Visiting tribes in Orissa

Visiting tribes in Orissa We loved our first visit to India so much that we asked our guide, Suvo, to organise an interesting tour for our return in January 2007 & he suggested the tribes in Orissa. This was to be a gruelling trip of 8 hours each day in a car, travelling along narrow winding roads full of potholes after the monsoon rains had eroded them away.
There were no fancy 5 star hotels, no restaurants or toilets, as we were in the middle of no where, visiting tribes very few...

My first trip to Kolkata

My first trip to KolkataWhen I first arrived in Kolkata, I was not warned that my five senses would be assaulted. The heat and the humidity when you first walk out of the airport makes you want to strip down, then a man hands me a plastic cup the size of a thimble filled with sweet hot milky tea. I accept thinking what a kind gesture but when he asks for money after I gulped down the tea, I am embarassed but luckily I have some Indian rupees, the smallest being a 100 note which he cannot c...

locarno triathlon sept 2008

locarno triathlon sept 2008Here I am again, writing about the Locarno triathlon but this one is of a more positive nature so read on...........
 
The past 3 days before the event on Sat 6th Sept, it had poured non stop with rain & temperatures plummeted. The morning of the 6th I awoke to thunder, lightning & more rain. I honestly did not want to go through this all over again but once again, there was no way I could back out. I had raised another £1000/$2000 & th...

my first fundraising event for vital

my first fundraising event for vitalJust a short note to tell you about the London Triathlon on Sat Aug 9th in which most of you have so generously donated.
 
Having cycled over 250km over the last 2 months & swimming half a dozen times in my new wetsuit, I was feeling quite prepared to tackle my latest challenge. Despite my confidence, the sleepless nights before the big day were filled with butterflies in my stomach or my heart pounding away furiously.
 
The a...

Back to Kolkata

Hi there

I'm like a Cheshire cat grinning from ear to ear. I am so pleased with myself.

It oh so pays to persevere especially when you are so passionate about a cause. I am in transit at Bangkok airport trying to check in xs luggage to Kolkata. Thai airlines allowed me the xs because I wrote to them & asked but I forgot to write to the next airline,Jet Airways. I have a suitcase full of children's clothes & soft toys & Jet wants to charge me $132. Pleading did not work so I threatened tha...

MISSY - the founder of Vital

Hi there, thank you all for your interest in VITAL.Come join us on this new journey. Our website will probably be another month & no funds have been raised so the first three projects we have funded have come out of my pocket but there are so many more projects to fund so let's get out there & help these little children.

Let me start by telling you how & why VITAL started. When I first visited Kolkata in September 2006, my heart was captured by the street children. Despite the hopelessness & ...