I'm Back!

Yes folks I'm finally home.  I had an amazing, wonderful, arduous, intense, exciting adventure and I finally arrived home on Sunday morning.  I've spent the past week talking and talking and talking and telling everyone more stories about Bangladesh and India than they probably wanted to know.  I've sorted my photos and made and ordered photo books so I would have an easy way to show others the best of my pictures.  I've handed out presents.  I've drunk water straight from the tap - oh joy, oh bliss - and eaten all those things that are on the taboo list for visits to South Asia.   

Children playing London Bridge at the CRP school, Bangladesh

I wanted to give my family and friends a peak at the best of my photos and thought I would play the numbers game as a fun way to summarize what I did this summer.  

Man standing on a pile of jute rope in Dhaka, Bangladesh

12463 - the number of kilometres from where I live in Canada to the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed that we taught at in Bangladesh

An elephant I saw on my last day in Bangladesh.  The owner was sitting up on the elephant making him do tricks and when the elephant reached down for a tip he didn't like how much I gave him, so the elephant blew the money back at me and I had to give him more

63 - the number of monkeys we saw sitting beside the road as we traveled down the mountain from Darjeeling to Bagdogra in India

Women picking stones out of lentils in Old Dhaka, Bangladesh

52 - the number of days I was gone from home

The crowds in Old Dhaka, Bangladesh (I love how proud the Momma is in the photo as she could tell we were oohing and ahing about her baby despite the language barrier)

34 - the number of students I taught (19 first year students and 15 third year students) at CRP

The lush greenery at CRP in the early morning light

7 - the number of airplane flights I took this summer

Workers on the Glenburn tea estate near Darjeeling, India

Worker at Glenburn Tea Estate, near Darjeeling, India

6 - the number of countries I visited (presuming that a couple of hours stop-over in Abu Dhabi counts as a visit)

Buddhist Temple on Observatory Hill, Darjeeling, India

3 - the number of salwar kameezes I bought and wore for the month I was in Bangladesh

Man picking reusable coal from the Himalayan Toy Tran

2 - the number of days we stayed at the Glenburn Tea Estate, the most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed in (more about that later as I have lots of photos to share in another post)

Red Fort, Delhi, India

Red Fort, Delhi, India

Humayun's Tomb, Delhi, India

1 - the number of stomach bugs I got (thankfully I was only sick the last two days and am now on antibiotics and things are feeling and working much better).  

The best photo I took of my friend Kim who I couldn't have done Bangladesh and India without - a wonderful companion, adviser, and friend throughout (she is in constant motion so most pictures of her are a blur)

It's great to be home and to be re-connecting with my patient supportive husband, my family and friends, and even my blog.  Thanks to all the summer guest bloggers for filling in for me.


Linked to Good Life Wednesday at A Beach Cottage