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April 21, 2007
Now I've arrived in Kerala
Flew into Kerala yesterday and walked right past the man waving the "Mr. Johnny Poppia" sign, which was understandable because the connection between the Galaxy hotel phone and the Solty taxi service in Kerala was iffy at best.
Hari and I took the cab out the Ginger hotel- probably the first true budget business hotel in India. On the one hand, the hotel provides all basic amenities and the rate is less than Rs. 1000 (USD ~24.00) per night. On the other hand, the room looks exactly like one of those minimum security prison dorm rooms for transitional inmates, with heavy steel doors, miniature bed and desk, and mustard yellow walls. There is not really any shelving so it looks like I will be living out of the suitcase for a while.
Still, this room, at ten feet by ten feet with windows and an attached bathroom, is considerably better than the 5x10 windowless, unfurnished servant rooms that I saw in Gurgaon/ Delhi when looking for a house.
There is a roadway that runs below my window and the scooters, cars and lorrys start up at seven. I like this sound, so I keep my window open.
After dropping my stuff off in my room, Hari and I headed into town. I stopped by his house and said hello to his wife, who brought out squeezed ginger and lemon and who mentioned that she'd lived with Hari in Cincinnati a few years ago.
The cab driver took me to the beach, where I was accosted by engineering / management students from the local university. They let me go only after I handed over my business email address. Resumes may follow.
| By jb | 11:30 PM