter generally covers one to two entire families. It works using a series of layers (screens, carbon, brick fragments, sand, etc) which filter out the Arsenic along with 23 other toxic heavy metals. Each filter costs $70 dollars total.

Seeing the conditions people were living in and how sick they were really made me feel inspired to help. They barely have money for food, so the prospects of purchasing a $70 filter for themselves is grim. If anyone is able and interested in helping out, please consider donating... the website is http://filtersforfamilies.org/. It's a great organization, and what they are doing down here is really amazing. I hope to volunteer with them again in the future.



Although our time with Filters for Families was short, it really felt like a home and we were all sad to leave!! A really rewarding experience.