Highland -> Hyderabad (A long freakin’ way to India)

Wow! All I can say is that going from Highland to Hyderabad is a long WAY. What was even funnier was that I rode in the same plane from Salt Lake all the way to Mumbai. Of course we stopped in NYC, and then again in Paris. After about a 34 hour journey Colby and I reached Hyderabad. We are here for a couple of weeks to teach a group some groundwater and watershed modeling classes. We have students from India, Sri Lanka, and Saudi Arabia. I have to tell you, this country is CRAZY!!!. There are only 6 or 7 million people here in Hyderabad but I think all of then occupy the roads. I have never seen a crazier scene then driving around the roads of India.

We went to a outdoor craft area and saw the world’s largest rangoli. It’s a big colored sand painting. This week is the New Year for several different religions/sects. None are on the same day but they are all within a week or so. Some are based on the moon, others on the sun, and still others on some other calendar. We looked at different native dresses for the girls, hand carved tables and other beautiful wood items, and capped it all off with a mango soda.

Next stop was some big Fort. I can’t remember the name and even if I did, would anyone ever care? The fort is where the Sultan lived with his hundreds of wives/concubines. It was pretty cool. The fort was about 400 years old and built on top of this big hill. The funny part about the visit was all of the teenage boys that followed us around. They wanted to talk to us, touch us, and check out what we were saying and wearing. It was cracking me up.

Next stop was downtown in the city next to a big tower in the middle of the road surrounded by outdoor produce markets. It was so crazy but the view over the city was pretty neat. Again, lots of teenage boys following us around. I stuck out so much. Tall, white American boy in short, sunglasses, and sandals.

The night was capped off by eating at a restaurant serving North Indian food. Pretty dang hot! This is where I got introduced to the fine cuisine of silver. Although I’ve eaten some pretty crazy foods over the last few years, I can’t say that silver is one of them. Silver (according to the Indians) is very good for you and helps to improve your immune system. Now, not only do I get my silver every night, I usually have it with my rolled up and stuffed beetle leaf. Tasty!

The next several days have been pretty much the same. I get up early, go to the gym. I do a couple of miles on the treadmill and then some time on the rowing machine. Working out on the road really helps me cope. We tried ordering breakfast the first couple of mornings but it was a surprise what we ended up with. So now we just stick with the fruit bowl of bananas, grapes, and apples.

Everyone likes to talk to us, get things for us, shake our hands, and make sure we are completely taken care of. During the day we eat at two different buffets and eat pretty much the same thing everyday. The food is really good but 12 straight days of the same thing is a bit too much!!!!. Cucumbers, soup, rice curd, and how could I ever forget, BIRYANI. If it’s not mutton or chicken it’s rice. Besides that its beans/peas/sprouts of all sorts. Each day, I eat less and less. My desire is dwindling and it’s a good thing I only have a few more days.