Cameroon highlands

Woke up in the wonderfully dark hostel room and went to grab breakfast before catching the train to the bus station. There weren't a ton of options nearby so we stopped to eat in little India. Everyone is Indian, they do the side head nod to mean yes, which confused Gretchen. I recognized some of the menu and helped us order. The food is served on palm leaves and without utensils, which makes this gretchens first time eating with her hands. We ordered what we thought was a reasonable amount of food (about $3-worth each) and they just keep bringing more food. It was very like the breakfasts I'm used to and I was completely stuffed by the time we left to take the metro to the bus station. 

It took about half an hour to get to the bus station and it was so full with people. There were at least 50 counters with 30 people waiting for each line. We weren't sure where to go because Gretchen had gotten an email saying they cancelled the 3:30 bus and asking if it was okay to put us on a 130. We had said yes but had no confirmation. We figured things out after about an hour and a couple more emails and met Nave. The busses are super comfortable and each seat is like a (very old) business class on airplanes. I'm going to try to nap. 

The bus wound its way up the mountainside through dense jungle broken by the occasional corrugated tin hut. After the 4.5 hour ride, a town appeared out of the forest and we got out into a downpour. 

Our hostel is on the third floor over a burger place that serves chicken burgers as big as my head. On the recommendation of the hostel volunteer, we went for Indian food for the second time today and met Nave there. We reserved a half day tour for tomorrow and may go on a hike depending on the weather. 

-AB

India misses

No matter where I run to

The food follows me

Apu Caba, Malaysia

I landed around 7 am and went back with Gretchen to her hostel on two different train. The hostel was almost booked but we were able to get two beds for the night. It's amazing. The rooms had about 6 beds each and air conditioning. The toilets were clean and showers had running water. There's also wifi here which was how I was able to post the last couple entries. After locking my bag in a locker and eating the complementary breakfast (5 peanut butter sandwiches). Gretchen and I caught train to the bata caves. Took about half an hour and cost about 50 cents to get there. The first cave entrance was about 250 feet above the street up surpringly steep steps crawling with monkeys trying to seal food from unsuspecting guests. Gretchen was wearing a dress and paid to borrow a wrap to cover her legs before we could enter. A giant gold statue looked out over the city with us. The cave was ..cavernous. 

We had been told that it was worth seeing taking the tour to see the dark caves and we walked around the side of the mountain to do that. The cave has 200,000 bats all making tons of noise. There were 4 of us on the tour and our guide pointed out all kinds of huge, foreign insects. The ecosystem is "guano-driven" and the hard hats we wore were solely to keep the bat droppings off our faces. We only had to be reminded once to keep our mouths closed when looking up. The cave formations were spectacular but the highlight of the tour had to have been the pond-sized pool of bat poop, surrounded by oversized cockroaches. She also told us to watch out for a specific neon centipede that we saw because it was venomous. More than once, I wished I was in my sperrys instead of sandals. 

About halfway through, the mist outside turned into a downpour and the trickles running down the stalagmites became waterfalls. The noise of the bats and rrain was peaceful and parts of the path flooded on our walk back. 

There was a final cave on our way out which had lots of statues and a religious storyline. It reminded me a lot of the it's a small world ride in Disneyland. 

We bought a bushel of the jolly-rancher bananas for the train ride back. There is no trash anywhere and it feels strange to hold on to garbage until you find a can. It's become almost normal to litter. The cleanliness here is refreshing though. 

Back at the hostel, we made some new friends and a Malaysian student brought us for some local street food. Joe from England, Gordon from Germany, Matt from Vermont accompanies us and Izad ordered for all of us. He and I ate with our hands and the rest used forks.

I'm so happy to be eating foods that aren't Indian. Southeast Asian food is similar but there are more options and it's nice to not have the same food for every meal. 

Afterwards, we tried Durian, which is a big thing in Malaysia. The fruit is like someone took a wheel with adjectives and spun it 5 times. The is no cohesion between the taste, appearance, smell, and texture of the fruit.  It's about the size of a cantaloupe, covered with stubby, brownish-green spikes and a long stem. The outside smells a little like rotten clam and the inside is many yellow sections, each about the size of a fat thumb. The inside has a different smell and biting into the meat is an experience. I've heard the texture described as a cross between an overripe banana and a pineapple but that doesn't quite capture it. It's stringy and mealy and the taste lingers in your mouth  long after you swallow. The flavor is a little like bubblegum or taffy. We've seen signs in hostels and public places that say "no smoking, spitting, or eating durian". It's not a fruit I plan to try again. 

After dinner, we wandered over for a look at the KL twin towers. They were beautifully lit up and we drank a beer while watching a light/water fountain show set to intense classical music. 

Back at the hostel, Gretchen and I looked through the guidebook and tried to make a tentative plan for the next few days. We hung out in the common area for a while before going to sleep. When I got back to my room, the bed I had planned on using was taken so I slept in a different one. 

 

*Note on Backpacker culture.  

Making new friends with other travellers is as easy as introducing yourself. Some very common themes emerged among the backpackers. It's not summer, so most of the travellers are on long trips after quitting work, or finishing school. Some have end dates but many do not. They also tend to stick to similar trips and experiences. It's also flexible. Making plans goes something like this "hi, my name is Alec, what did you do yesterday? Was it worthwhile? what are you doing tomorrow/can we come?" 

Swimming in the stream of backpacker culture is a way to see lots of unique  local places and make immediate friends. It's different from my experience working in India and doesn't allow for the same depth of experience or as much cultural challenge. I remember reading quote below somewhere. Here it is without attribution and paraphrased from memory. 

"He who has seen one cathedral multiple times has seen something, he who has seen a handful of cathedrals for a day has seen little, and he who has seen 100 cathedrals for an hour has seen nothing at at." 

My experience in India is spending lots of time at the cathedral of rural village life. I'm glad to be able to do both. 

-AB

Roads are paved and clean

See a hundred cathedrals 

Swimming in the stream

First day I've worn these clothes for anything but exercise. 

Beaded shoes, beheadings and acting

We woke up reluctantly around 8:15 to get to the free walking tour at 9. Because of the full bus situation, we decided to stay another night here and try to leave the next morning. The hostel was full and wouldn't let us extend so I checked out. Gretchens left her bigger bag locked in the hostel and I brought mine with me for the tour. I had 4 Nutella sandwiches and coffee for breakfast. 

We were a little late for the tour but they hadn't left yet. It started in a museum and went to a bunch of major sites for the next two and a half hours. Here are some of the facts I wrote down in my notebook: Kuala Lumpur was a big tin mining town and the British came here for tea. The literal translation of the city name is "muddy estuary". Malaysia is governed by 9 kings who rule individual states and take turns ruling the country. It's called Malaysia because the British thought all the workers here were lazy and suffering from "malaise" so they brought over workers from China for their tea plantations and mines. 

Marriage customs: the groom(or bride, I wasn't sure) makes a beaded shoe for his mother in law and she has to approve for the marriage to continue. For warriors, the suitor asks the father in law for a list of his enemies and the suitor has to deliver their heads by morning. The more heads he brings, the more honor he is awarded. 

In the textile museum, I learned that women wear light colors and shades when they are single, red is for hookers, and dark colors are for married women, black for widows. Very practical stuff. 

Traditional Weddings last 3 days and nights which has nothing on Indian weddings. 

We explored the state building and then went into the cathedral which is home to one of the three pipe organs in the country. We were able to walk through the "Royal Selangor Club" (formerly the "Spotted Dog"), a gentleman's club which, for most of its history was only for white Englishmen. It overlooks a big cricket pitch and was the site of many scandals. It remains a club but is now open to women and some locals as well. 

After the tour, we walked through china town and had a big meal of street food. I almost bought a "north face" bag that started at 100 ringgit and ended at 25, but I decided I didn't want another bag. I'm thinking about traveling somewhere colder and will need more room for warm clothes. One of the hostel guests is heading south and was going to give me a jacket and warm pants that someone had given him in Mongolia. Doikebah. 

We went to Starbucks to find wifi and reserve bus for tomorrow and a hostel for tonight. The busses had filled up until 330, but we got two seats. I also went to the mall and got a few passport photos taken in case I need them for visas or permits and then I went back to the historic theatre from the tour for a 3pm showing of "Mud" the musical.

 It was pouring rain again and the AC inside felt so nice. The credit card machine was broken and I didn't have enough cash on me so I told them I'd find an atm after the show and they let me in. I was a couple minutes late but they hadn't started and I talked with the cast in the lobby for a moment before going to find a seat. The theatre was at most two thirds full with at least half of those seated from other countries. The play was a story about the history of the city and in (Asian-accented) English. I sat alone in the front row and about halfway though they asked if I would help them fill a role of someone who was out. It was one of those audience participation things I think but they didn't ask for volunteers and I was the only audience on stage. Being in a foreign country and so far from my own culture, social scene, and comfort zone has made me that much more unselfconscious. (The frequent impromptu dance parties in India definitely helped with this). I went up on stage and while the play focused on another corner, an actor taught me my role, (stiring the pot of soup). It involved some percussion and dancing around the soup and a cast member would whisper my couple lines to me before I had to say them (something about Apu being late for the meal). I was on stage for what felt like 15 minutes and badly butchered the dancing parts I tried to follow. I went back on stage at the end for the final dance with two of the other audience members. 

After the show it was pouring rain, (still monsoon season) but I went to find the atm. When I got back, I went to sit with the cast and asked them if they wanted to go out after their second show at 830. They were going to grab food for dinner and I went with them to an open air market. I was mainly taking with Nave, who played one of the main roles. We went to eat a spicy chicken rice dish that he was surprised I could handle both the heat and eating with my fingers (India makes one an expert in both). We talked about the importance of following ones passion and how he likes his work acting. His father wants him to take over the family business and refuses to see any of his shows. I told him about Jake, who thought he had to work in finance until he  decided he needs to pursue the music in his soul. 

Nave has the next 4 days off and he decided to come to the highlands with us. After the early dinner, I went to meet Gretchen at our hostel for the night. It's a "party hostel" and was much bigger than the one last night. The staff was less friendly and it seemed like more of a business than a haven for backpackers. We had a private room with two beds which, on the ground floor, was perfectly placed to limit noise from the rooftop bar. I ate a second dinner(included with the room) with Gretchen and some Germans from Singapore. We went out for ice cream and I showered and washed my clothes. (Only have two sets). Nave came to pick me up around 11 and Gretchen went to sleep. He had a specific bar in mind but it was really quiet when we got there so he took me on a quick driving tour of parts of the city. We almost went to his friends house for a BBQ party. Most of the cast doesn't drink (part of being a Muslim country). We ended up in another outdoor market and had (3rd) dinner and a beer while watching a street performer twirl fire. Nave dropped me off around 1:30 and after checking out view from the rooftop bar, I went to sleep. 

-AB

View from the first hostel

Model of the city.   

City hall

From the spotted dog

"All currency accepted"

The cast of Mud

 Nave is in the PEACE hat

 

Goodbye for now.

I've been sitting in the airport, catching up on these posts I don't know when I'll be able to publish and staring at the dingy food stall for the last hour. I've finished the remnants of the trail mix I've been saving for the past month and am trying to remember if they serve food on the plane. 

The airport is a pretty large structure but reasonably devoid of shops. I got here way too early because the drive only took about an hour and a half instead of the usual 3. They check tickets at the entrance to the airport and visitors can put 50 rupees to walk inside. It's an odd system. The huge airport was mostly empty of people and has only 6 gates. I had about 4 hours to kill so I read, wrote and walked back and forth. The airport slowly filled with people and I gave in and bought a gross rice vegetable thing that I ordered at random from the menu. 

I woke up around 6 today and got up to enjoy the early morning coolness. It's been getting almost comfortable for an hour or so each morning and night. 

After a quiet breakfast, I made sure I had everything ready to leave and went for a last walk in the village. I ran into Lipu on the way down stairs and he said to wait for him so I went to sit under the sacred tree. Lipu and I went over to the big school and I sat down with a bunch of the teachers. We talked about the weather and they were amazed at the way we heat our homes and the fact that we have to heat them at all. I walked by the classrooms and distracted some of the students before walking over to the smaller school. I sat down in the temple and before long, Nila (one of the to get students) came up to sit with me. He knows a few English words but mostly he just kept me company as I thought about my travels so far. While I sat, Depak and Indian James Dean came up and when I told them I was leaving that day, they insisted I come with them to their feast. I didn't really have time for it, but this is India so I went anyway. There were a bunch of our friends gathered behind one of the huts. The meal was a super sweet clumpy milk over dried, ground, rice powder that was a lot like sawdust. It was everything I don't want in a meal. After a while, I made it back to the hospital and ate another lunch that had been made for us and we left. Govinda was sorry he couldn't come to the airport because his back was hurting but Connor, Bikas, and one other man came to see me off (and pick up the MRI results). 

--

Sitting in my seat as the flight attendant tries to figure out why there is water dripping on my shoulder. There are way too many people in the isle for me to stand up. Good thing my shirt dries fast. 

The pilot is from Michigan and speaks perfect English. He and I had a conversation for a couple minutes while people were finding their seats. He's flying for indigo because they pay better

The airport in Hyderabad was much bigger than Bhubaneswar and I had about two hours after getting through security. I wandered the terminal for a while and then tried to nap by the gate. The flight was pretty empty and I moved to an empty row for a few hours sleep. The two people behind me were travelers I had met in the airport. One is from Portugal and has been traveling since January. She met her travel companion and boyfriend in India. He's from South Carolina. Hearing a southern accent was strange. 

I'm at the hostel now and don't remember/ want to write about what happened next. I found Gretchen at the airport. 

-AB

Cuttack? Bhubaneswar? Today? Tomorrow?

After our final breakfast with the nurses, it was time for Connor and I to go with Govinda for his MRI in cuttack. 

The nurses gathered with us and Govinda started telling them about how much it means to him that they were here and that they are always welcome. He said he may not be alive but they will always have a place in his heart and at this hospital with the people of Juanga. He also gave advice close to "life is everything, life is love, love is everything". Goretti started crying halfway through and the other two were soon sniffing back tears as well. We said our goodbyes as well and then got in the car with Govinda. It was strange to be leaving before them in the morning when they were the ones going home. 

We had been told all week that we'd be accompanying Govinda for moral support when he got his MRI in cuttack. We got in the rented car with Connor, Govinda, the driver, myself and one of the hospital staff. After about 20 minutes, we pulled over and picked up the hosptial pharacist who often fills the role of chef, and surgical assistant. Another hour after that, a person we'd never seen before climbs in with us without a word. I didn't realize how much we had been relying on Biku to answer our questions until they were left unanswered for hours. We drove in silence as usual and seemed to be passing familiar landmarks. After another while, the man we never knew and would never know got out. 

By the time we got to the main highway, Connor and I were sure it was the road to Bhubaneswar. Govinda confirmed this suspicion. 

We pulled over next to a herd of goats under the overpass and sat. After about 40 minutes with no change, a man pulled up on a motorcycle, handed Govinda a wad of rupees and rode off. 

We were stopped on one of our turns off the highway by a couple police officers who demanded to see our drivers license. He didn't have one or didn't have it on him so we were told to pull over. After a while, the hosptial staff member got out and paid them 200 rupees before we were able to drive off. 

We arrived at Biku's former medical school hospital and the jack-of-all-trades went immediately to work, pushing to the front of crowds to get Govinda seen as early as he could. After checking in on the ground level, we went to the 4th floor to see a neurologist. We waiting about half an hour with our emissary constantly standing by and opening the office door until Govinda was seen. We made it back downstairs to the MRI area and waiting there for a while. First it seemed like we'd have to come back Friday, then maybe they could squeeze us in at 5 that day. Finally, after our man disappeared for a long while (after taking some cash from Govinda), he was ushered in right away. 

While he was having the MRI, Connor and I were sitting in the crowded waiting area and were approached by a nun wearing a blue and white habit. She asked us where we were from and what we were doing here and I asked her the same. She works for mother Teresa's organization that has houses for the poor, hospitals, leper colonies all over the world. I wanted to talk with her more but Govinda finished and ended our conversation. I'm not sure what she wanted or why she decided to come talk to the only white people there, but it was interesting. 

We got done around 4, and Govinda insisted that we go to a bar (but don't tell Biku). We agreed on the condition there would be food as well. We went back to the same little hotel/bar/shops that Biku brought us last time, but went into the hotel bar instead. Govinda ordered a bottle of wine (the options were red, or white, premium or regular). It was a Cabernet Shiraz blend that was served cold. The classes were filled to the very top, to the point that it was diffult to drink without spilling. The only descriptor I can use for the wine is bad. It was bad. We also ordered a bunch of food. Whatever was ordered first, the other 4 would get the same thing. Individuality and trying new things seems to be frowned upon. Govinda tried to get a second bottle of the bad red, but we convinced him to try something new so we all got mojitos. There was a Bollywood movie playing on the tv on the wall at a normal volume and everyone ate and drank in silence. I didn't realize how much the Spanish girls added to the group until now. Without their laughs and cheerful disregard for Indian customs, It was like drinking alone. 

We stopped for chai on the 3 hour ride back and tried unsuccessfully to steal a few moments of sleep from the potholed road. 

We got back well after dark and Biku was back from dropping the girls at the airport. Connor and I napped for a few minutes before dinner and then I packed for a while. I'm borrowing Connors backpack for my travels and wanted to see if I could fit what I needed. It's a 19 liter bag and lighter than I've traveled for a trip of this length. The backpack I brought to India is 35 liters and clearly identifies me as a traveller. Connors is the size of a small school bag and is a nondescript brown. I'm excited about it.

Went to sleep before my head hit the pillow. 

-AB

Tree Guardian

The combined rain and lack of surgeons made the day very quiet. After a breakfast with Spanish nurses, they went upstairs and I changed the dressings on a few patients with Digama. There were no patients for a while so I went to the school library and started reading miracle in the Andes. The story of a plane crash where 19 people survived for something like 72 days in the middle of the Andes mountains. I couldn't put it down and finished it later that night. It made me want to go mountaineering and get my pilots license. 

It was a festival day, so we had lunch with a bunch of nurses and staff under the sacred tree in the hospital front yard. "Party" or "feast" days seem to just involve moving where we eat and sitting with more people in the same customary silence. 

A little while after lunch, we went up to the overhang outside Biku's room and he operating room with Rohit and Milan. They had gotten amulets of protection for us, it's the same ones everyone here (including infants) wear on some combination of their upper arms, wrists and neck. They can only be made on sacred days and today was perfect. The ritual involved Rohit tearing off pieces of the leaves from the sacred tree and sealing them inside the small copper tubes with wax from a candle. We each made a couple as Milan explained how it would keep us safe from the god of destruction. It's perfect timing right before I leave for Malaysia. We also had a red and yellow thread bracelet for good luck put on our wrists (right wrist for guys, left for girls). 

Wearing this makeshift jewelry immediately makes me feel like more of a dirtbag traveller. With my (more than one) fancy button-down shirt and slick kahkis, I had started to feel more like a working man. The threadbare bracelets helps to ground me and I enjoy it so far. 

We played cards for a while and Biku drew henna on Connor and my hands while some of the nurses drew designs on the women. I have a mountain landscape with birds and a hut on my left hand. I'm writing this post two days later and I've decided I wouldn't like getting a tattoo. It keeps feeling like dirt I should run off. 

Our lazy day went by pretty quickly and we talked with the nurses for a while before bed. They were leaving the next day and we were anticipating the hole they'd leave in our new routine. 

-AB 

Leaves inside

Watching over me

The bum life

Wilderness EMT

Woke up super sore today and ran just one leg of the river route with Kristina. It's been quiet back at the hospital because there haven't been surgeries. The gynecologists mom is still sick and the general surgeon decided to take a vacation. The medical care here is surprisingly reliant on the whims of its providers. 

One of the patients who had a bad finger injury hadn't come back to get his dressings changed like he was supposed to the last few days. After a quick discussion, Digama went to go track him down in the village. This man means business. 

After a huge lunch with chicken (an attempt to slow gorettis rapid weight loss and stay her surly temper (purportedly caused by the sudden dearth of steak)), Connor and I walked to the village to see the festival that was going on. We stayed there for a while and on our walk back noticed a larger than usual commotion outside the high school. One of the students biking by us said something about a broken arm. We sent the kid to go find Biku and then increased our pace towards the school.

 

Three quarters of the way down the path, a huge crowd of kids was surrounding the injured student who was being carried in an older kids arms and wincing in pain. They were half-jogging and bouncing the injured arm way more than necessary. Using mostly gestures and a commanding voice, I had them stop and lay the student down. I sent Connor to go grab the nurses and tell them what's going on and some of the older kids to go find the principal. The student had a pretty clear elbow dislocation but no way to know if there were fractures too. I sent some of the students to get gamuchas (the upper half of a common outfit for males here) and some others to get a bench for me. A couple of the students in the crowd had been in the first aid class and knew what I had in mind. When the principal came up, I had him clear the growing crowd of spectators as I completed a secondary assessment. I wasn't able to ask anything I couldn't pantomime to the student but it was alright. Using his belt as a makeshift splint gave the injury a little more support. The nurses and Digama arrived at the same time as the gamuchas and bench. Anna added a swath to immobilize his arm further. Digama wanted to take it off and set the arm right there but the foreigners insisted we take him back to the hosptial to give him analgesics and get him out of the sun and crowd. We tied him to the bench and carried him back before giving him some IV medication and helping Digama reset the elbow. The he built a splint/sling with tongue depressors and bandage wrap. It would not have been passable in a western hospital, but would have made an okay wilderness splint. He will go get an x-ray tomorrow only at the insistence of the nurses. His mom arrived midway through and then he got on a motorcycle for an uncomfortable ride home between his two parents. 

The more I practice and train in wilderness medicine and Ems, the more comfortable I feel handling these situations. The first moments when you walk up to a scene are often the most crucial. In addition to being competent, it's important to be able to project confidence regardless of what you feel. The language barrier seemed like a bigger problem than it turned out to be and it helped that the injury was minor. I don't have to use wilderness Med training very often but it's great to have when its needed. Connor is now completely set on getting his EMT certification when he goes home. 

We went to go play frisbee at the school for the first time in a while and on the way back, one of the villagers I haven't met yet stopped me. He said something about how amazing it was that I was able to help the student earlier and something about how even doctors here don't know how to do that. While that's definitely not accurate, it was a nice sentiment.

We're planning to teach some more first aid to other classes so that the next time something an injury happens, they'll hopefully be able to get them to the hospital without further harm. 

We finally watched star wars and the power only went out once during the movie. It was way hot though and some of us fell asleep. 

A quick dinner and then sleep. Goretti is feeling pretty sick. I'm a typical Indian fashion, Biku keeps trying to push more medications on her despite the fact that Anna and Christina have already given her meds from their first aid kit. He doesn't believe there could be any way other than his and doesn't seem to understand why they aren't unquestioningly obeying his sage advice. 

-AB

Falling out of trees

Can dislocate your elbow

Digama can fix