Detailed Itinerary March 21, 2006
Posted by jaotte in Healthcare, Himalayas, India, Medical School, Medicine, Tibet, Travel, Volunteering.1 comment so far
Day 1 July 15
Depart from various international gateways in the U.S.
Day 2 July 16
Lose a day traveling east.
Day 3 July 17
Arrive New Delhi in the early morning hours. We take a spectacular one-hour flight over the Himalayas to one of the highest airports in the world – Leh (11,500 ft.), capital of Ladakh. Upon arrival, check into our guesthouse.
Day 4 July 18
Rest and acclimatize or take a stroll through the town. In addition to the natural beauty of the area, Leh and Ladakh are the heart and soul of Buddhism. This is the land where Padmasambhava introduced Tantric Buddhism and the theory of Dharma, still preserved today in its purest form. Leh has some of the oldest Buddhist monasteries dating back to the 9th century A.D. It’s a small town of narrow, intersecting streets lined with tiny shops and restaurants. Once a trading center during the silk route period, Leh was to central Asia what Hong Kong is today to the modern world. The town is encircled with mani walls (piled rocks inscribed with Buddhist prayers and chants) and chortens (8-10 feet tall clay and stone structures inside which the ashes of deceased Lamas – Buddhist priests – are placed.) Chortens are believed to provide shelter to the soul on its way to nirvana.
Day 5-7 July 19- 21
Medical Camp at the Tibetan settlements of Angling and Menhle in Leh. Our daily work schedule on a clinic day will involve 7 hours of stay at the campsite with a 15-30 minute tea/coffee break and a 45-minute lunch break. 8-10 patients will be scheduled for each 1-hour period for every physician and dentist to provide quality time and care without rushing to meet high patient counts. Interpreters will be provided.
Days 8-11 July 22-25
Drive to Tangste. We cross the Changla Pass 17,500 feet and enter the remote Tibetan refugee settlement – the village of Tangste, site of our clinic. Clinic will be set for three days at the Tangste health center with field visits to nomadic villages.
Day 12 July 26
Drive back to Leh. Night stay at the hotel.
Day 13 July 27
Begin journey towards Tso-Morari and the Chang-Thang Plateau in jeeps. Going south on the Leh-Manali road, we travel to the villages of Mahe and Puga. Camp for the night at the Tibetan village of Puga.
Day 14 July 28.
Clinic till 4 pm. End clinic and drive to Tso-Morari. It is approximately 40 miles over a rough terrain, which restricts driving speed to 15-20 miles per hour. We reach the shores of Tso-Morari in the evening and camp by the river close to the lake. Across the shores lie some of the most breathtaking views of the Himalayan peaks. In the short summer months, migratory birds such as the bar headed geese and the Brahmini ducks arrive from the plains of India and settle on the tiny islands in the lake to breed and lay their eggs. This is also home to the famous snow leopard which is rarely seen. Nature photographers have spent years at a stretch to capture a single shot of this shy, ever-elusive cat.
Days 15 July 29
Visit the village of Karzok and meet the friendly Changpas as they are known. During our stay at Karzok we spend a full day providing medicines and check-ups to the small population of approximately 150 natives plus visiting nomads from surrounding settlements. Free evening to explore the region with day hikes along the lake.
Day 16 July 30
Leave Tso-Morari early morning for Leh.
Day 17 July 31
Return to Leh.
Day 18 Aug 1
Additional day at Leh.
Day 19 Aug 2
Trip ends at Leh. Fly to New Delhi. Evening, leave for the international gateway for your flight back home. All international flights leave New Delhi shortly after midnight.
To the Himalayas! Statement of Intent March 21, 2006
Posted by jaotte in Ethics, Fundraising, Health Care Blogs, Healthcare, Himalayas, India, Medical School, Medicine, Tibet, Travel, Volunteering.add a comment
My name is Jessica Otte, and I am a first year medical student at The University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, BC, Canada. This summer, I’ll be traveling to Northern India to take part in a medical trek run by The Himalayan Health Exchange. With a group of 25 other medical students and physicians, I will be helping to deliver healthcare to Tibetan settlers of Ladakh and Nomadic Tibetan Tribes of The Chang Thang Plateau. This region is remote and extremely underserviced, so in the short time that we are there, we hope to provide basic medical attention to approximately 1300 people.
This humanitarian outreach will also be a learning experience for me. As we immerse ourselves in delivering remote medicine, I expect and seek many challenges; I must learn to overcome language barriers, work with limited resources, treat diseases that are uncommon in North America, and – especially being only a first year medical student – deal with an enormous learning curve with respect to even routine treatment and diagnosis.
Many of the things I learn will be directly applicable to my future practice in Canada or may inspire further work in developing countries. More than medical knowledge, I stand to gain a broader cultural awareness and an understanding of non-biological determinants of health. It is my hope that this experience will be the beginning of a career that continues to be enriched by global perspectives.
