DARBUNGA!

I like the sound of Darbunga. It reminds me of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Darbunga is a city in the state of Bihar, India's poorest and least literate state. My friend and I went there by train to do some training for the first ladies only gym in Darbunga, Fitness Circle. A very exciting trip indeed.

But getting to Darbunga is an experience in itself. It takes 24 hours by train. A lot happens on a train in 24 hours, but not much sleeping. We had a boy next to us who liked to talk at the top of his lungs. And every time the guys came through the car selling something, he wanted it. "Mujhe chai chahiye. Mujhe dudh chahiye." On and on it went. The bathroom on a train is the pits! Literally. It is just a hole in the floor of the bathroom. It will get quite stinky as time passes. It is hard to squat when the train is bouncing down the tracks.

Darbunga was a good experience. Our friends who are opening the gym had it all set up and ready for our training session. There were 6 ladies ready to be trained. It was also good to see my equipment again after two years. So many memories of the first Fitness Circle. And so many hopes for the second Fitness Circle.

One thing we learned on this trip is how easy we have it living in Delhi. Paved roads, electricity most of the time, fast food restaurants, nice homes... It sure makes me appreciate what I have and respect those who live with less.

The train ride back took 23 hours. We had some confusion since our tickets were for the wrong day. But eventually we got seats and played a few games of Scrabble to pass the time. Another night of very little sleep and finally home.