August 7, 2009

Hi All,

Just a brief update since we have visited the Internet cafe frequently.

We were supposed to fly to Chennai on the east coast Sunday, but the talk was cancelled, so for a variety of reasons we cancelled Chennai and are busing back to Hubli overnight Saturday. We're relieved not to have to be cool in 100+ degree weather.

We have traveled from village to village and town to city and have seen vast green space with mature trees, brush, plus cultivated orchards of Coconut palms, banana plants, pineapple, sugar, tea and a bunch else. (The houses that have land, grow most of their own vegetables and fruit and have a cow for milk.) So we were wondering where are all the people when there is so much green. But seeing any village or city, we can answer. The people are densely packed into the living areas. Many are out walking to run errands, so we always see people around towns no matter what time of day. Bangalore is huge and congested. But there aren't fights, everyone just moves to where they need to be. They pack in to buses and anything else that moves.

We went on a "safari" today. I think at home it would be called a natural zoo. We were on a bus and entered habitats for bears, tigers, and lions. Each habitat was separate from each other. It was actually quite fun.

Love Jan and Chuck