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Skating on Top of the World
By Jill Borland, 20 May 2005
Up early for the shuttle and off to the airport - again impressed by the size of the buildings the immensity of the cityscape - the friendliness of the people and the efficiency of systems. Bloodshot eyed and nauseous, we checked in for our flight to Delhi. The airport so huge that it would take us thirty minutes from the check in counter to reach our gate at the other end of the airport, taking a combination of high speed train and travelator. We managed to send an email away to the kids - not knowing when our next contact with technology might be.
The flight was largely uneventful and thankfully restful - bar the Indian woman seated next to us, who refused to turn off her mobile phone (and continued her conversation), despite forceful pleas from the cabin crew, allowing the plane to take off.
The first steps off the plane in Delhi were somewhat nervous - what to expect? The terminal melt damp and looked like something swept, unkempt, from the early fifties. The customs 'counters' were small seated cubicles like old bank tellers. We were to encounter our first touch with Indian paper stampers..... There would be many!
Thankfully some of the first from the plane, we progressed through customs quickly - no bag check required. We arrived at the carousel and I was shocked to see some burly Indian bloke hauling our bags unceremoniously from the far side of the carousel and dumping them in a pile on the floor. Thinking he was about to take off with them (quite a feat given their size) I rushed to get them realising then that this was his job and that indeed everyones luggage was being subjected to this ceremonial welcome to India - Incredible India.
We took time to browse duty free - with its fifties shelving, hand drawn ticket tags, drinkies from the nineteen seventies, Asian chocolates, unidentifiable cigarettes at eight dollars (US) a carton and cheap liquor! We felt compelled to buy a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label for twelve dollars (US).... Wed heard a nip a day helped kill the stomach bugs and who could pass up that price!!
Nervously we exited the Arrivals area, scanning the 'boards' for our names, to find Abbass there to greet us, smiling and waving, worried that we had changed our minds or missed our flight. Outside the airport we encountered our first beggars and 'our porter', a man who without consult helped Abbass and his friend load our gear into and onto the small car that would take us to our hotel. He became quite aggressive when we refused to tip him. Abbass presented us with a white scarf Ladahks version of a lei, since flowers do not grow there, and a bunch of flowers. It was our official ceremonial welcome to India (and there would be many).
Nothing can prepare you for Delhi. It is crazy, smelly, chaotic, dirty, dangerous, disheveled, noisy, and yet a wonderful symphony of civility which bombards and defies the senses every sense!
We were given the option of whether we wanted to say in a hotel in Main Bazaar - the main market place of Old Delhi, or out of town in a Tibetan area. Without any knowledge of either we asked to go first to the Main Bazaar hotel to view this before confirming our choice. Main Bazaar is an experience all of its own. The noise of vehicles (Tootsville) touters and children, symphonised with music omitting from shops and restaurants and the shear volume of people in the crowded street was overwhelming. Being European, blonde and wearing clothes befitting of Hong Kong I stuck out like a sore thumb as tourists fresh off the boat'.
DAY 4 - WEDNESDAY, 29 DECEMBER 2004 (Delhi) Up late, Abbass met us around lunch time and we returned to the Malhotra Restaurant for breakfast. Darren is in food heaven. We discussed with Abbass how we would approach getting the skating equipment we had freighted over out of customs and phoned Mr Vikram Singh from the freight forwarding company. He arranged to meet us at the Airport Cargo terminal tomorrow at ten am. With a day to fill Abbass took us shopping - into the circle (Connaught Place) where I had my first sari shopping experience (no purchase made as Abbass was sure we could find cheaper elsewhere). We were amazed by the cheap prices of the Adidas gear (not copies!) and the antiquity of electronics goods in the stores.
We brought a table cloth from a stall further along the street and a three dollar scarf which served its purchase price very well. We then went to the Emporium - Delhis equivalent to a department store and found out how Delhi keeps as many of its eighteen million (registered) people employed as possible. It took six people and three counters (and two signatures and three stamps) for me to buy my one-hundred and eighty seven rupee (about four dollars and fifty cents) toilet bag, Amazing! We had a bite to eat at a renowned (in Delhi and Ladahk also it seems) Nizams Kebab House. This was like nothing we had ever tasted! I had mashed potato marsala kebab, fried and dripping in oil - it was HEAVENLY! We reckon it would make an awesome franchise to target late night pub goers in Manchester or the Strip at home! Still tired and suffering the effects of the indescribable pollution; weary and looking like an albino rat; we headed for the hotel again, taking time to 'hatch our plan' for tackling customs tomorrow. DAY 5 THURSDAY, 30 DECEMBER 2004 (Customs Day, Delhi)
After a time, Abbass came back down to the car and took us to wait in the office for SBs employee to return with the cash (from the bank?) in Mafia-like style, we set off again in the taxi for the Cargo terminal. The driver took us to what we believed was the main gate to meet Mr Vikram Singh. We waited at the military patrolled gates. We waited. And waited. And waited. Abbass went to phone Mr Singh who had been due to meet us at the gate at 12:30 pm. And so Darryn and I waited in the taxi. Then the taxi driver left to find Abbass. And so we waited. And waited. Finally my bladder could wait no more. When a military policeman approached the taxi to ask what two foreigners where doing sitting in a driver-less taxi at the gates, Darryn enquired about the location of the toilets. My agony must have been evident as he returned shortly after with a female military police to escort me (and Daz who yelled me too since Abbass had now returned) inside without permit, and five hundred metres across the compound to the toilets. Security here was significantly tighter than in the airport itself! When we got back to the taxi we discovered that the driver had left, that he had in fact taken us to the wrong gate and that Mr Singh had been also waiting for us for almost two and a half hours! Finally! We were inside! Again, I am learning the way things are done here in India. We bounced with our paperwork from counter (signature and stamp) to counter (signature and stamp), often returning to an already visited counter for additional signing and of course the obligatory please wait one moment which in India time means sit down, we have no idea when we will come back to you. It felt much like facing the Gestapo. Sit! Sign! Go there! At last our boxes of gear arrived in front of us, and, I think confused by the strange contents, the officers checked only the gear on top (which Darryn had ensured was the oldest gear obviously second hand) and after a mere three hour process (not including the two and a half hour wait) which included waiting for the one man authorised to wax the seal on the re-closed boxes we had our gear out custom duty free!! (on our assertion that we would not be leaving it in India).
After a quick swig of celebratory whiskey and a fresh jersey (it was colder tonight) we took an Auto to the Indian Habitat Centre where we had dinner (a drink in an old English styled bar and Thai meal) with Akshay Kumar, Secretary of the Indian Ice Hockey Association obviously a very wealthy man. The three of us looked quite the paupers in our jeans and jerseys amongst Indian gentlemen in dark suits and their glamourous be-saried wives. We encountered our first scooter accident tonight when a scooter on the wrong side of the road (is there a right side?) crashed head on into our Auto. No one was hurt, hands were shaken and we were all very rapidly back on the road it just wouldnt happen in Christchurch! DAY 6 FRIDAY, 31 DECEMBER 2004 (New Years Eve, Delhi) Abbass met today with Mr Motup from the LWSC who advised that we would need to wait a couple more days in Delhi to allow for them to arrange the best/cheapest way to transport all the equipment to Leh. We are so keen to get to Ladakh but we are learning that things take time in India. I spent this morning catching up on my journal writing. The jetlag is starting to subside but my body is not taking kindly to the Delhi smog. My eyes are red like a rats! Thank God for Ventolin! Darryn and I had breakfast upstairs in the hotel restaurant; pakora and lemon tea for thirty rupee (one dollar NZ) and enough pakora for four people! Abbass met us at the hotel. The car driver for the day was provided by Mr Akshay Kumar. We went to do some sight seeing at the Delhi Fort and Mosque. Abbass told us the history of the Murghal times and architecture very interesting. We would have had some amazing photos were it not for the smog (first layer) and fog (second layer) covering the sun which appeared like a giant gold tennis ball in the sky (the Delhi moon).
(Second scooter crash!) This is a more modern area - Delhis equivalent to Cashel Mall. Bars are few and far between here - although judging by the drunkenness later in the evening, alcohol consumption happens somewhere!? We wandered the shops - our modern guy Abbass enjoying the Western label shops such as Lee, Adidas, and Nike etc. Darryn found an upmarket hairdresser and opted for a shave. Attended to by four very well groomed Indian gentlemen, under the watchful eye of the head stylist, he was pampered and preened into ecstasy for forty minutes - enjoying it so much he then had a haircut and scalp massage all for three hundred rupee (two hundred and fifty plus tip). Youd never get that kind of service in New Zealand and no service at all for one and a half hours and only ten dollars (NZ)! Not to be up shined by the new man in our company, Abbass also had his hair cut. I was the thorn among the roses with my two preened and beautiful smelling companions! We decided to catch a movie Alexander - so brought tickets and wandered a little more until the start time. We tried paan bettle nut leaf with the nut and other spices; a form of chewing tobacco widely used in India and evident by the red blotches seen everywhere (as it is spat out) and the red and brown teeth of regulars users. The movie was fantastic well worth seeing, and the reclining seats more comfortable than any found in New Zealand. The theatre itself was about the size of the Christchurch Town Hall. It was after midnight when we emerged, after collecting our camera from the mangers office - security again tight here. Like any city on New Years Eve, there was an abundance of people in the streets some; drunk and a few fights and no taxis to be found! We walked for about twenty minutes before finally finding an Auto who would take us to Main Bazaar (for twice the usual price) and at 1:30 am we were not going to argue! DAY 7 SATURDAY, 1 JANUARY New Years Day 2005 (Delhi)
We set off from the hotel to the local wholesale markets in Old Delhi; our mission - to gather parts needed to make a blade sharpener.
Dinner again at Kalims. I made a call to Reihana. It was difficult to hear her on the mobile phone but lovely to hear her voice and to hear that she was happy. After dinner we went with Abbass to the oldest guest house in Old Delhi where his father and some other people from Ladakh were staying, on their way to Haj. It was lovely to meet them and they made us feel very welcome with tea and jokes, despite limited English. We have been invited on our next trip to stay with a woman in Nubra Valley and to ride her camel through the valley! We are getting frustrated about all the hold ups and we are really keen to get to Leh. Weve had to spend another day in Delhi. Abbass has arranged a car and driver to take us to Agra tomorrow. We hope to go to Ladakh on Monday. Another delay in trying to get the gear through. We are feeling frustrated and Abbass is looking very tried. - Loosing track of the days - DAY 8 SUNDAY, 2 JANUARY 2005 (Delhi/Agra)
We stopped half way to Agra at the Maharaja Restaurant a tourist strip complete with toilets, souvenir shops and monkeys. The food was very good, and very plentiful! After three hours we arrived in Agra and when we got out of the car it was much like being attacked by sand flies at Haast! Everyone wanted to sell us something or be our guide! I was all touted out today and just wanted to hang out with Darryn. So we firmly refused all offers and spent two hours wondering around Agra Fort. The architecture was fantastic though the fog prevented better photos, but still we were pleased with the shots we managed. After Agra Fort we were joined by a friend of our drivers, Mr Hari Krishnan; Tourist Guide Extraordinaire, who would be our guide for the visit to the Taj Mahal. He very quickly earned his worth (two hundred rupee) helping us to jump to the start of the one hundred long queue. First buying our tickets for us (we are sure he paid local rates (250) for our tourist tickets for which we handed him 750rupee each still we had paid enough regardless). He advised us very well about security, which was tight. Only cameras and handbags - no food, mobile phones or cigarettes allowed.
We then went to see a marble factory where they produce tables and ornaments in the Mughal style of the Taj and Forts. The idea was that we would buy and Hari would get his kickback I think. We didnt buy but it was very interesting watching the intricate inlaying of precious stones into the marble. As we were expecting to meet Abbass around 7/8 pm to plan our departure to Leh tomorrow, we left Agra around 4 pm. For the next six hours we drove through the most incredible fog I have ever seen! We gave the driver some extra rupees just for getting us home alive!!! We drove following the centre white lane lines - Darryn with his head stuck out the window in the freezing air, making sure we stayed on the road (since the roadside could not be seen). A few nutters tried to whizz by one car overtaking us on the inside, smiling triumphantly as they did so, only for us to pass them a few seconds later as they had crashed up onto to barely visible pavement. Finally arriving back at the Shelton and our now very concerned colleague, we downed a quick whiskey, laughing in tiredness, and headed off to catch a very late meal at the Malhotra before it closed. Sharing a laugh as we walked up the Main Bazaar, Darryn stopped suddenly, just centimetres from an elephant blocking the road. Befitting the understatement of the century he looks up and says Oh, its an elephant as though this was an everyday occurrence. What was more hilarious was the fact that he hadnt even seen it very difficult to miss! Plans to Leh had changed again and we would need to wait yet another day in order to get the gear to Ladakh without cost. DAY 9 MONDAY, 3 JANUARY 2005 (Delhi) After our late night and long day we really enjoyed our sleep in. No rush today as Abbass had much to do in arranging things for the Winter Sports Club so we spent a leisurely day pottering around the Main Bazaar and doing the whole touristy bit, complete with souvenir shopping. We also sampled a few of the local junk foods on offer on the street including (forgive spelling unknown) Jellabee, a deep fried curly batter soaked in sugar water as with all Indian sweets Extremely sweet but very yummy and Peitha dried, sugared gourd. We found a cute little Nepalese caf tucked away (like most of the interesting things) in a little alley way. There, Darryn enjoyed lemon tea and toast, and I had excellent coffee. We discovered a very cheap, wholesaler selling wraps and other linen and we brought four or five wraps/shawls, hand embroidered for about four dollars each. We explored the backstreets of the area and discovered schools, laundries, local restaurants and small manufacturing studios tucked away amongst very little - it was a whole nother world. Abbass came to meet us at tea time at the Shelton with Mr Giapo (spelling unknown), the King of Ladahk. We went with them to the Tibetan camps where Giapo was staying, for a Momo Party. Momo are similar to small Asian styled cornish pasties filled with either meat or vegetables. These were authentic Tibetan mutton Momo served with traditional soup which Darryn reckons is just salted hot water with a few spring onions floating in it. The idea is that the liquid will help to digest the heavier (though not fatty) Momo. It would be considered offensive to our hosts to leave Momo on the plate so we had to demolish a large plate each about twenty Momo. The last two were very difficult to get down! Another bite and Im sure I would have lost the lot! The Tibetan camp was so different to being in the Main Bazaar much less crowded, more neighbourly and serene people were sitting outside on the pavement playing board games and talking over a cup of chai. The camp was actually a group of very well cared for shops and guest houses developed by the Tibetan refugees, a hidden treasure just off a main road, found down an alley way from a tall concrete fence lining the road. Over dinner we discussed with Abbass and Giapo their needs for maintaining and grooming the ice and designed how we would construct a manual Zamboni and squeegies. Our flights were now booked Abbass assured us of this by showing our Indian airlines tickets. It had been agreed by the Airlines to transport the equipment at no charge on receipt of the faxed letter from the Leh airline manager. Abbass will make sure this letter comes through tomorrow. DAY 10 - TUESDAY, 4 JANUARY 2005 (Delhi) We whiled away today walking (rather than going by rickshaw) on small missions to Connaught Place - for anti inflammatory cream (at one dollar (NZ) per tube!) an India badge and general window shopping. Darryn brought a lovely winter top and some CK One at cheaper than duty free rate. We munched junk food all day - Jellibees, Peita, Nizam's Kebabs and juice. Darryn was accosted by a 'professional ear cleaner' - a large, very eloquent be-turbaned gentleman, who showed us an hilarious range of testimonials from overseas travellers in tatty a notebook "Crazy - but you should try it", "You should have seen the shit this guy got out of my ears", Darryn was erring on the side of adventure when the guy asked to look in his ear. Expecting him to check what needed done and offer a price to 'remedy', the guy grabbed Darryn firmly by the ear, peering in and saying, in his rich India accent "Oh my God!", he delved into Darryn's ear with a very long thin cotton bud. Surprised and feeling a little violated, Darryn hastily withdrew and we moved off. As an on-looker the whole exercise was bloody funny! When we recounted the experience to Abbass he just looked at Darryn as though to say "and....? For him, ear cleaning was quite normal. We found an internet cafe and cleared our emails and updated the website for the first time - thanks to Dave's help. He was on-line when we emailed to say thanks and his email expressing concern over our location relative to the Tsunami gave some explanation to the concerned emails from family at home - made us laugh really since we were about as close to that area as Christchurch is to Perth and our presence in Hong Kong certainly more precarious though still thousands of miles away. True to say New Zealanders were probably much more aware of the disaster than the average Delhi-ite who was not accessing CNN news coverage. Our scheduled meeting time with Abbass came and went so we went again to explore the backstreets (half expecting to see our laundry hanging in an alley somewhere having been taken away by hotel staff for cleaning) and then back for some more internet access. Finally Abbass met us. The news was bad. There had been many problems in communication with Indian Airlines and so, late in the day, Abbass and Giapo had decided to change to Jet Airlines - none the less we would fly tomorrow, leaving the Shelton at 4 am for the airport - the gear in two taxis. Our favourite waiter at Malhotra teased Darryn and we fondly bid him thanks and farewell. DAY 11 - WEDNESDAY, 5 JANUARY 2005 (Delhi) Finally! The day has come.... We rose today at 3:40 am after only three and a half hours sleep and dressed excitedly. The Hotel staff (so friendly and helpful) awoke from their beds on chairs and couches around the hotel (the same staff man the hotel 24-4, taking turns to catch a few z's - though not many since they seemed permanently available) to help us shift the huge load of gear and load it into the taxis. I took a major smack to the nose with the hockey sticks... broken?? We arrived at the Jet Airlines terminal, proceeded through security to check our baggage and make all of the necessary phone calls back and forth to Leh to ensure all the gear would be taken at no charge. All looked like it was going to plan at last.... and then, DISASTER! The flight was cancelled - bad weather in Leh they reported. However, the Indian Airlines flight (on which we had originally been booked) was still flying.... but it was too late for us to rush the gear over to their terminal and catch this flight. We were stuck in Delhi for another day! Despondent and frustrated, we headed back to the Shelton for another night. I was 'all Delhied out' and wanting to move on to new pastures, however the 'long lost family' welcome we received on return (at 9:30 am) to the Shelton and later the Malhotra made it all bearable - even funny! Exhausted after such little sleep we had breakfast on the roof top and then set ourselves a 'mission' to help fill in yet another day in Delhi. We went shopping for a bicycle helmet for Abbass' niece so that she would not hurt herself when learning to skate. We checked in Connaught place, finding a form of 'skating helmet' which looked more like a skinny version of rugby headgear, possibly made in the seventies (like most things in Indian shops) and stopped for coffee (Darryn tried Kashmiri Kawa - a beautiful tea, made with cinnamon and cardamom poured over sliced almonds - heavenly). We then took a rickshaw to the wholesale markets - the Sports section. We found the helmet and some skipping ropes and balls for the skating camp. Then Abbass became inspired.... by the goods available (at hideously cheap prices) and possibly the 4,500 rupee the airline had refunded in lieu of the flight cancellation, and ended up spending the next four hours purchasing sporting goods for his shop in Leh. Darryn and I wandered the market. I was quite a novelty in this area for five reasons: female (business here mainly a male bastion), white, tourist-looking (this was most certainly a local area unknown to Delhi newcomers) blonde and short haired. I was pleased Darryn was with me! We all had an early night as sleep deprivation had set in and we had to be up again at 3:45 am tomorrow to try again for Leh. DAY 12 - THURSDAY, 6 JANUARY 2005 (Delhi/Leh, Ladakh, India) Leaving the hotel was more streamlined this morning as we had stored the boxes of gear and the hockey sticks at the airport. Harder to wake up though as we were all very tired and Abbass slept in. I put Darryn back into his traditional Ladakhi coat, loaned to him by Abbass father for his 'royal arrival' in Leh! I had watched Abbass carefully the day before but had to accept help when it came to the bow-tying. There is no excitement today - I think we are all frustrated with the delays. My nose isn't broken I don't think, but certainly sore and swollen and my right eye slightly black (hard to tell because of the black rings around my eyes!) We again checked in for the flight - the road to the airport was clear, but the fog started to roll in. There were some tense moments as Abbass 'battled' with Airline officials to clear our equipment and more phone calls to and from Leh (weather there good, so no problems at that end). The final call for our flight and I sent Darryn reluctantly ahead while I waited for Abbass - at least one of us was going to get on that damn plane! At last we were all at the boarding gate - the three of us the last to go through. They stopped Darryn and I, and took our boarding passes! I panicked - expecting there to be another problem (perhaps we were not allowed on the plane because my name was spelt wrong?) but to our delight we had been upgraded to first class! We boarded the bus from the terminal to the aircraft, excitement now setting in. We chatted to the group of Australians, lead by Tour Guides Matthew and Bruce from Sydney who would also be spending the next week in Leh. As soon as we were seated on board the royal treatment began.... and the fog continued to roll in.... and we waited.... and waited.... and waited.... Abbass words from yesterday loud in my head "sometimes they delay the flight with all passengers on board and then they cancel." An hour and a half passed.... and still the fog thickened and still we waited on the plane. Darryn's mood - jubilant an hour ago - now tired and despondent. Will we ever get to Leh? We have to run a twenty day camp - amongst championships and also allowing us two to three days to acclimatise and the same leeway at the other end of the trip to ensure we make our International connection, and still we waited.... another hour passed and still the fog sat and so did our plane. The hostess assured me that the pilot is very motivated to fly today and so patient. The visibility is one hundred metres outside. The required visibility is five hundred metres. He expects the fog to clear after sunrise and peak hour traffic in Delhi so we wait some more. At last, our call to join the (now large) queue on the runway and we hit the air at 10:15 am - three and a half hours after our scheduled departure. Darryn is smiling again. What a flight! As the French would say "Formidable!" The air was as smooth as silk and sky perfectly blue above the 'Delhi sky'. The view of the Himalayas so vivid, so magnificent, totally awe-inspiring: we were above 'The Top of the World', the mighty Himalayas. We were, all three, ecstatic to finally land in Leh - we made it! We had no idea what to expect from the cold and altitude on stepping off the plane, but were very pleased with to find the air clean and crisp at -3 degrees Celsius and no altitude problems - yet. We were greeted at the terminal by the club president Mr Tashi, SB and Ule, and taken directly to the VIP room for tea and biscuits and formal greeting. We were honoured to share the VIP room with the 3rd reincarnation of the Dalai Lama (a 14 year old boy) and his monks. Leh is remarkably like Central Otago - dry, rocky, crisp, sunny. Our 'home' overlooks the ice rink (I always wanted to live upstairs from the rink) and our room is very sunny. We have a warm room and western toilet - though no running water since the pipes freeze. Water is by bucket, with thermos for drinking. We really are being treated like a King and Queen. We have been told we must spend the next 24 hours in our room to allow us to get used to the altitude and prevent sickness. We use the time to unpack and get settled. We have lots of visitors during the evening - realising that the local way is to just walk into the room (tricky when your living room is also your bedroom). Ule comes to visit - our email friend, as he calls himself - and brings Stanzin (his son) whom Darryn met in Finland and also his nephew and daughter, Jigmet. By now we were both feeling a bit light headed from the altitude and moving about half pace. DAY 13 - FRIDAY, 7 JANUARY 2005 (Leh, Ladahk) Last night was very cold. The electricity operates only between dark (around 6 - 6:30 pm) and goes off at 11 pm. Our LPG heated not suitable to be on during the night so only two hotties and a mountain of very heavy blankets to keep us warm. The curtains are so thin that we give up two blankets to cover the windows - there is as much ice inside as out. Darryn had a very bad night - a combination of altitude sickness and response to the LPG fumes. Thumping headache, dizziness, slight confusion and severe nausea.... he spent most of the freezing night sitting up in the chair, dressed in as many clothes as he could manage watching the candle burn - very dimly and very slowly as the air is so thin. I managed to get some sleep although it was hardly a restful night. I was very worried about Darryn and wondered if I should be calling for Giatsu to get the doctor. Giatsu and Chanchuk brought our breakfast and the club officials once I told them Darryn was sick. Later, they asked the club doctor to check him and found his blood pressure to be a bit high but breathing good. They decided to install some plastic on the windows to help with the cold and to replace the LPG heater with a ducted kerosene burner, which worked fabulously and meant that we could leave it running all night. Heres to a better sleep tonight. We have our own butlers for everything we need. Sounds very odd I know, but actually I find it difficult and would love to be able to make a cuppa when I want one. Today was the opening of the state interclub ice hockey championships at the rink over the road. From our room we watched the flags go up and workers ready the rink, putting in ice lines and seating. The Chief Guest was the Ladahki Minister for sports who opened the championships. We were introduced to the spectators and players and later had to make a speech on the ice before Darryn presented Mr Tashi, on behalf of the Ladakh Winter Sports Club, with a New Zealand flag badge. We were seated in the VIP seating area - consisting of couches in the front row with coffee tables (and generous catering service) with a second slightly less VIP row of comfy chairs behind us. Here, the visiting group from the Australian school (the first Australians to come to Ladahk) sat to watch the first game. The hockey was just like watching Ranfurly play Oturehua 20 years ago! No rules you'd recognise, very little gear and no boards.... even the goalie had his pads on the wrong legs. (Too much for Darryn - he had to go and fix it despite feeling sick!) We stayed at the rink for about two and a half hours before needing to defrost the feet and have a lie down. The officials were installing the new heating but it didn't stop me falling asleep on the bed in front of them - tiredness was the manifestation of my altitude sickness I think. I felt terrific after I woke up and went out for a walk, while Darryn slept. It wasn't very cold - it had obviously been a hot afternoon, as there was a large hole in the centre ice. It had taken club officials almost two and a half hours to sweep (yes, sweep with small bunches of branches) scrap repair and water the small rink. We had to be able to improve this for them - even showing them how to scrap induo on skates and take the snow off the end rather than sides will help! We had dinner - every meal is three courses here, though portions thankfully getting smaller! We talked with Ule and Abbass about plans of tomorrow. We will go out to the lake with Ule around 9 am to watch and perhaps begin with the skaters. They want me to select two skaters to complete in the Interclub championships (31 Jan/1 Feb) and Nationals (20 Jan). It seems I will have the opportunity also to set the requirements for these competitions. Oh, the power! If only coaches were listened to like this in New Zealand! DAY 14 - SATURDAY, 8 JANUARY 2005 (Leh) Finally! Our first day on the ice. We woke at 7 am after a good sleep and to a warm room. (New heating system is much more efficient). Giatso brought breakfast (soup, fruit and toast) and then we headed out to the lake with Ule and Abbass. There we met with all of the skaters - about 200 in all. Some hockey players, an 'advanced' group, and four beginner groups divided into houses with hats of different colours (very helpful). Our first hour and a half was spent teaching the children and coaches how to lace and tighten skates. I haven't done up so many skates for a very long time and my hands are now very blistered and raw - very painful. I met my assistant coaches Mr Iqbal and Mr Mohuiddin and together we graded the 120 beginner skaters and 'advanced' group. Most were beginner/elementary level with some reaching Novice I level - there are no figure skaters here. Unfortunately Sonam Tsomo is not here as her military father has been posted elsewhere. Darryn had a great time teaching his 20 hockey players, and three hours passed in no time at all. The altitude really takes it out of you - we had to drink a lot (and the lack of a toilet was a problem for me, especially since the kids followed me everywhere I went like the Pied Piper. Thank God Abbass had taught me how to say "go away please") and were exhausted when we arrived back from the rink. While Darryn slept I sorted all the donated gear out and folded all of the dresses which had been stuffed inside skates for the best freighting. Again, Giatso feed us like King and Queen - I'm sure we will be the only people who have visited India and gained weight! Abbass and Ule came over this evening to discuss the plan from here on and anything else we needed. We hope to find a phone to call home tomorrow. It has been five days since we sent our last email. Tomorrow we will also be going to the Monastery near the lake which has a festival of some kind.... We have no idea what this is about, but sure it will be interesting. Today was Darryn's first outdoor coaching experience. Fortunately the day was very warm, but I had to reassure him that it was still necessary to carry the extra clothes in case the wind came up. We are both a little sunburnt, so should hit Brazil with brown faces at least (and day glow white and hairy bodies - nice!) The ice on the lake was very rough as it snowed here ten days ago. Such a shame! The town rink is being used for the Interclub tournament until 11th January 2005. DAY 15 - SUNDAY, 9 JANUARY 2005 (Leh) What a day! We began with a good session with the kids out on the lake. It was an idyllic day and we really had too many layers on. It was very still and sunny. Nice to be warm, but a bit hard on the eyes with the glare off the ice. We stopped at 11:30 am (only two hours today) and Stobby took us to the festival. We were given the real VIP treatment - being driven up the long, winding and steep road to the Monastery - where no one else was allowed to drive, given a seat in the equivalent of the VIP lounge (and of course the obligatory milk tea and biscuits). We watched the dances performed by the monks. The costumes were brilliant but I have to say that I think I could help them with their choreography. It was very repetitive and very long.... We were given lunch in the room for dignitaries - what a wonderful meal! Then Stobby showed us around. It was amazing to see where and how the monks lived, to see their beautiful embroideries and shrines. Although we were allowed to take photos, I opted not to as it seemed like an invasion of their privacy. Darryn was stopped by a group of soldiers who wanted a photo taken with 'the New Zealand Hockey Coach'. The toilet was also memorable - a rectangular hole in a dirt floor, several stories high. Gave new meaning to 'long drop' and with no toilet paper nor hand washing facilities anywhere to be found, I had to wonder....? When we arrived back in Karzu (our 'home' in Leh) poor Giatsu had been waiting with our lunch.... plans change at the click of a finger here and it seems I'm not the only one who has no idea what is happening! DAY 16 - MONDAY, 10 JANURARY 2005 (Leh) Coaching today at the Lake was extreme to say the least. It was very windy with the wind-chill around negative 15-20 degrees. The kids were miserable and many watched the hockey championships rather than taking lessons. I had to judge the figure skating championships - its an 'enter on the spur of the moment' type competition where skaters just whizz around for two minutes. There were many loud and excited conversations as officials tried to organise parents, skaters and other officials. I just stood around freezing until someone called for me.... I was pleasantly surprised that, although the skaters could not really do any skills beyond a spiral and two foot spin, you could recognise it as figure skating. They did understand that you needed to use your arms and look interesting. Very impressive since they did not use music! When we came back to Karzu, Darryn and I, feeling very frustrated that we had had such an unproductive day (not to mention bloody cold) went into town to try and phone home. Again, we could not get a line out. The email was working however, so we spent a few hours downloading photos from the camera, emailing home and updating the website. We also explored some of the shops - all looked closed as there were no lights on. We discovered a bakery which sold yummy macaroon biscuits - not that we needed more food but a sugar hit helped ease the frustration that was building. It was dark by the time we headed for home. Although the power was now on, street lamps are few and far between so we headed in what we hoped was the right direction and were fortunate enough that a car came and lit the road (mental note to self: must take torch next time). DAY 17 - TUESDAY, 11 JANUARY 2005 (Leh) Darryn and I had this morning off as it was the finals of the championship. We planned to go to town, try to phone home again and to do some computer stuff. We were just getting dressed when Abbass came upstairs and suggested we should hurry.... "Hurry where?" we asked? They had omitted to tell us we had to be at the final ceremony and that I would be performing! So after watching the senior final and some speed skating, I left to warm up and write a script for Darryn. I decided that it would be easier at short notice to demonstrate a little bit of everything with a commentary than try to perform without music. Man! What a mission! After a few rounds of the rink, a couple of spins and jumps, my lungs were ready to burst! Between the altitude and freezing air, it was a real struggle to keep going, but even though it felt awful! The locals seemed to be impressed. Afterwards my lungs began to retaliate and I was left with a good close dose of asthma and a hacking cough. After the closing ceremony and awards presentation, Darryn and I took to the ice to make most of the two hours left in the day. My 'figure skaters' went well and for the first time since arriving I felt like I had achieved something - we had the concept of an edge and even the first waltz jumps! Darryn did not fare so well as his team of hockey girls had neither gear, sticks nor skates - he was livid! We finished off the day by going into town to try to phone home or at least check the email. We could not get a line out, but managed to update the website and download the photos from the camera. I was gutted to find that the fabulous photos we had taken at Agra Fort and the Taj were only email quality! Buggar! DAY 18 - WEDNESDAY, 12 JANUARY 2005 (Leh) Another ordinary day at the lake today - coaching 10 am 3:30 pm. Quite warm today. Another day where we told Giatso we would be back for lunch and didn't make it! Poor Giatso! He is such a lovely man. We gave him a Rangers cap and he wears it very proudly! We found out that he has two children (nine and three years) and earns about one thousand rupee per week (about forty NZ dollars). DAY 19 & 20 - THURSDAY 13 & FRIDAY, 14 JANUARY 2005 Nothing new to report - another couple of full days coaching on the lake, 9 3 p.m., then videos with the kids 6 - 8 pm. They are learning quickly and keen to soak up all information. DAY 21 - SATURDAY, 15 JANUARY 2005 (Leh/Ule, Ladakh) After a good morning coaching on the lake at Gopuks we went with Wangchuk (Ule) to stay at his house in Uletockbo. It was about two and a half hour drive and we stopped at the oldest Monastery in Ladahk called Alchi. It was amazing! We arrived just on dusk which meant just in time for the electricity to come on, and see the magnificent carvings and paintings dating back to 1,060 AD. It was very cold there and there was still a lot of snow on the ground from the month before. Then we went to Wangchuk's house at Ule - What a paradise! His house is amazing! When you walk in the door you are greeted by a lawn and garden - like the Garden of Eden in the middle of the desert. We meet his wife, mother, brother, sister in law and two helpers, who also lived there and had an amazing dinner. Man! Can these people cook! Momo, fresh steamed buns called te momo and various Dahl and curry. We had a great sleep in a more comfortable bed and lighter blankets - I'm inspired to buy a mink blanket when we get back to Leh. DAY 22 - SUNDAY, 16 JANUARY 2005 (Ute/Lamayuru/Fortula, Ladakh) We had breakfast with Wangchuk's family - a kind of spinach type vegetable cooked with mushrooms and freshly baked wholemeal bread, severed also with jam and curd. Very tasty. Then we went to the Lamayur Monastery. The village is built into the side of the mountain, in what is believed to be a dried up lake. The Monastery was impressive but the frozen uncovered floor on our shoeless feet was not! I was so cold by the time we had entered our third shrine that I was nearly in tears from the pain in my feet. Stanzin and I tried to stand where the sun crept through the open door to gain what little warmth was there! It took almost three hours to get the circulation back into my toes and they were left bruised looking. After the Monastery we drove behind the village to the 'high road'. We stopped for some photos, a (very welcomed) cup of tea and for Wangchuk to have a cigarette. Then he asked if we would like to change the plans and miss out the second Monastery visit and drive instead to the highest point on the road to Kashmir. My feet and I were all for that! The drive was amazing. The mountains; so vivid and intimidating as we inched our way (in our two wheeled drive van) up the narrow winding road to Fortula, the summit of the road from Leh to Srinagar. After a few slippery moments, during which I remained calm and in full faith of Wangchuk's driving - right up until the point where Stanzin almost tried to leap from the car and I realised he was really scared! We arrived at the little shepherd's hut at Fortula (and also the Broadcasting Station and - surprise, surprise - and army HQ). The view really had to be experienced to fully appreciate. It was a cautious drive back down - and a gratefully appreciated biscuit stop half way (it was 3:30 pm already and breakfast was seven hours back), arriving back at Wangchuk's for 'lunch' about quarter to five pm. And what a lunch! Food is a major part of the hospitality in Ladahk and saying no thank you is just not an option (unless you are prepared to offend) and second helpings are expected. Darryn and I are becoming very conscious of our expanding waist lines - hidden by huge jackets in Ladahk but unlikely to be flattering on the beach in Rio! Behold the Great White Whales! We returned to Leh with Wangchuk, his wife, Stanzin, Jigmet and 'the helper', as they also rent a house in Leh, in which they live for most of the winter. Gyatso (I have finally found out how to spell his name) has been waiting for us since 4 pm, having made us 'Skew', a Ladahki stew/pasta dish for dinner. Abbass popped in to update us on the 'new plans'. DAY 23 - MONDAY, 17 JANUARY 2005 (Leh) Plans change by the minute here. Best not to plan anything but just go with the flow. We had been told there would be no figure skating in the Chief Ministers Cup because they did not want to interrupt the coaching camp. Now we find we have one hour on the ice (at Gopuks) to show the kids what to do for the competition today (and by the way Jill you are judging....). Today is the 'heats' for boys and girls 'figure skating', the Ladakhi version of figure skating competition means that skaters roll up when they announce the event, to 'enter' - or even after the event has begun as I discovered today. We began the boys event (all ages up to nineteen!) with ten boys and finished with thirty! With one judge and four skating at a time (for two minutes) it was a nightmare just to watch let alone try to pick the winners. Of course then we were running late so the 'officials' told me to judge the girls in one big group! My 'stroppy figure skating coach' personality let loose with an inarguable NO!, and I continued. Despite instructing the girls how to enter the ice and begin correctly, they were stopped by the officials and forced to stand in one line directly in front of me (army style). By the third group, the officials were getting very annoyed that we were taking up 'their time' and so cut the last group down to less than one minute. About then I had had enough and 'let rip' at the officials demanding that the girls be allowed to re-skate. Following my lead the skaters also protested that they had not had equal chance to show what they could do (interestingly the 'local favourite' had skated first) and so they skated again. After the events the chief of the Technical Committee asked if I had picked first, second and third. "No", I replied, I have selected the top six to go through to the finals tomorrow as I had been instructed. "There has been a change and now there will be no finals tomorrow." I lost the plot and told them that this was unfair to the kids who had worked so hard, a waste of my time in coaching them and that if they were not going to conduct the competition fairly and by the rules NEVER to ask me to judge again! My outburst, combined with the fact that Darryn had been embarrassed in front of almost the entire village earlier that morning (having been convinced and encouraged to play and cleared to do so, a 'riot' occurred when the opposing team objected publicly just before the game) made for an upsetting day (I had a good cry and just wanted to pack up and leave - and would have had it not been for the kids, Abbass and Wangchuk) but one which initiated some good change! The wheels seem to be moving quicker now! We had dinner at Wangchuk's Leh home and I gave Abbass and Wangchuk a 'crash course' in judging. Darryn had a few too many Rums at the Club Rooms! Very funny and many a true word spoken in jest and drunkenness!! DAY 24 - TUESDAY, 18 JANUARY 2005 (Leh) Today, we were 'official guests' at the finals of the CM Cup. I missed the opening ceremony as I was busy dishing out competition dresses and tights to the seven finalists who would compete today. There was a mixture of excitement, nervousness and embarrassment as no skater had ever been seen in a proper skating dress, and the skirts were extremely short compared with their cultural norms. The older girls especially were concerned about the boys laughing at them. I tried to reassure them by saying that the boys always laughed at girls because they were shy also - trying to reinforce some 'Girl Power'. Finally, in an assortment of thermals, mis-fitting tights and dresses, we were ready to go. The speed skating and figure skating finals had to be fitted in during the hockey breaks, so we had only five minutes to judge the seven skaters! The girls were obviously distracted by their clothing and although they still skated well, they did not remember the 'technicalities' of the day before. After the 'cultural program' consisting of a dance by the Laloc girls and the awards ceremony, Darryn and I went for a wander around town for a couple of hours, before returning for a productive three hour session with the kids at Karzu. After our evening video session we had a (very late) dinner at the LWSC office - momo prepared by Gyatso. Very nice! Abbass walked us home, so he could collect some gear from Darryn without notice, and ended up saying to talk until midnight! A very long day! DAY 25 - WEDNESDAY, 19 JANUARY 2005 (Leh) We awoke this morning to light snow. The kids arrived at Karzu for training at 8 am, but we couldn't begin until the snow stopped and we scraped the ice. While we waited Darryn taught the kids a bit about New Zealand, including some Kiwi English. It was hilarious! Now every time we say "How are you?" they say "Good as Gold!" By the time we all cleared the ice after the snow stopped, we managed to get in about 4 hours training. Abbass is really sick. He didn't rest when he returned to Leh from Delhi and the altitude sickness is really knocking him around. He only came to the rink for a short time today and although we had plans to build the skate sharpener tonight, he had to go home to bed instead. Wangchuk loaned us his car and Darryn drove us (complete with Toot Toot) up the Fort and around the valleys. The view from the Fort is wonderful as you can see both valleys and see the comparison between old and new. We dropped the car back and almost as soon as we sat down 'snacks' equal to full meal arrived in front of us - and "no thank you" doesn't seem to carry any weight here! :-) We watched re-runs of 'Alf' in Hindi which was amusing! Bath night tonight - for Darryn at least. I had planned to, but by the time we got home I was feeling shivery and not too flash, so the thought of peeling off in the freezing cold was none too appealing! DAY 26 - THURSDAY, 20 JANUARY 2005 (Leh) I woke up this morning feeling like I'd been hit by a truck! My head was spinning and I could barely lift my body out of bed. I felt better once I had eaten breakfast but the energy surge was short-lived, and I had to concede that I couldn't coach today and spent the day sitting in the chair; alternating sleeping, watching the kids practice, Darryn coach and doing some paperwork. Mushtaq gave Darryn and I a present - some hand knitted Ladakhi socks and a purple shawl for me. It was so sweet! The kids all came up to my room to say hello. They are such neat kids. Abbass is still really sick so Darryn is 'it' today. He was supposed to coach the Senior National team at 3:30 pm today, but they didn't show up. Wangchuk gave us his car so we could drive out to visit the Secmol Centre. What an amazing place! The buildings are all made of mud, with south facing windows and thermal covers in winter so it is very warm inside, but no heating required. Electricity also comes from solar power charging batteries. There, they run a residential school for students who miss their Year 10 exams (you cannot repeat a year at school here in India) and also work with schools to train teachers and update text books. They also produce the only bilingual newsletter in Ladahk. It was a very interesting visit, but both Darryn and I left feeling slightly stressed - it was obvious that there was a strong 'political' edge to the work of Secmol and we did not feel one-hundred percent comfortable there. When we returned to Karzu (late) Darryn got the hockey boys watching some more videos and took the Club officials for a session on the rules of hockey. A very productive session! While he was away, the doctor came to check on me again. His son is also in the camp, playing hockey. It was interesting talking to him and finding out more about the Indian medical system. DAY 27 - FRIDAY, 21 JANUARY 2005 (Leh) Today is Eid - the equivalent of the Muslim Christmas Day, so many of the skaters are not here for training. Abbass is still very sick. I'm feeling better so I took warm up with hockey and figure skaters - too difficult for most of the hockey players who got off the rink. Once they returned I asked "if it is too difficult - if you cannot skate, why are you playing hockey?" Darryn and Wangchuk went to see Abbass and sort out some administrative matters. We had a good session on the ice, but now I'm exhausted and spend the afternoon in bed. It's really overcast and very cold today so bed is a good place to be. I had a great sleep and spent the late afternoon and early evening lying in bed and listening to music on the Discman I brought in Hong Kong. Heavenly! I realise how much I miss music! After Darryn finished coaching (around 7 pm) we had our last dinner from Gyatso, who will leave tomorrow to set up for a French trekking party, who will trek for 21 days in the Zanskar Valley. We gave him a calendar, a New Zealand badge and one-thousand rupee, for his wonderful care and service. He is such a lovely man; always smiling. We thought about giving him Darryn's skates for him and his family but decided instead to leave these with Wangchuk for him to allow others to use as he sees most befitting. DAY 28 - SATURDAY, 22 JANUARY 2005 (Leh) The New Delhi Bulls arrived last night in Leh (the Canadian Embassy Ice Hockey team) and invited us to the Hotel Lassermo (Leh's version of Five Star Hotel) for drinks and video watching (Slap Shot of course!) With their team was Peter Hobbs, the New Zealand Trade Commissioner, who had come from Delhi to meet us because word had reached him that there were a couple of crazy Kiwis in Ladakh! We were very honoured! He invited us to stay with him when we return to Delhi at the Embassy - wow! He would arrange a trip to Jaipur too, if flights allowed time - this welcome, and hospitality, was fantastic and quite humbling! We were made honorary members of the Canadian Hockey team which also included Brian: the Canadian, Brad: Deputy High Commissioner to India, an Australian married to a Canadian, Julie: an Alaskan State under 16 player and by far the Star of the Ice, and her sister and goalie, Bonny. (Their father works for the American Embassy in Delhi). We played in their second match of the day, after a very cold hour of coaching out at the lake. It snowed heavily overnight and the kids were too frozen to do much. The Canadians drew both matches and we enjoyed our game with the Has beens (Julie and Bonny aside!) That night we (and Tony, the organiser of the Delhi Bulls team) joined the committee at Abbass house (Old Ladakh Guest House) for dinner. What a banquet! We also met a guy there called Chris, a Brit with a Kiwi (Remuera) mother, who was being funded by the Royal Geographical Society to live with the nomads of Ladakh and photograph and make sound recordings for the BBC. There we also met Abbass brother Anoo and his gorgeous little three year old daughter who addressed me as Auntie Jill it was so sweet! The hospitality is so overwhelming. When we left it was snowing heavily its not looking good for coaching tomorrow. DAY 29 SUNDAY, 23 JANUARY 2005 (Leh) Again, heavy snow on the ground this morning. The 8 - 10 am session for the Jammu and & Kashmir (J & K) girls ice hockey didnt take place, nor the 10 - 11am cultural performance practice, as it takes this long to clear the pond at Karzu of all the snow. Finally, at quarter past eleven, we began the demonstration for parents by the Development Camp Skaters synchronized, cultural show (like an ice show well choreographed despite limited skating), figure skating (in one big group) and a short ice-hockey match. This was followed by the presentation of about one-hundred and fifty to two-hundred certificates (each signed by Darryn or I) to kids, many of whom have exactly the same name. Its very confusing to us and to the kids and organisers. Straight afterwards the Canadian team played the army team at hockey. I was still talking with and getting photos with the kids, so I didnt want to play. Also I have an infected finger nail. Darryn played but by now 1:30 pm, the ice is dangerously soft and they cancelled the second game. Darryn and I spent a lovely afternoon window shopping in the back alleys of town. Again, there are no phones working and no email because of the snow. Its sunny again this afternoon so we hope things will be working again tomorrow. We are anxious to phone home and talk to the kids. We met the Canadians at their hotel at 6 pm for a couple of drinks before leaving by bus for dinner at 6:30 pm. Unfortunately the others werent ready in time and so we were late arriving for the official dinner. And it was VERY official! All of the committee were beautifully dressed in their gunsha and the official guests from the government were there also. There was a range of cultural dances and music including a dance in which we all took part. The men were very impressed with Darryns dancing Ladahki men are very energetic dancers very lively and demonstrative; while the women are more sedate and demur. Wangchuk says Ladakh has the slowest dancing in the world. Im not sure if that is so but certainly the dancing of the Monastery was much less active and exciting than this. There were many presentations to the government guests, to the Delhi Bulls, from the Delhi Bulls and a speech by Brian Dickson, the Deputy High Commission to the Canadian Embassy and a presentation to Darryn and I an encased trophy each with our names engraved. What a souvenir! We were both quite overwhelmed and Darryn choked a bit over his speech (could have also been also prompted by a more than normal number of beers beforehand). I have gotten used to sitting back and letting Darryn speak for us both. It is quite the reverse role to at home, but I feel so confident that he will speak (succinctly and eloquently) for us both. After a wonderful dinner, we stayed behind with the committee rather than getting the bus back with the Canadians when they left. After some good conversation, we got a ride home an exciting ride through the snow with Abbass, another member and our driver (and chief dancer) Lobzhan (aka Michael Schumacher). It had been a wonderful, wonderful evening! When we arrived home about 12:30 am I was feeling a little queasy due to Schumachers driving? DAY 30 MONDAY, 24 JANUARY 2005 (Leh Hospital, Ladakh) I woke up about 3 am with a pounding headache and sweating profusely. Too much garlic I thought. So I drank some water, took off some layers and went back to bed. Again around five am I woke up with a dreadful headache and threw up a little. Darryn woke up when I came back to bed and gave me a drug with paracetamol, codeine and a muscle relaxant. I managed another hours sleep before it all began. I woke up suddenly and just knew I needed to get to the toilet NOW. I had just thrown myself on the frozen seat when I realised I was also going to throw up. Fortunately, the bucket which usually contains water for flushing the toilet was empty and I was able to reach for it at the same time (most nights this contains three or four inches of ice). The vomiting was much worse than the diarrhoea and when it subsided, I went back with a clean bucket to sit in front of the burner to try and thaw out my now frozen legs. The vomiting started again and by now (about 8 am) Darryn was up and had given me some anti-nausea and anti-spasmodic pills. I had thrown up any food in my stomach so I managed to keep them down despite the constant retching. I was feeling very faint and lay down in bed. Wangchuk had called the doctor but when he and Abbass came, they all decided it was quicker and better to take me straight to the hospital. By then I was very dehydrated, faint (more like a feeling of being in shock) and not really with it at all. They admitted me and proceeded (under Darryns scrupulous attention to safety in every detail) to put in an IV with the longest drip needle Ive ever seen and to administer saline and an antibiotic. I was still feeling very nauseous and out of it when Dr Motup came to check on me. He took one look at the drip and demanded that the needle be changed since every time I moved the drip stopped because of the length of the needle. This seemed good news because the needle at my elbow as very painful - little did I know what was to come! I was so dehydrated that it took about eight attempts to find a vein which had not yet collapsed - the human pin cushion I was! All the time Darryn was right beside me. It could have been a really frightening time, but I felt very safe knowing he was looking after me, and Wangchuk was there looking after us both. Then they gave me another anti-spasmodic injection - in the backside. The needle didn't hurt going in, but BLOODY HELL! the injection contents sure did!! All too much for my body, trying to cope with too much already, I started throwing up again. With no food or fluid left to come up, it was very painful and I 'came too' again part way though and said to Darryn "I'm not sure where I just went?" This was the worst of it and I really just wanted it all to end........ Darryn stayed with me and I slipped in and out of sleep/consciousness for the next couple of hours with only one more really bad patch. By 1 pm I was more stable and sleeping more, so Darryn and Wangchuk went for lunch. Wangchuk has been so wonderful - helping to dress and undress me when I couldn't do so for myself (despite the cultural 'no-nos' around such things), getting me a hot water bottle to warm my body, frozen from the drip. I have only vague recollections of the morning - Abbass and Wangchuk leading me down the stairs to the car, through a 'bridge of honour' of skaters (me with bucket feeling bloody undignified) and lying in the hospital bed with Darryn caressing my hand and Wangchuk massaging my feet. During the day many of the club officials came to visit, though I slept through may of these visits. I did wake up to find Mr Tashi and Mr P Kunzang sitting beside me, and Mr P Angchuk (Kunny's dad and the local joker) in the nurses room teasing them all. I feel very well looked after! By around 4 pm I had finished all four I.V. saline bottles and two antibiotics drips and was ready to go home. I still felt a bit woozy and very tired but no longer nauseous. When we arrived back at the Guest House, Mr P Angchuk (Kunny's father) arrived with 'Mill' tea, made from a mountain plant like mint with a slight chamomile taste, and 'rice stew', the traditional treatment when youre not feeling well. This was followed by a visit from Wangchuk and Stanzin also with rice stew. I slept until the next morning and Darryn spent the evening checking the email, taking photos and having whiskey with 'the Trouble Agents' at the clubhouse. DAY 31 - TUESDAY, 25 JANUARY 2005 (Leh) It snowed really heavily yesterday so again no flights, no phones and no email. The Canadians weren't able to fly yesterday so we couldn't get a seat on today's flight to Delhi due to the 'backlog'. We have a ticket for tomorrow - provided it doesn't snow and that there is good weather in Leh. Tomorrow is Indian Republic Day and Delhi airport is closed 10 am to noon, for the air force flyover. Our flight is due to land at 9:30 am so provided there are no delays we should get back okay. I feel much better today - though going slowly and not much appetite. Darryn and I spent the morning packing our gear and then went into town to see if we could email or phone home. Still no email, but finally! a successful call home to the kids. All sounds well. I didn't mention my sickness - I didn't want them to worry. In town I met an interesting woman - Kunzes Angmo, the only woman travel agent in Ladahk (Royal Exployers). We returned to Karzu in time to watch the Leh girls play the Secmol/Kargill women's team. It proves to be the most exciting game since we arrived. There is quite a bit of 'political history' between Secmol and the Winter Sports Club, so victory is sweet I think. This evening we arranged an award ceremony as our last good-bye to the kids. We have some New Zealand pins and things to give them. What we hadn't expected was to be showered with gifts ourselves - including pieces of furniture! From the committee, kids and their families! It was totally overwhelming and suddenly our plans to return with only one out of four bags we had brought with us was out the window, as later it would take us the three empty hockey bags to contain all our gifts. After a sad farewell to the kids and lots of photos, we headed off with members of the committee to Mr P Angchuk's house for dinner and 'entertainment' including music (he plays harmonica - as did half the committee as the evening and rum flowed - drums and pipes) and song and dancing. The evening was hilarious! The meal as always fantastic - tonight prepared by (Mr P) Angchuk; a talented man! We found out that he had contracted Hepatitis B and almost died and since then had taken on the role of 'village optimist and entertainer' - all round great cook, great father, great friend and great guy in general. It was a late night and I was exhausted by the time we dropped into bed for our last sleep in Ladakh. DAY 32 - WEDNESDAY, 26 JANUARY 2005 (India Republic Day - Leh/Delhi) Wangchuk (Ule), Abbass and Stanzin arrived to take us to the airport around 7 am. We had been up for some time having lain in bed listening, savouring the sounds of the azzan (call to prayer) from the Mosque at first light, and later in the morning the sounds from the Buddhist Temple, which we had come to consider as natural as the morning bird call. Haunting, pacifying sounds - we will miss this.... On arrival at the airport we discovered that bad fog in Delhi had delayed our flight. Surprise! In Leh the day was picture perfect - not a cloud to be found and the snow melted from the ground. Perfect flying weather. We waiting in the VIP lounge and talked with Wangchuk and Abbass - all four anxious to give/gather the last 'vital bits' of information for the club/kids before we leave. We have a strong sense of leaving Abbass and Wangchuk as our 'custodians'.... until we return. The announcement was made that our flight, already one and a half hours late, would be further delayed. Abbass had to leave as his team was completing in the National Tournament back in Karzu. It was not an easy parting and we all choked back the tears as he and Stanzin left the airport, leaving Wangchuk to wait with us until we finally boarded around 12:30 pm. (At least by now Delhi airport will have completed the Republic Day formalities). It was a tearful farewell, on all parts; both as we left to board the plane and as the plane transcended the mountains - in all their snow-capped magnificence. There is something very special about this place, not the least the people, and Darryn and I feel that there is a call for us to return.... It was thirteen degrees Celsius when we disembark in Delhi and it feels like the tropics! First stop: the toilets, to remove two or three layers of thermal clothing, then to ring Peter Hobbs at the New Zealand Embassy to take him up on his offer of accommodation. After revelling in our first hot shower in almost four weeks, we spent the afternoon sitting in the sun beside the pool at the 'Canadian Club' in the Canadian Embassy grounds while Peter and some of the 'New Delhi Bulls' played tennis. Later we went to Peters 'neighbours' at the New Zealand Embassy for a BBQ (Ian, with Peter's wife Roslyn and daughters Kellie, 13, and Olivia, 10). DAY 33 - THURSDAY, 27 JANUARY 2005 (Delhi) Neither of us had a good night sleep. We have grown accustomed to hard beds and the cold so our heated room and soft innerspring mattress seems very foreign. My stomach is still 'delicate' and didn't take kindly to the can of beer and glass of wine yesterday and Darryn has a bit of diarrhoea (God! How do you spell that?) We are both taking antibiotics so feeling none too flash. Peter's driver Arun took us into the British Airways office in Connaught Place so we could try and send some of our baggage back to New Zealand unaccompanied. After a fifteen minute struggle with the building elevators (no stairs in this building!), we managed to find out that we had to go back to the Cargo building at the airport where we had spent a full day on our arrival in Delhi. We asked Arun to leave us in town and we spent a lovely afternoon and early evening wandering Connaught Place, and revisiting the Main Bazaar - including our friends at the Hotel Shelton. It was fun, and certainly more our style than hob-knobbing it at the Embassy. We finished the evening with a family meal with the Hobbs and looking at our photos on Peter's laptop. DAY 34 - FRIDAY, 28 JANUARY 2005 (Delhi) We repacked our bags and Arun took us back out to the dreaded Cargo terminal. After 'the usual' run around and form signing and four airlines later we decided after three hours to abandon our mission and take the bags on board with us as we flew around the world. The cost of $600 (US) is not justified, nor the potential hassles which may go along with the exercise. It has been a waste of a morning and we return to the Embassy. We arrange a taxi to go for lunch at Karim's in Nazimudan, a more 'upper-class' versions of Karim's in Old Delhi. The food, whilst still great, is more Westernised, probably to suit the Embassy clientele. We prefer the one in Old Delhi. Our taxi driver had a good go at ripping us off - charging 250 rupee to take us there. (It only costs 150 rupee from old Delhi to the airport!) So Darryn told him to push off and we wandered the gardens of Hurumyn's Tomb and the markets surrounding the nearby Mosque. We hailed a Sikh-driven cab and went to Janpath Market to fill in the few hours left before we had to meet Peter back at the Embassy. We brought a Pashmina for Kate - amidst much laughter as I almost put a spanner in the works of Darryn's bartering. We also brought a couple of pillowcases/table mats which Darryn enjoyed bartering for with his 'dinosaur lady' from the previous visit there with Abbass. At 5:30 pm we met Peter and some others from the New Zealand Embassy (Simon Smith and his partner Dorothy) and went to the opening of the new Australian bar at their Embassy (called the Loaded Dog). There we had a drink with three guys (two Kiwis and an American) who had just signed a huge deal to supply steel and steel rolling equipment to India for construction. It was great 'shoulder rubbing' opportunity. We returned for dinner with Roslyn and Olivia and after dinner we all watched the movie '50 First Dates! Hilarious! DAY 35 - SATURDAY, 29 JANUARY 2005 (Delhi) We got up early to farewell Ros, who was heading off to a conference for ESL. Peter took us out to the airport, first heading (at Peter's usual million-mile an hour speed) to 'Fun and Food Village' to take a peek at the Ice Rink. The ice was very good with the rink surface about three-quarter size but with proper dimensions. They had a Zamboni and also a room for off-ice training and seating (stadium type). I was quite impressed and could see the potential for running camps here. The rink is near Gurgaon and quite far from Delhi. This and the 300 rupee cost to enter, makes skating unaffordable for most in India! Our check in went smoothly at the airport. We bid Peter a fond farewell and found out that our flight was delayed by two hours: no problem with our connecting flights as British Airways changed us to a Varig flight direct from London to Rio, which would actually get us to Rio before our original flights. Like all the other passengers we sat around the airport waiting - the plane now running three hours late.... We checked our email and tried to telephone the kids, but again no line to New Zealand. We met a nice couple from the United Kingdom: Deb and John - both in Insurance and attending the wedding of a fellow colleague who was marrying an Indian woman (a Muslim wedding apparently so 'dry and boring....) We lay on the airport floor talking for the five hours it took for them to check the planes engine as the new engine on it's first flight had leaked a lot of oil and they needed to check and test drive. The flight was quite bumpy and I have to admit I felt quite nervous when we struck heavy turbulence over Iraq on the eve of their first democratic elections. (Even more frightening to hear the next day that a British fighter plane was shot down the day following our flight!) We managed quite a bit of sleep as we had the four empty seats to ourselves and could stretch out. We arrived at Heathrow and caught the bus from the terminal four to Varig's flight counter at terminal one. We were on time to make the correction but there was a problem with the way British Airways had validated the tickets in Delhi, so they would not accept us on to the flight. Again, we caught the bus back to terminal four and the British Airways counter. By now we were a few of the last people left in the airport (10:30, Saturday night). British Airways could not get us on a flight until tomorrow night so we have an unscheduled, though not entirely un-welcomed, stay in London. We stayed at the Hilton, which is in terminal four - a very comfy bed and good food. It is very cold in London and we have only our light Delhi/Rio clothes with us - not having planned to leave the airport and with our bags still floating around Heathrow - we hope! We rang home to let everyone know we are okay and had a great chat to the kids. DAY 57 - FRIDAY 18, FEBRARY 2005 After finishing our incredible journey through India with a trip through South America, taking in Carnaval, it is finally time to return to New Zealand. On arriving back in Christchurch, we were exhausted, though really happy to see our family at the airport waiting for us. We are dying for a curry! Due to start back at work Monday, we need a couple of days to catch our breath and recover from the jetlag (and did I mention the 2 months worth of washing??) It has been an incredible journey. Hopefully one of many. We have made some wonderful contacts and wonderful friends so many people have had a part in our adventure. India has a very special place in our heart especially our new family in Ladahk. We are very, very thankful!
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