INDIA (Chennai): Landing

Well, earlier today, I sat down and started to write my first blog entry in over a month. And then, the computer connection went down, taking along with all of the wonderful things I had written.

Such is life. Of the many wonderful things that I have gotten out this trip thus far, one is the understanding that (at least on the road) things rarely worked out as planned but things will work out somehow. And lost work is lost work. No use crying over spilled milk. Unfortunately, internet costs money and takes time that I could be spending "out there" living life, so I'm afraid that I'm gonna have to leave this entry short (especially since I've gotta run and get checked out of this expensive hotel pretty soon before I get slapped with another night's worth of charges).

I touched down in Chennai last night after a 8 hour journey that started in Kuala Lumpur, stopped briefly in Singapore and required a transfer in Colombo (Sri Lanka). It was a bit past 9pm by the time I cleared customs and immigration so there wasn't much that I could see of the city once I got outside of the airport. Naturally, there was an army of taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers waiting eagerly outside to offer me a ride into town, but I politely refused all of them and instead walked around asking for directions from folks to the nearby train station. Until I cleared the parking lot, I was trailed by one particularly persistent taxi driver, but he was harmless enough and not nearly as persistent as the drivers in Phnom Penh.

Once out on the main road, I noticed street hawkers and people buying late meals...and mixed in with all of that were men relieving themselves only steps away. Not the most appetizing combination I'd ever seen, but as I continued to walk along, things seemed not nearly as "developing" as I had feared it might be based upon the reports of others.

The train station was not too far away and it was simple enough to catch a train to the central train station here in Egmore (where I'm staying). The ride was pleasant and I was impressed by the massiveness of the train. I also felt a bit surprised at how pleasantly unhumid the air was (and is) compared to most of the places I had visited during my journeys through SE Asia. Even though it was night, I also felt struck somewhat by the colors. On the train, The lighting and paint gave everything a bluish hue and in the streets, everything glowed orange. Colors in general seemed distinct and primary, as if chosen from a crayola box of 8.



Upon reaching Egmore, I wandered the streets for about 30 minutes before finding the hotel I had called from the airport. I was a bit thirsty and hungry, but reluctant to consume anything, fearing the "Delhi Belly" I have been told by so many will be an inevitable part of my experience here.

After sleeping in late, I began my day by writing the blog entry that I lost. I was even more hungry and thirsty, but still wanting to put off my first encounter with the food. I'm supposed to be meeting up with friends of Prof. Willis (my virtual dad in Kobe) while I'm here but failed to make contact during the morning.

Oops. Running out of time. Gotta work on the concise writing thing. More later.