First day in Trivandrum

After 30 hours of travel I finally made it to Trivandrum, Kerala, or "God's Own Country." I am very tired but glad that everything went smoothly. We arrived between 3 and 4am today, got a few hour of sleep, then went to lunch. The city is very humid and warm. Lunch and the walk to and from the restaurant was quite an eye-opening experience. The roads are chaotic with vehicles driving in every direction. There is a constant honking of car horns and since there aren't many sidewalks it is hectic trying to walk around. Many people walk, however, and children waved at us as we passed their houses. Many dwellings line the streets, most of which are shack houses. Lunch was great and I ate like a local: with my hands! We all had a talli, which is a meal consisting of a variety of dishes to sample and includes rice, daal, and other dishes. Locals grab the food with their right hand. The left hand is not used for eating so that it can be used for wiping or when touching communal or shared items. It was definitely different for me to scoop rice and daal with my hands but was fun to try. I am looking forward to other new experiences that lie ahead during the trip. After a short nap, we will be taking a trip to Fab India to do some shopping. That's all for now. Namaste!