मोंडे 13th

Monday 13th
Our itinerary has been flexible due to weather/road conditions and Ritu has been organizing educational workshops in remote areas, as well as breast screening. Our final destination was uncertain, but Michele and Jo wished to visit the home of the Dalai Lama if possible. Although this was not achievable the Dalai Lama came to us! He came to visit the Ladakh areas people after the cloudburst and mudslide. The people were very quiet and sat for hours waiting his presence. There were thousands of monks, nuns, men, women, children, and elderly along with foreigners. We had a special area to sit and had a fabulous view. He spoke with a translator in Tibetan and Ladakh. The first announcements were move cars with licence plates nos and turn off mobile phones! The only other information understood was global warming, cloudburst and mudslide. It was a privilege to be able to be in this moment. We shared tea and rice with the crowd.
That morning there was a screening at the General Hospital ( Military) with around 75 women attending, for a mini workshop and screening. The people involved were from the Military and the Ladakh Scouts. Local Medical staff were also educated on breast screening.
After the Dalai Lama audience we went to Indo Tibetian Border Police (ITBP) Ladakh for the Ritus workshop and screening. The presentation was to the officers’, soldiers and their families doctors and para medics. We participated in using the teaching aids that we brought over first showing the male medics how to check and then the women.