Until Next Time - Namaste!

COUNTRY: India, Palampur
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Nursing and Dentistry
WRITTEN BY: Cherie Yam & Gemma Burratto

Here we are – the final blog for the November 2013 Palampur team!

Our final night’s celebrations literally went off with a bang, with the five Australian volunteers joining the German and New Zealand volunteers for a night of fireworks and drinks. Five thousand rupees worth of explosives later, Bobby proved to be quite the pyromaniac when he started setting multiple fireworks off whilst standing right next to them (meanwhile the volunteers were hiding behind chairs and blankets).

The volunteers were cheering and hooting and dogs were howling at us in annoyance. We had apparently set off more fireworks than people usually buy for a wedding! It was a great way to finish off our leg here in Palampur. All the volunteers took a final group photo and we headed back home for an early night ahead of our big drive. The final drive back home from the second volunteer house was a sad one as we realized that it would be our last journey back down our beloved village road.

The morning of our departure was silent and slow. Nobody said a word as we did some last minute ‘stuffing of bags’ before packing up the taxi. After saying our goodbyes to Bobby and his entire family, we left at 6 am, watching Palampur flash past.

12 hours later, we were in South Delhi getting ready for the final two days of our trip. The night was filled with relaxing and a simple dinner, which included Joel hilariously trying to convey “Mountain Dew” to a struggling waiter. Bogan Aussie accents clearly don’t fly with the Indians!

The next morning at 6 am, we were on our way to the city of Agra – home of the Taj Mahal! The place was buzzing with tourists, street stalls and beggars (a huge difference from the rural area we had come from!) After walking through the North gate, all we could see was fog and a few gardens but as we slowly got closer, the enormous shrine revealed itself. It was like a dream. Not the most conventional way to see the Taj Mahal, but still absolutely stunning! The inside of the building was filled with white marble decorated by many colourful gems inlaid into the stone itself. No trip to India should happen without a trip to this iconic monument.

Next we headed to a marble shop where they made furniture and other ornaments out of the same stones and gems as the Taj Mahal. A few thousand rupees later, we left with tables, elephants and other little souvenirs. The next stop was a jewellery store where we saw the ‘Star of India’ gemstone – a stone only mined in Agra! We enjoyed a light lunch before our long journey back to South Delhi.

The next day was a sad one. We said our goodbyes to Gemma and Kent who left for the airport in the morning before the rest of us went for one last trip around Central Delhi. After getting lost a number of times, we gave up and headed to Gurgaon for lunch – one of the richer areas around Delhi.

At night, Amy and I (Cherie) headed off to the airport. Back to reality we go!

This trip has been unique in all definitions of the word. We’ve had the experience of a lifetime and have been able to enjoy all of North India’s natural and material treasures! Whether it is trekking up a mountain, fighting Indian food poisoning or jumping off a cliff with an Indian man and a parachute strapped to our backs, everyday we had in India was filled with plenty of laughs. We had the fortune to experience healthcare in a rural, developing community and have met some of the friendliest, most helpful people around! Which for a Western tourist in India, is absolutely priceless.

This trip couldn’t have been possible without Kathryn and Ali from Antips as well as Bobby and Amit from India - so thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!
If you’re looking for a trip which lets you have some unbelievable clinical experience in your chosen career path and make some irreplaceable memories in one of the world’s most understated regions – get off of this blog and get on this trip!

Gemma and Cherie signing off for the final time!

Namaste!