Sunday March 22nd, 2009

Things of note:

It's been quite sometime since I've posted a blog. The guest houses/hotels in the north always had email in the lobby. This isn't the case in the south. Out of sight, out of mind!

Power cuts seem frequent here in the south. I was reading in the paper that one of the cities, I can't remember which, had to decide between a six hour power cut each day or a two day power cut holiday every week. I would hardly call two days without power a holiday. The city opted to be without power each day. The power is often out in the middle of the afternoon. The western world would hardly survive if the case were the same.

Armed guards are still stationed everywhere throughout the streets of India. By armed, I mean they wear brown uniforms and have big, long guns. I don't know much about guns but I do know that if you were to put the butt of the gun on the ground, it would stand as tall as my waist, at least.

I took a public bus making my way to Varkala which is about a four or five hour journey. Half way through the trip two armed guards got on the bus. One sat in the seat across from me and put his gun across his lap so the end of the barrel was aiming towards my leg. Second time I've had a gun pointed at me here in India. I can't say as though I feel comfortable around them. Even if they are in the hands of a possibly trained person.

Why wouldn't armed officers have a more specialized way of traveling? Who's to say some crazy on the bus isn't going to try and take the gun? Weird.

As per an earlier blog, men like to pee wherever and whenever. You can be walking behind a guy and all of a sudden he stops and turns and whips it out. It's crazy. I would hate to admit that I'm used to it by now.

Seven weeks in and I've managed to avoid seeing someone, um, taking a dump ... until two days ago. Passing a small pond close to one of the main roads and all I see is an ass high in the air. He is standing ankle deep in water and plop it goes. Yikes! What kills me is that not even twenty meters away there are five ladies also ankle deep in the pond doing their laundry. Are they oblivious as to what is happening beside them? Or do they not care?

This country amazes me. It really does. I am currently in Madurai which is in Tamil Nadu. I will be bouncing around for the next two weeks before flying to Sri Lanka. I thought it best to leave some words as it may be awhile before I find myself in front of a computer again.

I tried posting a google map showing my whereabouts over the last while but it's a no go. The connection is a bit too slow. More stories will follow along with my photos when I get home.

With that, I'm off. Power is going to be cut in about ten minutes time so I've just been told.

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