Holiday

Feb 22

I just got back from my first holiday! I spent two days in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa and the “temple city.” I have to admit, my favourite part wasn’t any of the temples but rather my random meanderings around town. Some quick highlights:

- going to the zoo by autorickshaw but finding it closed (spontaneity is fun)
- finding my way downtown, WITHOUT any map (my crutch)
- locating the tourist office and getting a map (30 cents; awesome)
- wandering the streets, successfully crossing the roads, and smiling stupidly at all the people staring at me
- finding a Lonely Planet
- watching a Hindi film. I thought I’d ended up in an X-rated movie, but it was pretty soft-core and turned out to be just a regular one. I mainly liked the song-and-dance bits.
- finding a bank (I now have money, always nice; my bank card doesn’t work and they don’t cash traveller’s cheques in Dhenkanal)
- checking out a local artisan shop which does leaf-paintings (beautiful, intricate pen drawings and etchings… almost bought one depicting scenes of the Kama Sutra!)
- visiting a beach – complete with cows lying on the sand and camel rides (the camels all decked out in garish colours and jangly bits)
- actually speaking English with my host and his family!