Coming back home has always been challenging for me, but I'm sure you are all tired of reading my stream of consciousness thoughts by now. And now that I'm home, we can just chat over a beer or a cup of Darjeeling tea! Sadly not over wonderfully spiced Indian cooking. Security guards at the airport insisted that they were weapons and took them away :(. I'm guessing they were just running low on chili powder and tandoori rub themselves.
So, until I get to catch back up with all yous guys, I'll sign off with some of my favorite pictures (most of them posted out of order...apologies). I thought this would end up being just the highlights, until I realized that every part of the trip was a highlight. Pretty awesome, huh? So a recap of lots and lots of pictures it is.
Oh, and thanks to you awesome people. All the words of encouragement and interest, and reading my ramblings...muchos appreciated. Nandri and Cheers. Thank you :)
See, I'm a great and not scary at all public health professional.
Much better suited for water testing in the field.
With the blessings from the elephants, that is.
My life of wonderful fruit in India. The mangoes and pineapple at Jewel just aren't cutting it.
Favorite spot on the balcony in Thanjavur.
Our peacock friends at the track.
Nostalgia and thinking (ok and napping too) in Hyde Park in London.
Hello to the queen.
Pelicans in St. James Park!
Cat!!! How I missed her!!!
Reason # 23876458 to love London: the bike culture.
They changed the menu!
Where I interned in Parliament in 2007.
The sketchy kids sleeping in Lodi Gardens in Delhi.
Almost sleeping in Hyde Park, too.
Khari Baoli-- the oldest spice market in Asia. Too bad my spices were confiscated at the airport.
Cousin Billy...you don't belong in Delhi.
Small person. Big world. Big Taj. Big thoughts.
Khari Baoli spices (sorry, out of order pictures).
Desert sunrise.
Desert sunrise with the sunrise feature on my camera. I was very excited about this.
Sunset with the dusk camera feature.
Hanging with my buddy. Love the expression.
Trying to stay clean. No worries.
Aladdin?
Henna.
Enjoying the beach (and wearing shorts) in Chennai.
Monkeys on the train platforms.
Tea...mmmm....
Peace Pagoda.
Learned a lot from this cow just chilling in the middle of the road.
Our little family with our house mom and her husband.
Gandhi museum.
Word, Gandhi.
Only half of our groups' luggage. Woof.
Water. Peace.
House mom, Thendrall.
Gandhi.
Shiva's marriage to Meenakshi.
Madurai temple.
Meenakshi temple.
Gandhi museum.
Meenakshi temple.
Apollo bar. It looked like a spaceship inside. Sweet.
Meenakshi Temple.
Bus stand, view from the bus.
Meenakshi Temple.
Big Temple in Thanjavur (our home town).
Best pineapple juice ever.
Paneer Dosai!
Stuffed kulcha-- so much better than naan.
The standard bus. Good ride. But I blame you for the dysentery.
Mountain perch in Kodai.
Chlorine tablets for cleaning the water tanks.
House visits.
Making tea at the tea shop in our field area.
School interviews.
Oral rehydration solution. Best public health advance in the last 100 years for sure.
Pondi.
Big Temple in Thanjavur.
Monkeys destroying things, per usual. Like the water pipes when I'm in the shower.
Water tanks and taps.
Thanjavur.
Our office home.
Riding the overnight train, round one.
Temples of Mahabalipuram.
Coconut water cures everything.
The group on our patio in Thanajvur.
