Please excuse the scattered-mindedness of this post- I’m typing it out on a borrowed office workspace computer, but I wanted to share a few of my first impressions before I get used to my surroundings (I’m not sure if that will happen, but maybe?)

We arrived in the evening last night and drove in a large van holding 12 people to the place we are staying.  They said it would take an hour but it was only 10km; the main road was busy because there was a Muslim festival, so we took the back road which was hardly a road at all!  It was amazing!  I don’t know if they can be called potholes because they were the size of sinkholes and looked like waves of an ocean.

As we drove it was impossible to ignore the incessant honking.  Start the car, honk; turn, honk; pass a car, honk; see a friend, honk; drive straight, honk; see a cow, honk.  While driving today, it was pointed out to me that there are often a few simple words painted on the back of the cars, something to the effect of, Honk if everything is okay.

We are staying just outside of a 2.5 million people city.  As we drove towards the city this morning, we saw so many animals!  Along the sides of the roads (and sometimes in the roads) every five meters or so there is a cow, another cow, dog, cow, dog, cow, goat, cow, dog, boar, cow, dog.  It’s amazing.  As for buildings, the city is mostly 3 story buildings, but on the way into the city I’d say there were more storage-type living spaces and shanties rather than western-style, stand alone buildings.

Last few things before my this small bout of internet is up- the head bobble is so prevalent and I am LOVING it.

The place we are staying welcomed us with Indian food- western style.  They heard a lot of people in our group don’t like spicy (hot) food, but instead they left out all of the spices (flavors).  It was still amazing, but probably the most bland food in all of India.

That’s the end of my internet time!