August 12, 2009

Hi All,

We're back in Hubli after two days in Hampi (pronounced Humpi) for the big conference on Domestic Violence Against Women. Hampi was fascinating, described as a second Rome (a UNESCO heritage site). It's 13th-15th century palaces and temples in pretty good shape.

The most fun was getting over the river. The government spent tons of money building a bridge over a river. Then it collapsed and killed 8 people in the process. The bridge is still just sitting there in the river. So the villagers went back to the original transportation. (I can't show the picture of the boat because the Internet location we're using doesn't have usb ports, but I promise to send it later) The boat is a large round shallow basket, maybe 10 feet in diameter. They used woven bags (like those that large amounts of rice, onions or potatoes come in) on the underside of the basket, then painted it with tar. One of the roarers bails the water out before anyone boards each time. On our way back to the main side, we were with 8 other people and 3 motorcycles! It was wild and we felt amazingly safe.

All for now until we get a better Internet connection.

Love Jan & Chuck