My first week in India I spent in a rural town in the Himalayan foothills called Patti village. What a paradise! Lush with life & unmistakenly Asian. It's amazing how peaceful this area, only 45 minutes outside the chaotic city, is. The medical clinic is nestled amongst the surrounding hills, in the middle of a rice paddy field.
My favorite memory from this week was when our whole crew trekked 3 hours to run a health camp for a small hilltop village nearby. The view was absolutely stunning. Wild herbs & flowers grew tall on the sides of our rocky path, and more than a few times we'd have to step aside for a pack of mountain goats or cattle to pass.
Even so, about midway my body started protesting. I think Dr. Paul summed it up best when he quoted a former student who said of the hike, "This is heaven, but right now I want to die!" Fortunately, we all made it to the top & were welcomed warmly by the local residents, who brought us chai & guava picked fresh off the tree-- I don't know if it was the long hours hiking in the sun, but I swear that fruit was divine!
They also showed us their village temple where this little guy had staked out with his mother. He could say "hi" and "bye", and had learned to shake hands! How adorable are Indian children? So well-behaved too. I think I could be a pediatrician here...
My favorite memory from this week was when our whole crew trekked 3 hours to run a health camp for a small hilltop village nearby. The view was absolutely stunning. Wild herbs & flowers grew tall on the sides of our rocky path, and more than a few times we'd have to step aside for a pack of mountain goats or cattle to pass.
Even so, about midway my body started protesting. I think Dr. Paul summed it up best when he quoted a former student who said of the hike, "This is heaven, but right now I want to die!" Fortunately, we all made it to the top & were welcomed warmly by the local residents, who brought us chai & guava picked fresh off the tree-- I don't know if it was the long hours hiking in the sun, but I swear that fruit was divine!
They also showed us their village temple where this little guy had staked out with his mother. He could say "hi" and "bye", and had learned to shake hands! How adorable are Indian children? So well-behaved too. I think I could be a pediatrician here...
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