Dear friends and family,
Travel break has begun! Our group now has two weeks to make a feeble little attempt to see something of this subcontinent, but as always it’s just too much to take in (like drinking from a fire hose). A few days ago we stayed in Agra, just a few hundred feet from the gates of the Taj Mahal which we saw too.
Two weeks ago Jamie and I said our good-byes to all the people at the field station at Mudumalai who have helped us with our projects, and we spent the next few days in the Bangalore campus of the Indian Institute of Science for a little research on our projects before setting off on our well-planned break. Bangalore was such a nice place, posh and less congested than Chennai. Great bookstores, too! And the PhD students from the Institute were incredible about showing us around the city and helping us do last-minute work for our reports. I have good reason to suck up because some of my new Indian friends are now on my emailing alias!
After all that we met with three of the others and took the long train to Agra – about thirty hours in all. It was a novel experience for me: the central Indian countryside, vendors hawking all sorts of delicious greasy food, and big challenges to my personal hygiene. But I managed to shampoo, wash my face, shave and brush my teeth in the train bathroom so I think I passed some kind of test.
Anyway, we survived the journey and encountered the strange feeling of being a tourist instead of a visiting student. It seems like half the city was devoted to getting money out of the throngs of white Westerners walking about. Elsewhere, on the other hand, I felt more like an unusual and welcome guest. For some reason I’ve never felt more like an intruder here than in those really touristy places. I think it’s because I can tell how the whole place has been altered to accomodate the much-wanted tourist business. And it is definitely in the candid places (like long train rides) that I actually connect with people here, not so in the money-money-money places. Still, that and a little travel hiccup in making a rendez-vous with the others didn’t ruin the Taj – an amazing sight to see.
After Agra, Caitlin and Laura and I headed off to Mumbai on the train and saw the standard sights there (thank you Lonely Planet tourist guides). Unfortunately both my travel-mates are sick. But luckily I am with two quite exceptional women and we’ve improvised and adapted and overcome a lot of little challenges so far. Oh, and the others are exceptional, too:)
And now, Kochi! We’ve finally made it to beautiful Kerala and have been enjoying the old part of town (along with hundreds of Europeans, Australians and some Americans). I really enjoy the wet weather, the river boat excursion of today, and the nice little old section of town. But next is what I really love: Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. We’ll see this national park just at the end of the second monsoon season. I can’t wait!
As you might guess, this trip is like trying to do NYC, Chicago, Florida and San Fran in two weeks. But we’re trying our best! I’m already writing down all the places I want to go when I come back here some day. First though is my second research project, which I’ll start about a week from now!
Well, we’re off to eat something. Thanks to everyone who’s reading or responding!
Ever your loving,
Isaac H.
pseudoisaac 