ITBP 8th Battalion Unit Hospital

This is the rear right side of ITBP (8th Battalion) Unit Hospital in Gauchar,  Chamoli District, Uttarakhand, India as seen from our house building. As of this time, there are two permanent doctors and one in contract. It is mostly OPD sessions from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm, Monday to Saturday. Admission happens every once in a while, especially during emergency cases. All deliveries are referred to Srinagar, Garhwal. 

This hospital has 3 doctors' chambers.  

~ Backside of the unit hospital ~
~A guard is seen at the gate~
~Villagers can pass through this gate. We also used this road
towards Gauchar market -shortcut and as an exercise on the side~

Newly joined doctors will undergo training for 3 months at Mussoorie, Dehradun and then come back for general duty. Sometimes a doctor visits the posts as a routine. Sometimes, medical camps are held in various villages around Chamoli District (depending on the location of the battalion).
Once, in October, my husband, though a locum doctor, was sent to Ghamsali post, near Malari for a visit. I was allowed to go with him, of course.  Thanks to the CO at that time!
We trekked to Niti Valley until Bimlas where a few ITBP soldiers are posted.
We stayed at Ghamsali guest house.
The Ghamsali post has one AC posted all the time and other officers to constables.

Then he was also sent to do a 5-day medical camps in the Joshimath - Badrinath areas, where we halted at ITBP Joshimath guest house at night.

On the thrid year of working at ITBP, he was sent again to various medical camps around Gopeshwar areas where we stayed at Kotiyal sen.

Kedarnath Temple

Kedarnath Temple is a pilgrimage site among Hindus located 14 kms from Gaurikund and can be reached by foot or horse (please use your feet and not the poor horses). 
A 7-minute helicopter services are also available by paying Rs. 7000 for two way, Rs. 4000 going up and Rs. 3000 coming down.

We went there one week before it closed for winter when people and traffic are less, hotels (lodging) are cheaper but food variety is less which could end you eating daal-chawal-sabzi. 

Air is definitely colder and chillier so get all those wind/cold cheaters ready.

Gauchar (Gochar): A Town Surrounded By Rolling Hills

The pictures shows one of the fields of Gauchar and is . The river is Alaknanda. Gauchar is in Rishikesh-Badrinath highway in Chamoli District, Uttarakhand, India. This photo was taken uphill in October 2012. 

Fields of houses along Badrinath highway crowd this part of the small town of Gauchar. This place is busy, busiest during Yatra season. Facilities include GMVN, which is located just right next to the highway before GREF chowk, two ATMs (one of Central Bank of Asia and State Bank of India), Government Hospital (as of now, there is an MBBS contract doctor running it, along with its staffs, of course), Schools and Inter-College Institutions, Post Office and First Flight Couriers. There are a few grocery stores, tea shops and small, cheap hotels along the road. Internet cafe is also available. The sources of living among people here include farming, cattle raising, government employment, and businesses.

With quite a number of population it's no wonder that there is almost always a water shortage anywhere. Electricity comes and goes also, especially during rainy days.  Gauchar is no exception.

If not for its people's apathy towards cleanliness and environment preservation and protection, Gauchar would have been a beautiful place in the hills, and so would others. So for us, here we come, in no time from here we go to a new land. We are just passersby.

Bampa Valley

You are facing Bampa Valley from Ghamsali area where Bampa Hospital is slightly visible. Bampa is in Joshimath-Malari-Ghamsali road. It is situated in Uttarakhand, India and around 10000 feet above sea level. Bampa is one of the three villages in India-Tibet border where Niti Village is the last.

Anguish: A Cat Portrait

This is Woomie, 3 days before he passed away. He was sick for 15 days, gave up eating but came back only to die later.A friend gave him to us after our first cat, Maree, was murdered by two brutal brutes from hell. 
It's the saddest pet picture I have ever seen.