We just got back from our adventure to another state. Wow what an ordeal. It took us nearly 9 hours to get there, across the border and into the jungle to the leprosy colony. They wouldn't let us across the border in a private car so we had to back track and rent a driver and a .... PARTY BUS. Not even kidding. It was hot pink and had the sweetest X-files soundalike backup sound. There was magenta plush velvet all over the interior (except of course where it mattered, on the seats) and all colors of flashing lights and speakers and a T.V. We enjoyed a classic Bollywood movie on the way home. Once we made it across we had to stop and pay a bunch of policemen to let us go on. At one point T.J. one of the Rising Star drivers, and our translator had to get out and hike off the road and through trees so we could pick him up down the road since we could only have 12 passengers and he was lucky 13.

We pulled into the colony and were greeted like royalty. There truly is something so fulfilling about reaching out and touching the hands of the untouchables. They were so grateful and appreciative of us being there. We washed, bandaged, and tested blood pressure and diabetes of 80 different patients. They had been waiting for us with their families all day. The women put flowers in our hair and the children called us all auntie and kissed our cheeks. It was beautiful there in the middle of the jungle with monkeys and mosquitoes. One of the little girls with braids and jingles on her ankles, wrote "LOVE" over and over with her finger in the dust on the side of the bus. They cased us down the street yelling Namastae as we waved out the windows. I cried.

We had an amazing dinner in the city with the locals all asking to take pictures of us with our pasty skin. The hotel was called "The Grand Hotel" and made me appreciate my simple little bunk bed here in the volunteer Elephant house. I knew today would be another great day when they served me the best coffee I've ever had with breakfast! We arrived at the second colony, located in the slums, around 9. There was a building full of people waiting for us again and the children and families were outside in the rain waiting with umbrellas to cover us on the way in.

I was kind of all over the place with my duties, testing for diabetes, washing the feet of the patients, and recording their wounds with photographs. An old man came in the center crawling on the ground. I helped him hoist his brittle body up into a chair and started to unwrap his feet. His whole body was trembling violently with pain as I pulled the bandage off his open oozing ulcers on the bottom of his feet. Tears were rolling down his face and the stench is something I can not put into words. My heart was breaking as I tried to comfort him with my foreign blue eyes as I washed the dirt and old skin cells out of the sore, put the orange ointment on and re wrapped his feet one at a time. both of his feet had been nearly completely eaten away. I could see bone and Dr. Kumar told me the leprosy had gotten into his bones and that was the most painful stage that most people don't even live to. He was a fighter. After his woulds were dressed I took a photo with him, and he smiled. Once Dr. Kumar was in conversation with him, recording his medical history, I quickly went outside to get some fresh air and let the tears flow. I'm glad I held it together for as long as I did.

The ride home was a long one. Today we treated 111 people without a break or lunch. It helped me sleep the whole way back. I took my bucket shower, in the company of a frog, and now I'm lounging in bed having "girl talk" with my roomies.

More to come!