The Half Way Point

Yesterday was a complete mess. We were promised a day of sightseeing, with no meetings. Instead, during a 12 hour span we spent maybe 20 minutes sightseeing and the rest was spent in "informal gatherings" (meetings). We have been so frustrated with the lack of school visits and the overwhelming number of Rotary Club meetings which seem to be nothing be photo opportunities. We are all hopeful the next district will be better, but I am skeptical. However, I don't want to dwell on the negative and instead focus on the pockets of great moments we've had.

I have tried so many different foods here, I can barely keep track. One is the custard apple, which looks like an artichoke. It's sweet and has tons of seeds, though fortunately, it's not as much work to eat as a pomegranate. I've also tried at least three different kinds of bananas (red and fat, small and yellow, big and green) and an Asian pear-like fruit called a chiku, which is delicious.

I've also noted major differences in the transportation system here or rather, the lack of. Most major roads are almost as wide as our two lane highways but everybody passes whenever they want--around bends and into oncoming traffic. I have seen large buses packed with people, neon-colored trucks carrying an overload of wood, oxes pulling ancient men, up to three people on a motorcycle including a small child (none with helmets), and auto rickshaws (see below)--all with complete disregard for rules and reason. Above is a picture of an accident we saw yesterday. Notice how it seems to be turning into an entire village affair. Here they just stand there and argue until something is worked out and apparently, if a two wheeler is involved in an accident, it is always the other person's fault. Can you imagine?!

I still can't help but hold my breath while riding in our van. Speaking of our van, our driver, Mr. Saban, is so wonderful, he's helped make this trip bearable. Here is a picture of him on top of one of the scenic views we had a moment to enjoy yesterday.

Today, we finally get to relax and truly enjoy ourselves without chaperones. As a treat to ourselves we went to All Spice (their version of fast food) for lunch and had pizza and french fries. I usually refrain from having "continental cuisine" while visiting another country, but it was a nice break from the same kinds of food. While I am excited to be here, I am also sad about leaving my host family, who has been so generous and kind to the whole team. I am going to miss them when we move on to the next district. Here is a picture of my lovely hosts. They really went above and beyond this week. I hope my new host is even half as nice as Usha and Sukumaran.