The Stage is Set

January 14, 2009...

As I approach the last few days of phase one of project India, a more defined framework of the trip has began to appear. As stated in blog 1, the first part of the trip has found me in the friendly confines of NuTech Mediworld, meeting some great folks from all around the globe including Florida, Missouri, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and California in the U.S., Australia, the Mediterranean, and of course the warm staff at NuTech, mostly from India. It’s been an absolute pleasure spending time and interacting with everyone here, from the patients who are so eager to share their fears and excitement of their journey, to the doctors, physical therapists, nurses, ward boys and security guys. And last but not least, the reason I’m here…Ryan! It’s hard to imagine that we’ve known each other for a little over a year, since we’ve only spent a fraction of that time actually near one another in Denver and a few other trips while I was Portland and in Michigan. So it’s really been great getting to know her on a whole new level after spending much more time with her in the past month than in the previous year, all together. The way that she has adapted and overcame all of the adversity of such an experience has truly been amazing and again, I feel lucky to know a person with such zest for life and living. Her progress here has been subtle, but tangible. Not a day goes by that she’s not commenting on this or that sensation that’s arisen and I feel it’s only a matter of time before those circuits align and we start to see the results of this groundbreaking therapy. I can’t wait to hear about it.

As for the rest of the remainder of the trip, it’s all starting to come together, be it much shorter than initially planned. I just booked my flight home for April 11th! Consolation comes from believing (if all goes according to plan) that I’ll have plenty of days spent abroad in wild places like India in my future career, with hopefully a much greater impact on those communities. At any rate, in phase two, I’ll be covering some ground and it will be the travel portion of my trip. When Ryan’s not looking, I’ve been thumbing through my invaluable Lonely Planet guide to India, piecing together a loose trip itinerary for after she leaves and have come up with a pretty dandy little foray. As it stands today, from Delhi I’ll head southwest to the dry and arid landscape of the Thar desert and state of Rajhasthan, where the vibrance of the culture more than makes up for any lack of color from the landscape. Highlights on the list include the exuberant capital of the sate, Jaipur, the sun-tanned, camel-happy desert city of Jaisalmer and the holy city of Pushkar.

From Rajhasthan, I’ll head back up north, beyond Delhi toward the lofty peaks of the Himalayas. The area is home to many ancient cities and Raj-era hill stations of the days of the British. Highlights of this region include the spiritual epicenter, Rishikesh, where the Beatles came to seek enlightenment and meaning back in the 60’s, Moosorie, the queen of the British hill stations set in the shadows of the Himalayan giants, and Haridwar and Dehra Dun, two of the bigger cities of the area. I may need to indulge in a few extra layers of clothes around here as it can get downright frigid.

And it’s not likely to get much warmer when I head toward the land of world-renowned tea plantations and awe-inspiring views of the mountains in Darjeeling. En route to Darjeeling I plan to make a pit stop in Varanassi, largely considered India’s choicest pilgrimage destinations. What makes Varanassi so intriguing are the ghats arranged along one of the worlds most spiritual rivers, the Ganges. I’ve heard stories of Varanassi that are sure to shock even the most seasoned travelers at the heralded river where funeral pyres still exist.

After Varanassi and Darjeeling, I'll attempt to encroach further on the Himalayas in the state of Sikkim, which is situated in India and borders Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. Off the tourist map a bit and off season, it should be a great stretch of peaceful solitude.

Finally, it'll be off to the state of Jharkhand for my volunteering stint, which has been confirmed and set for the month of March. Siddarth Sanyal is the man who runs the small project and has done a good job of producing youtube videos for those intrested in the project and potential volunteers, www.youtube.com/dakshinayan as well keeping up a blogpage of his own at www.dakshinayan.blogspot.com. Check 'em out!

Ok, I'm off. Posted blogs from here on out may be past the time they're written since I do have my laptop, but not always internet and am going to try to consolidate my internet chores so it's less time and less expensive. Until we meet again...