India (Day 6)

Boo-hoo it's the last day in India.  :0(  I absolutely LOVED it here!  One more reason to get job so I can travel back soon!

I spent the morning on a grand adventure with one of my friends, Sarah.  We wanted to go to this mall that one of the professors had told me about the day before.  It was the place where people who lived here shop so I thought it would be a really good experience.  Getting there was pretty exciting.  We took the ferry over to near Fort Cochin, where I had gone before, and hired a rickshaw driver to get us to the mall. It was WAY farther (34 km) and more expensive (1200 Rupees) than I thought it would be.  I think we got overcharged, especially because it was originally 600 rupees one way and then we got back and it changed to 600 each way.  Oh well, the guy was nice and didn't take us any random places.  

 

On the ferry.

The price of gas if anyone is interested.  

Taking a rickshaw through a village is one thing, traveling for a long time on busy roads was quite another.  It was quite a hair raising experience!  The driver was weaving in and out of traffic and narrowly missing huge busses!  It was crazy!

We had to take a ferry once on the rikshaw with a bunch of other vehicles.  I don't think my lungs will ever be quite the same...

The mall was really fun.  It was pretty much like the malls at home except the things in the stores were different.  The people working in the stores were also much more attentive than at home.  Even the discount stores had people who treated you like you were shopping at Rodeo Drive or something.  We went to the grocery store first and stocked up on snacks.  I was so excited to find peanut butter!  I bought two tubes of it.  There were also clothes and school supplies for really cheap so I bought three outfits and some art supplies for about 1/10th the price they would go for at home.  The prices of items were really interested to me.  There would be a pen for like the equivalent of seven U.S. dollars that would go for one or two at home.  But on the other hand, a nice set of pastels would be like 80 cents as opposed to $10 at home.  

I was starting to feel a little POTSie so we just went into a few clothes stores after that and each bought a skirt.  I took a risk and got a milkshake at Baskin Robbins but so far no sickness from the milk.  :0)  I also got some chocolate for the driver since he was going to be working through lunch.

The drive back was also quite exciting.  Instead of going right back to the boat, we stopped by one last store to spend our leftover rupees.  

By the time I had gotten back to the back to the boat I was feeling quite POTSie.  I was in a rush though, so I tried to ignore it.  I had to get on board, drop off my stuff, get lunch, and head back out to catch my field program to an orphanage.  At lunch, I got to meet my friend Josh's Dad which was awesome.  I was bummed I basically had to just say hi and rush off.  I managed to get to the bus on time after all that.

This is where Invincible Emily (my superhero name, duh) got some holes in her cape.  The bus air conditioning broke after a few minutes into a 1.5 hour drive.  And the windows couldn't be rolled down.  So we were in a metal can on a 95 degree, 95% humidity day with no air ventilation.  Not fun. I, of course was feeling completely awful, but some other people were not doing too well either.  Some people were even crying a little.  I would split my time laying down awkwardly and sitting up when I got too carsick.  Not fun at all.

We finally arrived at the village and got out to the 95, 95% air that actually felt refreshing.  It took me like ten minutes to get to the place where the welcoming talk was because I kept collapsing.  One sweet little girl comes up to me, tilts her head and said, "You are handicap."  I shook my head and said, "Yes, handicap!"  She took my hand and let me up the last bit of stairs.  I didn't have the heart to collapse on her so I made it the last little bit and thanked her very much for the help.  

   I spend the welcoming talk and the first half of the trip laying on the floor getting familiar with the view of the ceiling.  A few kids came up to me, but for the most part I think they were a bit scared of me.  haha  I finally was able to sit up and crawled over to a group of kids to show them the saucer popper thingies.  As usual, they were a big hit.  I got a brief reprieve form the dizziness and was able to walk to and visit one of the houses the kids lived in.  The orphanage was set up in a very cool way.  The kids are divided up into different families and all have a house mom.  They is just like any other family, eating meals and hanging out together.  It was such a healthy way to organize things!

   On my way back, one of the younger boys ran up and took my water bottle.  I thought he was so cute, I didn't even care.  And boy did he love that thing!  He ran around and wanted me to take pictures of him in various poses with his water bottle.  I think we had a strange kid bond.  He had no interest in the other kids or toys, but loved our disposable water bottles.  He had several by the time the trip was over.  Honestly, probably more things happened that were noteworthy, but I can't really remember much of the trip.  :0(  

   The bus ride back was even more miserable than the way there.  I was so carsick and dizzy and it seemed to last forever.  When I got back to the dock, I collapsed SO many times on the way to the line to get on the ship.  During one of my down times, the drum guy who I had talked to before came up and the lack of blood flow let me to buy a huge drum from him.  I'm actually glad I did because it is pretty cool and makes a nice sound.  It's just so big I have no clue what I'm going to do with it.  

   

  After I got on the ship (with some help) I basically crawled to my room and my roommate got my wheelchair for me.  I had to use it when I went to dinner which was a little embarrassing, but after the first shock of wheeling in to the dining area and having people stare at me, I was ok.

   

  I couldn't eat much, but at least it was something.  I also drank a glass or two of water.  :0)  Then it was to the health center with me for an IV.  Dr. Bill is seriously awesome!  He gave me 2 liters and didn't give me a hard time at all.  I also drank a bottle of gatorade while I was there so I was pretty tanked up.  When I got back to my room, my face looked super pudgy!  haha

  Now it's bed time!  IVs always make me so sleepy!  Hope tomorrow is better!  I don't need to make more of a scene than I already have on this ship!  haha