The digs - purely descriptive of the surroundings

My temporary home is the Ananda Bhavan, a small dorm style inn about fifteen minutes outside of downtown Vellore. The inn is owned by a white entrepreneurial woman named Vimala who has tapped into the need for student housing as the campus housing is often booked solid. Kim and I are sharing a room with two twin beds. It's pretty spartan by western standards but we have all the neccessities: flushing toilet, running water, hot water for bucket showers, electricity, a ceiling fan and one very prized electrical outlet. In order to make it more "homey" we've duct taped the enormous map of India to the wall and we're working on a collage made from our trashy plane magazines. Over the weekend we procured a hot water pot, a hot plate, 2 bowls and 2 spoons, a knife and a strainer, so we can now make instant coffee, chai tea and simple rice/pasta meals. Across the street, Vimala has a "club," which has a gorgeous swimming pool, a weight gym and a short order kitchen where you can order pizza, omlettes and soda - yep, us foreigners are the targeted population.

Vellore itself has been relegated to a page and a half in the illustrious "Lonely Planet," or LP as we now fondly refer to it. And true to its description Vellore is dusty; however, while it doesn't offer much to tourists, it boasts many restaurants and shops of varying size and value. Our inn is close to the college campus, which has impressive sprawling buildings amidst well landscaped grounds of flowers and banyan trees. Downtown is more frenetic; the streets are crammed with people and varying modes of transportation ranging from ox drawn carts to three wheeled auto-rickshaws to crowded buses. There aren't many rules to the road aside from every man for himself, and a tendency to lean on the horn continuously to alert others of your bulky presence. Don't worry Mom, I'm very careful crossing the street and the bus system is quite safe with low accident rates. Somehow the chaos is contained. CMC hospital is downtown which is where I'm writing this first post. The hospital campus is enormous and holds over 2,000 beds. The health needs far outstrip the resources available, however, the care is first rate and first world in its standards. There are simply never enough beds, never enough ventilators, never enough doctors, nurses or administrators...

We have begun to familiarize ourselves with the town. We've found the local fine dining where you can get yummy Indian food on the roof deck for a few dollars, although the service is sub par and the background Kenny G painfully reflects the impression Indians have of the taste of their tourists. We have walked the streets and become accustomed to the silk shops, electronic stores and small stands offering bananas and flower chains. In the middle of the day, cows are often tied up along the sides of the roads to "graze" within their small circumference of grass. We have become comfortable with the bus system (despite my directional handicap) and can navigate our way around town. While people can not always understand my American accent, I have found most people to be friendly and helpful, as well as curious about where I am from and what I'm doing in their small corner of the world.