January 26, 1976
Dear Grandma, Uncle Bill, Aunt Mary & Rob,
Hello! And happy Independence Day – Indian that is! Since I've been here there have been so many holidays – 1 reason for that is that there are so many different religions here and whenever one religion has a holiday – everyone celebrates.
I'm now in Madurai – it is one of the 4 holiest cities in India. It has one of the biggest & most beautiful temple here – inside the temple is a hall that is called 1,000 pillar hall – but there are actually only 997 pillars. (I didn't count them – this is a known fact!) The Hindu people flock here to see & wash their feet in the holy water!
I'm staying in a gov't run tourist bungalow in Madurai – it's plan and simple – but clean – costs 6 Rupees a night – about 72¢! No hot water but cold water from 5:00-7:00 AM and 6:00-8:00 PM. That has been the case in most places in India. Very few places can you just go & turn on the water anytime during the day!
Kerela state (South India) was beautiful – it reminded me of how Florida must have been a hundred years ago. Beauty without commercialism! Rice & tapico [?] (something like a potato) is the diet of the South.
I'm planning to go Thursday to Ceylon – the 29th of January.
Grandma – I haven't seen a wheel chair in India yet! Travelling in India is an experience – I always thought I was strong willed before but this trip has made me more so – good or bad I'm not sure which! Sometimes things don't come so easy here – but then the sense of accomplishment is a great feeling!
I hope all of you are doing fine – often I think of you – how Uncle Bill must be playing golf (& reading the Wall Street Journal) – Aunt Mary practicing the piano, How is the SOAP OPERA?, Rob working out & listening to his music (or studying!?) and Grandma washing the dishes, folding clothes and peeling vegetables (& watching some T.V.).
Me – I'm getting good at living out of a suitcase. I'm already dreaming of a trip to the other Asia countries in about another year – I'll have to work a little in between.
Hoping ALL is A-OK.
I'm staying in a gov't run tourist bungalow in Madurai – it's plan and simple – but clean – costs 6 Rupees a night – about 72¢! No hot water but cold water from 5:00-7:00 AM and 6:00-8:00 PM. That has been the case in most places in India. Very few places can you just go & turn on the water anytime during the day!
Kerela state (South India) was beautiful – it reminded me of how Florida must have been a hundred years ago. Beauty without commercialism! Rice & tapico [?] (something like a potato) is the diet of the South.
I'm planning to go Thursday to Ceylon – the 29th of January.
Grandma – I haven't seen a wheel chair in India yet! Travelling in India is an experience – I always thought I was strong willed before but this trip has made me more so – good or bad I'm not sure which! Sometimes things don't come so easy here – but then the sense of accomplishment is a great feeling!
I hope all of you are doing fine – often I think of you – how Uncle Bill must be playing golf (& reading the Wall Street Journal) – Aunt Mary practicing the piano, How is the SOAP OPERA?, Rob working out & listening to his music (or studying!?) and Grandma washing the dishes, folding clothes and peeling vegetables (& watching some T.V.).
Me – I'm getting good at living out of a suitcase. I'm already dreaming of a trip to the other Asia countries in about another year – I'll have to work a little in between.
Hoping ALL is A-OK.
Love,
Berta
No comments:
Post a Comment