Views from the top of the world!

Kodaikanal is FANTASTIC.  Not only do they have horses roaming the streets, but there's a Baskin Robbins and hot showers!!

We've been staying at a wonderful place called Dalethorpe Homestay, described on the website as an English bungalow built in the 1930s.  The grounds are beautiful, with a very well-tended garden.

Kind of a weird view, but I was just trying to snap a picture of the yellow lady bug.

After some miscommunication with our driver and a rescuing phone call from our house mom Tendrall back in Thanjavur, we along with the owner of the homestay, Shaheed, spent the day hiking in the mountains.  We played in some waterfalls, saw baby monkeys, and enjoyed the view from the edge of a mountain.  For real.

Despite walking a few miles in pouring rain, today has been absolutely fantastic!  Kodaikanal has already provided me with a much-needed break! :)

No worries - I'm still alive!

Hello faithful readers,

I apologize for the lack in posts this past week, but all of us TPSers have been diligently preparing our first of two 25-page (single space, mind you) papers, which was handed in this morning (insert a deep sigh of relief).  We also had to develop and give two presentations explaining our intervention plan.  I'd like to give a quick shout out to my team members, Stephanie B. and Erin R., for all of their hard work, particularly this week.  An especially grateful thank you to Erin R. for knocking our presentations out of the park!  (You have incredible public speaking skills, girly!)

Anyway, the only relatively exciting event since the last post was on Monday, when we spent the day at an ICTPH conference held at the nearby Ideal River Resort (check out the pics! pretty posh.).  During the first half of the day, we presented our proposed intervention plans to ICTPH staff and SughaVazvhu board members.  Although intense, it was great to get some feedback from such experienced members of the organization.

The fourteen of us students spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the luxuries offered by the rest of the resort, i.e., lounging by the palm-lined pool, enjoying delicious meals by the riverside... You get the idea.

Anyway, after our presentations today (Thursday), nine of us students hopped in a van (which happens to be the same van and driver from our trip to Pondicherry) and trekked a couple of hours to the hill-town of Kodaikanal (google image search results)!  Updates (and more pictures) soon!