Nagapattinam

I finally made it down to the village I will be living in....although technically, Nagapattinam is a city, it is pretty small and rustic. The drive down from Chennai took about 8 hours and was very slow going...the road was only one lane at some points and we had to drive through many tiny markets along the way. It was very pretty, because the road hugged the coast for most of the way down.

I drove with the director of Bedroc, a local Indian NGO. Annie was so nice, funny and fun to talk to. I hope I didn't annoy her by chatting too much! I hadn't really talked to anyone (aside from samll talk with vendors and waiters) for 4 days! I think her and I have a lot in common, so it will be nice to work with her.

My hotel in Nagapattinam is very, VERY basic. I am so happy that I brought my own electric kettle...then at least I can have tea and instant oatmeal whenever I want. It is sad, because I love Indian food, and love street food and all types of regional cuisine, but the food at the hotel is subpar. I haven't explored the area yet but hopefully there will be some other eating options nearby.

I took the picture above on the way down to Nagapattinam. We had stopped at a tea stall for a snack, and afterwards we stood in line for the bathroom. I took the picture while I was waiting in line...the woman looked so peaceful and absorbed in her work of separating leaves from branches (I am not sure why she was doing this). The sun was shining down and it looked beautiful, but the photo doesn't really capture the full effect.

Right now I am sitting in the Bedroc office. I start field visits tomorrow, but today I am supposed to be doing background reading...which I already did most of on the plane and in Boston...so I have some free time on my hands. I am sitting here sweating in a very hot room, but I am grateful for the internet access!