Blogs from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, Asia - page 5

The last week I have been wandering east toward Visakh. I figured out how to use the tourist quota and left Aurangabad at 3:30AM on a sleeper train toward Hyderabad. The train station was wall to wall sleeping people who were waiting for their respective early morning trains. It was a sea of humanity in tons of colors and the sounds of snoring and coughing with mounds of bodies covered in colorful blankets and patrolled by groups of wandering dogs meandering in and out of the sleeping lumps. The Sleeper Car where I had my ticket was a rail car jammed with as many benches for sleeping as it could hold. They sat three high and were approximately 24 inches wide, with little more padding than a generic bench. I finally managed a few hours of ... read more

I saw a cow in the village with a tongue growing out of the middle of his back. I snapped a pic because no one would believe me. Some of the boys also saw it and we have looked for that cow everyday in the same field but we have not seen it again. Strange. A man walking down the street with a gigantic bag of popcorn on his head. I have no idea what he is selling it for but it can't be much. Man he must be tired at the end of the day. Try to hold an akward sized item over your head for hours in the sun walking barefoot. There seems to be a general lack of punctuality with Indians. Everyone is always late but never rushed. No road signs anywhere. ... read more

It takes a lot of mental effort for me to go into the city of Hyderabad. Don't get me wrong, I love the hustle and bustle and people watching, it's just hard and I have literally seen less than 5 other white people I do go in. This is not a popular stop on the tourist trail and the foreigners who are in the city are working high tech in a specific pocket on the outskirts. Generally living in gate communities and some with drivers. Needless to say when I go out, I am a spectacle, unless I am in Banjara Hills or High Tech City. People want to snap their photo of me. I can just imagine that I am the western girlfriend that some boys show off to their friends. I hide behind my ... read more

For those who are considering a volunteer stint in an orphanage overseas, here are some tips to consider BEFORE you depart. I am writing this assuming you are volunteering with Child Haven International at wonderful NGO out of Canada, but even if your not, you will find some of the info useful. BEFORE YOU COME: In addition to the information provided in the Child Haven International guidelines, I found the following useful. • You can fly direct to Hyderabad from Frankfurt, Germany via Lufthansa Airlines. There is no need to route through Delhi and overnight if you don’t need too. • In order to become oriented with your location, I recommend that you print and bring maps detailing the Kismatpur Village and surrounding area– Google maps was great. The village is a simple bus ride to ... read more

The silence of Kismapur village is eerie at night. Sometimes I hear crickets but often nothing. Every so often a pack of stray dogs wanders through and I can hear the howling. Its amazing how accustomed to noise we are. During the day it is different. Although there are simple cattle paths to the Child Haven orphanage, the path becomes quite busy during the day. People use the paths as shortcuts to get to work and home. There is a bustling little village that sits along side the highway nearby that is accessed via the paths. I see the same man herding his goats in the pasture adjacent to the home every other day. A herd of buffalo hang out and a family of pigs - I could do without the latter for fear of disease. ... read more