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Wow. It's 8:16 pm and I am ready for bed.
This morning we had breakfast early at 8 so we could meet a tour guide at 8:30. We took autos to some new part of Manali, at the base of the mountains. We trekked for 4 and a half hours up into the himalayas. It was so gorgeous. To be at the base looking up, the mountains look so overwhelming. Then you reach the top and you look down and it's completely unbelievable that you're standing at the point you were looking at just hours prior.
The walk through wasn't just scenery. We walked through a small village that looked completely disconnected from the world. But in the best way possible. We passed a guy on a tractor who took us for a ride haha you know you're from Maryland when you're riding tractors in India. And ironically, I got my first farmer's tan today.
The further we got into the village the more shocked people were at our presence. If they were building houses, they stopped to stare. If they were farming, talking, gathering, they would stop and stare until we were out of sight. I don't think they were bothered at us being there, more so intrigued.
Everyone was so friendly, they let us come into their homes to watch how shawls were made, into their mills to see how wheat was made.
I could really go on and on about the scenery so I won't. I'll just let you admire via pictures.
Afterward we went to an Italian restaurant because everyone is already craving food from home. Personally I could eat Indian food everyday and be satisfied. But we had pizza and pasta instead. Then we rushed back to have our first class at the hotel on tuberculosis and research ethics. It was really just a discussion and overview. Then we went downstairs for dinner although none of us were actually hungry. Now I'm sitting in bed ready to sleep.
Tomorrow I'm going running in the morning, then we head out to collect data and do mapping for tuberculosis demographics.
And I guess now that we are almost a week in it's about that time. Everyone's gettin reealll sick.. :/
Couple of questions...
ReplyDelete1.) Why are you not allowed to shave? (I'd really have a difficult time with that one.)
2.) How are you collecting samples? Swab or finger prick??? Mark and I would love to know.
3.) Can I have your autograph when you get home, you big Bollywood star you! ;)
Anthony and I were looking at the pictures and he said he wants to go and see those cows! It was cute. I told him where you were and he said he wants to go when he gets older too.
Praying you are still well. Love you.
1. Yes, I am having quite a difficult time with this one. We COULD shave but it's very risky because if we would happen to cut ourselves with the razor, we could get an infection from the bacteria of the water. I attempted shaving with a water bottle the other day. It was more effort that I care to give.
ReplyDelete2. We are not collecting samples exactly. Basically there's an issue of drug resistant TB in northern India. The patients come in and they have to be treated with medication for 4 months before they are considered "drug resistant" then they attempt another treatment. This method is very expensive to the hospital. So they have released to us medical records of every patient with TB. The villages they live in are not even on a map so we have to FIND the villages, put them on a map, and then we can determine the prevalence of TB in specific areas, looking at environmental factors, and additional personal health factors that may contribute to the spreading of it. This way, the doctors can see the statistics for certain villages and know that if a high number of people in a certain village have drug resistant TB, than they should be treated in that manner. And those from villages that have none or maybe 1 patients should be treated in a different way.
3. Haha today an officer pulled over his vehicle and got out so that he could have a picture with us :) My head will be so big when I come back to the US!
I hope Anthony does go one day! I will go with him! It's a wonderful place. Glad he is enjoying the pictures.
Love you all