Joey Lesh and Katie Coleman: The Next Step

Wayand – June 13th

We have now crossed in to beautiful Kerala state: great roads, the highest literacy rates in India, and famous tea, coffee and spice planatations make this one of the most desireable parts of India. Before we get to enjoy all the beauty though, we had to make it through the strike!

That’s right! As we cross into Kerala we learn all taxis, restaurants, and hotels are closed from 6 AM to 6 PM to protest a 4 rupee increase in the cost of a liter of petrol ($1 = 45.45 rupees). Wonder what they would have done with about the gas price hike that came after Katrina! Unable to proceed to our hotel, we took a bit of a detour and visited the Wyanad Animal Sanctuary. Like a safari, we traveled down undeveloped roads in our SUV scoping for exotic animals, and boy we found them: wild elephants, boars, two types of monkeys, deer, bison, birds of all sorts, and HUGE bee hives – the honey of which we got to taste as locals, covered in bee stings, came by with their harvest.

Following the stike, and a fabulous night in secluded mountain cabins by the water, we all took a hike up to visit the tea plantations. On our way back, we chatted with these washers…

Here is a view of the terrain as we left the mountains and tea plantations and headed to our next destination: Kochi.

June 10-13 – In Coorg

From Goa, we moved on the heavenly Dubare Inn. Sitting up in the mountains, right next to a river, Katie and I had a cottage next door to Sandy and Bob. From our front porch, we would watch the river and receive incredibly attentive service (even by Indian standards) from the Dubar Inn staff. It was during our first afternoon there that we got our first taste of the elephants. Kicking back for our four o’clock tea break, two mahouts rode and elephant up to the river and proceeded to cross over to the elephant camp. It was a spectacular beginning. The next day, we rode a boat over to this elephant camp, run by the Karnataka state government and got to bathe, ride, and watch the elephants being fed.

Next door to the Dubar Inn was a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. Two teenage boys walked us over there and described the meanings of the temple, the lifestyle of the priest (who lives right next door to the temple), and the rituals that are performed within the temple. The priest was very friendly and walked us through eating some food of the gods and drinking some sugary water. At the end Bob, Katie and I had red dots on our forehead and a slightly confused look as to what really happened in there.

The next day our outing was to the ‘Golden Temple,’ part of a stirng of Buddhist temples that mark the path of Buddha from northern India to Sri Lanka. This temple also had a monastery full of monks ranging in age from 5-75. It was quite a sight to see some of the teenagers whipping about on motorcycles in their orange and red robes.

It was at the temple that we met a very friendly couple from Bangalore and Prshant helped to explain to us more about the meditation and spiritual aspects of both Buddhist and Hindu temples. He even read Bob and Sandy’s palms and had them both pegged! Katie and I are looking forward to meeting up with them when we go to Bangalore.

On the way out we had some fun!

Overall, we loved the Coorg region. Cool, no spicy, and yum yum food with lots of time for tea breaks. Take me back there any day.

Well, last we checked, Katie was sleeping …

This was in Miraj, to be fair, we had just finished a long day looking around the big Wednesday Market and were waiting for our train to Goa that left at 11pm.

The market was great fun with tons of kids, hot peppers, spicies and produce.

But, soon enough, we were off to Goa. Goa is a former Portuguese colony famed for its awesome beaches and all-night parties and is a favorite winter vacation spot for Europeans out to have some fun.

Seeing as it was the monsoon season, our experience on the beach was pretty quiet. We walked along the beautiful sandy beach to a restaurant Brittos where we enjoyed great fish curries and watched the waves roll in off the Arabian sea. It was a perfect place to be when the afternoon rain hit, we just ordered some caramel custard and waited the rain out!

Our hotel had a pool which was quite lovely for cooling off in the afternoon and a great place to meet new friends.

Our pool friend Hannah from Sweden joined us the next day to visit Old Goa, the heart of the Portuguese colony. Filled with chuches and cathedrals Old Goa was abandoned in the late 1700s and now lives on as a tourist haven. We did see the Basilica of Bom Jesus famous for holding the remains of St. Francis Xavier. St. Frances Xavier’s corpse is a heck of a celeberity and supposedly continues to grow hair and have his finger and toe nails grow as well. They take his body out nce every ten years to parade it around the main square, but many years ago a woman bit off his toe and they keep the body inside the coffin now. Look, you can see it thorugh the window!

So let’s back up: After visiting the Hospital in Mirage www.wanlesshospital.org & checking out Kohlapur, we spent a morning with Dr. Rabentish checking out the community health centers Wanless runs in neighboring communities. The first health center was nicely apportioned with a delivery room, pharamacy, and daycare. See the kids in the daycare below:

The second clinic we visited took place in a small cement building that housed the local government & other civic organizations when not in use by the clinic. Women & children were packed inside its small walls waiting for immunizations for their children: polio, tetnus, etc…

Some of the many innovative community health programs that take place under the experitise of Dr. Rabentish include a loan/grant program for women to purchase goats or bullocks to use for milk, breeding, and other sources of income; working with communities to build latrines & safe water sources; using lay health advisors (trusted members of the community who receive training and a small honorarium) to educate villagers on hygene, contraception, and even AIDS.

This scene below — two nurses administering an immunization to a small baby in its mother’s arms — totally reminded me of my time in the batays of the Dominican Republic.

We have been on the move the last week, visiting the beaches of Goa and the mountains of Karnataka, wildlife sanctuaries and elephant camps, AND tea, coffee, pepper & cardamom plantations!! We just dropped Mom & Dad off at the airport after a wonderful two weeks with them, and now we are off for 10 days in the backwaters of Kerala before heading on to Vivek & Katy’s wedding on the 24th of June.

Sorry for the short post: we’re off to catch our train, but will be sure to write more in the coming days!! Can’t wait to see all the wedding guests soon!!!!

After 24 hours in 3 planes, a warp-speed dash through Heathrow Airport, and one lost bag, we arrived at 2:30 AM in Mumbai (Bombay) India last Thursday morning. 

Driving 45 minutes through slums and red light districs of this city of 17 million, we arrived at our lovely Hotel Sahil. Totally air-conditioned, with access to the internet, full restaurant, and phone service, our Hotel and its non-sequiter appearance in the surrounding community highlighted the rapid economic and cultural change occuring in India — the growing wealth and underlying, staggering poverty. 

We spent three days in Mumbai checking out all of the heritage buildings, the famous Taj Mahal Hotel, Hanging Gardens, and Gateway to India, Marine Drive, the Jain temple, etc.  But more fun than all of that was the day we spent with Vivek’s Cousin Priya & her 9 month old baby Varun shopping Bombay flat! 

We got beautiful jewelry, bags, shoes, & shirts; she took us around to restaurants to nibble Cha’at, drink Chai, and partake in a Parsi wedding feast!  It was wonderful to see the city through the eyes of someone who knows & loves it!

Next we took an overnight train to Miraj, a small rural town about 10 hours south of Bombay.  It was here in Miraj where my parents lived about 30 years ago working as Medical Missionaries.  We visited the hospital where the worked… a (mostly) modern, large 400 bed facility dedicated to serving the poor in the area.  Ironically, Wanless Hospital is suffering some of the same challenges as US hospitals:  increased competition from private facilities who are taking the high paying patients; challenges keeping up with the latest technology; and the slow but steady introduction of third party payment.  We next visited a Leper Mission where we saw men entirely debilitated - with no fingers or toes -suffering from disease that is almost entirely unknown anywhere in the 1st world.  It is amazing to see the tremendous work being done here by well-trained individuals.  Financial support from US AID and other donors in the US and UK have made the medical system here quite strong.

Next to lighter fare: we visited a craftsman who makes Sitars, chatted with Baptist Missionaries, went to Kohlapor to pick up the world famus chupples (sandals), and napped under mosquito nets when the hot, wet monsoon weather became too oppressive.

Another day here traveling with the community health nurse from Wanless to area villages then off to Goa.  Enjoy some of the pictures so far….

Priya and Varun

Some kids walking home from school

The washers of Bombay

Life in a more rural area moves a little slower.

Our sitar shop visit.

And the kids LOVE their picture to be taken ….

Saturday night Katie, Sarah, and Katie hosted a blast of a graduation party. Awesome barbeque from Que Shack out by the Providence Glen pool made it easy to meet everyone’s family and enjoy the nice weather.

Click the “more” link for more photos.

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The radio came on around 5 AM. I dozed for fifteen minutes or so before realizing why the alarm was set so early on a Saturday morning: Elizabeth. Katie and I were to take her to her plane flight home for spring break and I was already late in getting up. Ugh. We powered our way out of bed, through walking Frannie, making coffee and got out the door only fifteen minutes later than planned. At the airport there was minor confusion regarding the location of the America West terminal but we got Elizabeth off ok. It was 6:15 and time to head over to Kristen and Anthony’s house.

The weather here has been unseasonably great and I’ve was itching to get outside for a long hike. Katie and I have been hearing about how great Hanging Rock State Park is and when Anthony and Kristen suggested it too, it was on. Somehow, it made sense the night before to meet at their house around 6:30. I think it really only made sense to Anthony and me, because Katie and Kristen slept until 8 while Anthony made breakfast and lunch.

Anyhow, we hit the road around 9:30 and made it out to Hanging Rock State Park around 11:30, making sure to note the location of the nearest bail bondsman.

The park is great. We started on a short trail down to a waterfall. All the trees and plants are just starting to show their green buds.

From there we grabbed our lunches and headed up to the trail to the eponymous rock that hangsover the landscape.

Katie, are you good to go??

Yep!

Frannie got a little hot as the temperature was easily in the high 70’s.

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What a night! We started our night at The Barbecue Joint with Anthony and Kristin. That place is great!

We watched the game with a bunch of friends out at the Carolina Ale House. The bar sits on the line between Chapel Hill and Durham and was packed with Duke and UNC fans making the atmosphere totally electric. After a slow UNC start the Heels stepped it up and as Hansbrough said “stayed within themselves.” The poise of these freshman is incredible. I can’t wait for next year to see how Ginyard and Green develop. Both of them are have some serious potential that is just starting to show.

Anyhow, the place was full of craziness as you can see …

After the game we had a little indecision – go out or go home? We picked up Elizabeth and headed out, then turned around and dropped her back off. We headed home and hit the driveway, then turned around and hightailed it to the Dean Dome. On our way Katie called in to a sports talk show! I’m not sure what happened to my wife … she’s the only person I know who has ever called in to a sports talk show.

Anyhow, we got to the Dean Dome just in time to see the Tarheel bus pull up. Lining up with the other 40 fans who were there, we got high fives from the whole team. Katie shook Roy William’s hand. BTW, she reports that the jacket he was wearing was cashmere. Carolina blue cashmere! Where does he find that stuff?

It was a great night altogether and if you ever have the chance, I highly recommend greeting the team after a game.

We’ve finally got all the pictures online today. Take a look.

Katie and I are almost all moved into our new apartment in Carrboro, North Carolina and Katie starts school tomorrow. Life is good and we are well.