Indian update

As of today, I have completed the third of my four week excursion in India. So far, I have only experienced one mild case of Delhi belly (thanks to Pog for the precise medical term). My experiences to this point can be summarized as follows: first two weeks—hot; third week—rain.

I am experiencing a monsoon for the first time in my life. Earlier this week, the car in which I was traveling had to deviate several times due to flooded roads. When I reached the designated town, I had to transfer from the car to a bus because of another flooded road. Upon reaching the monastery, I had to wade through calf-deep water from the road to the building. The monastery, I learned, was built near the confluence of two rivers, both of which were currently over their banks. We entered the monastery through the chapel, where the water was only ankle deep. The residential part of the monastery was mostly dry when I arrived, but water slowly began rising in that part of the building as well. My job was to interview the two brothers living in that monastery, then move on to the next town. They were the shortest interviews I ever conducted. As we ate lunch in the only dry part of the house, I watched as the water rose ever higher. I began to wonder about snakes and other nasty creatures known to live in water.

When I finally left the monastery, the water outside had risen to knee depth. I kept checking my feet and legs for leeches. I was never so glad to see a Jeep in my life. The following day, I read in the paper that people returning to their homes after the flood were being warned about the snakes, scorpions and poisonous spiders that may have taken up residence there. When I recounted my experiences to a co-worker the following day, he told me that the last time he visited that monastery, the brothers had taken him to the river, where they had seen several crocodiles! Sometimes, it's better not to have all the facts.