Planning, Packing, Blogging
For years Karin has thought about taking her medical expertise to remote areas of this world to deliver care to people who are extremely isolated and who have little or no access to modern medicine. Recently she found an organization that provides medical care to people in the furthest regions of the Himalayas and decided to do her part.
On Thursday, Karin will spend 24 hours traveling to Delhi from San Diego. From Delhi she and her team will travel 8 hours to Bilaspur. From there they will spend almost 3 weeks delivering care in villages in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. All told, they will provide medical care to approximately 2400 patients.
Apparently Karin's enthusiasm has been contagious. Soon after she began discussing her plans, her friend Anjum decided that she too would travel with the group to help out. And not long after that Karin's brother Harry also signed up to do what he could to assist with the medical mission.
I, on the other hand, will skip the most noble part of the trip and will go directly to Mumbai (Bombay) where I will be staying with my friend Eric Bellman (reporter for the Asian Wall Street Journal who apparently parties all the time). Karin and I will then be reunited and will be able to settle once and for all that age-old question... Is partying in Mumbai more exhausting than delivering medical care to people in the Himalayas? So I guess my trip to Mumbai is for a good cause after all.
Once we have answered that question, Karin and I will embark on a trip through India. We are still working on the itinerary but will definitely be spending time in Rajasthan, Delhi and Agra. We are also considering a trip to Kerala so that Karin may enjoy some well-deserved R&R.
The plan today is for Karin to pack and for us to work on our itinerary. Stay tuned tomorrow when I will be posting a picture of the unbelievable assortment of STUFF that she has to haul to India - medication, gear (they will be sleeping in tents), hygiene-related accessories, etc.
This blog is going to be updated at least daily. Unfortunately, while Karin is in the Himalayas her access to modern communications will likely be limited. I will endeavor to get as much info as I can posted.. and, if necessary, will make up the rest.
5 comments:
Hi You guys...
HEY make sure you go find "Little Buddha" and either talk to him, or take his picture!!!
Let us know what you find out!
Dennis Busche
Jaime,
thanks for this eloquent intro. I have always enjoyed your wry, dry sense of humour when reporting on your travels.
This intro maintains the standard and I look forward to regular dispatches as your and Karen's adventures unfold.
Paul
Very cool. Medicine needs to be more than just a job. Hope you find what you are looking for. Otherwise, try Molokai, Hawaii.
I'd like to see you do that cube thing that i saw on that's incredible when i was a kid. the swami stuffed himself in a plexi box that was like 18" by 18", and he stayed that way for the whole show. that was incredible. it stayed with me. pls let me know if there's anything like that going on over there.
j
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