When I awoke this morning I realized I needed to make a plan to get out of my room and developed an afternoon itinerary. When I arrived in Pune last night I ordered dinner in and read the book I picked up at an airport store in Chicago. I slept surprisingly well considering the cacophony of street sounds: ringing cell phones, horns of all octaves and voices from the street below. Eventually the sounds tapered off and I awoke to silence in the early morning.
I was feeling timid but knew it wouldn’t do me any good to stay in my hotel room so the first stop on my outing was in search of the bank and an umbrella. According to the man at the front desk at the hotel the bank was up three roads on the other side of the street. Three roads seemed a reasonable distance to walk so I set off on foot. Many of the sidewalks along FC road were under repair so I followed the other pedestrians and woke my way down to the street alongside passing buses, auto-rickshaws (like a Tuk-Tuk for those who have been in Thailand), cars and motorbikes all announcing their presence with the toot of the horn. I had forgotten how loud this city can be! The stop at the bank proved futile, they could not exchange Traveler’s Cheques on Saturday because the office they need to call to validate the Cheques is closed. I did find an umbrella, just in time for the next downpour of rain.
Stop two was a beauty parlor for a little pampering with a pedicure. When the rain subsided again I made my way to stop three: lunch, finally and then on to the Institute to register for classes.
I was the first to arrive to register but realized that did not necessarily mean I would be the first to leave. There seemed to be a little more organization than last time and Pandu, the secretary, issued us through with fluctuating efficiency. From some he would accept one form of currency, from others another form. I paid my tuition and returned to the hotel. Exhausted from the outing and the effects of residual jet-lag had me in bed before 8 p.m.!
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