2 down, quite a few more to go. Day two was hot, hectic and rewarding. It's amazing how quickly I've acclimated to here. I think it ha a great deal to do with the friendly and close relationship with the Koli villagers. Yesterday I did much exploring. I walk through the darkest, narrowest corridors of Asia's largest slum with no feazr or even discomfort at all. It's amazing. It's nothing like what I thought it would be. Seems we have a twisted perception of what a slum is. Sally Struthers holding a skinny child walking through trash... that's always what I used to think of. Well, there are slums like that, but the largest slum in Asia is actually pretty clean, a huge family-like community, and not too altogether unpleasant. I had people invite me into their homes for chai twice yesterday, I was offered snacks, many people say hello (awed that a huge white man is trundling through their laneways), and more than once I had guys want me to sit and have a beer with them. "You take my picture!" They cry a I walk by. "You take his picture!" "Take picture!" "Picture!" It amazes me how much Indians like having their picture taken! Mostly boys and men but young girls sometimes, too. What makes it more amazing, is that they don't always want to see it, they just want it taken. took an old man's picture and showed it to him. He had a joyous look deep in his weary eyes and thanked me many times with hands steepled. 
I was taking pictures at one point amd a group of boys ran by and asked, "You drink tea? You come with us for evening tea!" So I followed this group of six boys through the twisting corridors as they made their way to the local tea house. They said, "You call it barista inCanada, yes? Starbucks? This is our barista... our Starbucks!" It was a guy sitting in a 4'x6' room on the corner of a building making chai in a giant pot and serving it in small glasses. They gave me tea and the group of six boys quickly swelled to a crowd of 20 or 30 boys, ranging from probably 3 years old to 13. They asked quetions of my home, my family, my girlfriend, my school, etc. I showed them pictures of the snow in Ottawa and they were floored.
I was taking pictures at one point amd a group of boys ran by and asked, "You drink tea? You come with us for evening tea!" So I followed this group of six boys through the twisting corridors as they made their way to the local tea house. They said, "You call it barista inCanada, yes? Starbucks? This is our barista... our Starbucks!" It was a guy sitting in a 4'x6' room on the corner of a building making chai in a giant pot and serving it in small glasses. They gave me tea and the group of six boys quickly swelled to a crowd of 20 or 30 boys, ranging from probably 3 years old to 13. They asked quetions of my home, my family, my girlfriend, my school, etc. I showed them pictures of the snow in Ottawa and they were floored. 
Then I continued my wanderings and had more random run-ins with locals that I don't have time to write about now. More tales to tell later! I wandered the streets until well after sunset before heading back to the guesthouse. Then for dinner, several of us took a rickshaw (my GOD are thee people insane drivers! I'll get video uploaded when I get home!) to a beach up north and had dinner and walked the beach until we were too tired to go on. It was a good day. I feel like I've been here longer, only because I'm so comfortable. The car horns are incessant, yes, and there is no privacy, the air is a bit harsh and other various side effects of having 18 million people in one city. I wouldn't live here but I am really enjoying exploring here. Sometime I feel like Indiana Jones. Heh. Ok, time for Indy to go.
