Lots of things have happened sine arriving in India so I will work backwards. Yesterday we went to Konark to see the Sun temple, 11th century. Brilliant, huge, stone, cut and carved into a gigantic chariot, huge stone wheels. To signify the sun’s movement. The temple is enormous, in disrepair. Being repaired (scaffolding looked very old. No new work recently. Lovely lawns and gardens. I went with Sone (Armenian-USA poet. Darius her Polish friend. Azam my very lovely friend from Tashkent. We drove for 2-3 hours south to the Bay of Bengal, an enormous sea with lovely sandy (slighty grubby) beaches with decorated camels to ride. In India you get onto your camel by a ladder. None of that rocking back and forth and spine jarring dropping to the sand. The camels were large beside Aust. camels. We ate fish in Puri a tourist town for Indians It didn’t look very touristy except for a few expensive hotels (without sea views). I think the Indians missed the point of going to the sea. Azam loved the sea. Uzbekistan is coastine less. Nearest sea would be the Caspian inand Sea. The hotels have pools. The sea looked lovely but apparently is not safe. Off to my omelette breakfast. More later. Photos are still of Spain haven’t gotten the others into the computer. Lylapearl and me at the Hammam. I havent found a massage place here yet. India does not have Hammams.
