Home.

Got home after 36 hours of flying. I am enjoying all the comforts of home, and of western life. I have a lot to say about the end of my trip, but I'm too tired now.

Back in Kanchipuram.

I got back into Kanchipuram yesterday. The kids made a sign saying "Welcome Back David Uncle", really cute. It is great to see them again. I also got a chance to meet the new volunteers, two "blokes" from England.

I forgot how hot it is here. It's really hot here.

Last night I gave my cell phone to the kids upstairs to play with. I often give it to them because they like playing this snake game that the cell phone has. I forgot to get it back from them last night though -- I got it this morning. Then, this afternoon, this girl Angela calls me (she's a girl that is working in Chennai that we met randomly and became friends with) and is like, what was up with all the text messages last night, and I was like, oh no. Apparently they sent nine text messages to her -- most of them were blank, but here are some of the other ones:

I.am a little boy my name is lvcky sorry

O'sorry sister .i don ntoto no the phone ndoomn

Phone privileges REVOKED.

Anyway, now that I'll be home in less than a week, I'm starting to get excited. First, I can't wait for my own bed. The beds here suck, even at the hotels. Also, I can't wait to not be unbearably hot all the time. A/C is great and I love it, but I really crave NATURAL coolness. There's something unsettling about being inside an A/C restaurant and looking out the window and seeing the hot and dusty world out there. Third, I can't wait to have a big fat cheeseburger + chili + cornbread + strawberry milkshake from St. Francis. I'm not that big of a meat eater, but my god do I miss beef.

Traveling Day 8: Kovalam

I really miss the kids a lot, so I decided to cut my traveling in half and spend my last week with the kids in Kanchipuram. I will take an overnight train tomorrow night.

Since I am cutting my travels in Kerala short, I figured I might as well spend my last few nights at a really nice place. I am staying at a beachside resort, which is really posh. It's set away from the main touristy area, on a more secluded beach, and has a pool, and get this...hot water!!! I took a hot shower this morning and it was everything I dreamed it would be.

Kerala has been fun, but it's very touristy. In Varkala, I met up with almost everyone who was on my backwater boat tour. They were cool, but we just didn't have much to say to each other. I ended up becoming friends with the Keralan guys at this one restaurant, who are about my age, and really cool. I went there a lot, and hung out with them until late in the morning, drinking and talking. The chefs are former Bollywood dancers, and I was really really hoping they would shake a leg, but it did not come to pass.

I'm going to go to back to the hotel, and swim in the pool for awhile...then maybe go to the beach and bodyboard for a while...then I will work on the friendship bracelets I am making for the kids. Two down, 10 to go.

Traveling Day 3: Kochi

I arrived in Kochi yesterday, and will be staying here another two nights. It is pretty nice here, though the weather has been overcast and slightly rainy. I didn't do much today other than walk around the town and see a few of the sights. There are these enormous chinese fishing nets, which are lowered into the water. I got to walk out on one and talk some pictures (for a price, of course). Last night I had dinner at this really good restaurant, and got to talking to the waiter. Long story short, I went back earlier today and the two of us went to the fish market together (a short walk) and we picked out two small lobsters which they will cook for me tonight. I also went to "Jew Town" which is an area that used to have a thriving Jewish population, but now only has like seven Jewish families. Tomorrow, I will go on a day-long backwater trip on a traditional keralan boat and after that I am going to see some live kathakali, which is the traditional keralan theater/dance.

I am already sick of all the touristy stuff. I am avoiding all the shops because they are obviously just handicrafts geared towards tourists. I was talking to the manager of the inn I am staying at, who said that three years ago, some Kashmiris came here and opened up a ton of shops, which have just ruined the charm of the town, because the people who run the shops hound you relentlessly. You can't go anywhere without people trying to get you to go into their shop. "Hello friend! How are you? Would you like to look in my shop? Just one look." It's really annoying. Honestly, I think it's that way at all the tourist destinations here, though.

Anyway, on Friday I will head to Amritapuri for one night and stay at an ashram, then head down to the beach town of Varkala for a few days, then the beach town of Kovalam for a few days. There is a lot more that I could do, like going to the wildlife sanctuary, but I think I'd rather just chill on the beach for a bit, read some books, and then head back to Kanchipuram a few days earlier than I originally planned to spend some more time with the kids.

Traveling Day 1: Ooty

I said good bye to the children yesterday and set off on my two weeks of traveling. I took an overnight train last night to Metapallayum, and then caught a train to Ooty this morning. Ooty is a small town in the Nilgiri mountains, where there are a lot of tea plantations. There isn't really anything to do here, but it is worth it for two reasons.

First, the train ride from Metapallayum to Ooty was absolutely amazing. It is called the Nilgiri Blue Mountain Railway. The train is very small, and there is only one rail set of tracks, rather than one for each direction. It was built in the late 1800's / early 1900's, and is unique in that it uses the swiss rack system -- the locomotive has cogs that pull against these teeth pieces laid on the train tracks, pulling it up the mountain. Because of its unique tracks, only the original steam locomotives can run between Metapallayum and Coonoor (halfway to Ooty). The views on this train ride are absolutely breathtaking. I'm not normally big on scenic nature views, but this was really just unbelievable. It takes you over many bridges which are a bit hair-raising, and through a lot of narrow tunnels. In the tunnels that are really long and narrow, the steam builds up and it gets really hot and foggy, but then you exit the tunnel and the steam billows out and in comes the cool mountain air. Of course, the train ride was really slow -- it takes about twice as long, and most of the time you are going at walking pace. But really, it was just unbelievable, and totally worth it.

The second reason to be here is the relief from the heat! It is so nice and cool up here in the mountains. It's a big change to see people wearing sweaters and knitted caps.

I am just chilling out today. I was going to take a walk up to the botanical gardens, but it's raining right now so I may just find a cafe somewhere and read my book. Tomorrow, I will leave for the state of Kerala, where there are a lot of beautiful beaches and backwaters.

Buffalo.

This is what a three day old buffalo looks like.


This is what a mama buffalo looks like.

Deloused in the orphanorium.

Well, I guess I can take "never had lice" off my resume. Here though, it's more of a minor annoyance than an ohmigod problem. It's like, oh yeah, just put this cream in your hair then comb them out. Done.