We have arrived...

We arrived in India 3 nights ago. We got picked up at the airport by a shuttle from our hotel. Thank god or else I think we would have been eaten alive by the mass chaos outside if we had not had a plan. I can't say or think it enough but I am so thankful I have Erin with me or else I would be quite freaked out at this point. On the plane ride from Frankfurt to Chennai, I immediately felt the friendliness of India. Vera, the nice India doctor man sitting next to me on the plane, offered me his business card and a free place to stay whenever needed. How un-American like to be towards a stranger. I love it. Our first night experience in India was one we probably won't have again. A delux 5-star hotel made us feel as though we had never left home. Buffet breakfast was so delicious but our bill at the end of our stay was not. Erin stayed calm while I bitched about it being too much money. The stay has been pleasant so far besides a few stressful bumps.

Another thing we have had to get used to is the driving. It is madness. Nothing I have ever witnessed. I think they like the sound of their own horn and to see how close they can squeeze in between cars. It's scary, but also quite entertaining. We laughed almost the entire way to and from the airport. I was feeling stressed and a bit lonely my first night in-- not knowing if I was ready for this different of an adventure but I feel more in tune now. After we landed in Madurai we took a taxi ride to our hotel we had booked. The ride was exhausting. My anxiety was sky high and my chest was pulsating. I think we were both on the verge of tears the entire way. The combination of everything was too much. To see India at night is no site I have ever seen. The hotel we have been staying at for $15 per night is pretty cozy (besides the cold showers and ticks we found this morning) with AC and comfy beds with a balcony I have been going out every morning to watch the city from above. It hasn't gotten old yet. Our first night in, we found our rooftop pure vegetarian restaurant that made us feel 100% better. We enjoyed great, dirt cheap food, a Kingfischer Beer, and a familiar surrounding of Westerners. It's what we needed to calm our nerves. Up top there are also great views of the Meenaksi Temples from afar.

Yesterday was an exhausting day. We woke up at 7am and by 2pm we were done and enjoying our AC room. We then decided to walk to the Meenakshi Temple. So beautiful! and I got an up close experience of how holy and spiritual India is. The temple was breath-taking (what we saw atleast)-- some rooms are only open to Hindus. There were also two wedding celebrations going on. The women were covered in gold, flowers, jewelry and henna. In one section of the temple there is an elephant. He takes small offerings in exchange for a blessing. After the temple (and luckily getting our shoes back) we headed to go shop for some Indian clothes. I bargained down the price for a Sari which I was proud of. We then had to go back to the temple to see a tailor. He is sewing our blouse and as well a whole other outfit for us. We are about to pick them up :) I will have two complete outfits for cheap in the next hour. We ended our day by taking a rickshaw ride up to a beautiful restaurant on the hill (Taj Garden Retreat) surrounded by gardens and peacocks. Even pasta is SO spicy here!! We sat outside and had a full view of Madurai. We were entertained during dinner by a magaician who gave us a private show. Our rickshaw ride back is one we will never forget. We weaved in and out of traffic blasting Indian rap music. I took a long video of the ride so I will try to post it soon. I am staring to love the city, but I am almost ready to be at our internship in what I hope and expect to be a much more peaceful atmosphere. The culture here is beautiful but so poverty stricken. It is everywhere. I am having to de-sensitize myself fast or I know it will have a drain on my energy and heart.

It is early here and we have a full day ahead. We are going to visit more temples, the palace nearby and hopefully get to the Ghandi Museum. This is all for now, hopefully I will post pictures next time.