we're on indian time now. the tea should come in.. about two hours.

as we sped along the streets of pondicherry and explained to a disgruntled receptionist how to spell my dad's first name, i reminded my stomach full of butterflies that what was happening is inevitable for westerners in india.

at some point all westerners visiting india have to go to the hospital. it's like initiation into the chaos that is india and it's sanitation issues.

for the past week i've been dealing with styes on both my eyelids. it started out last week when i woke up and it felt like i had been punched in my right eye. i figured it was a bug bite or something and would clear up after a few days of putting hot rags on it. well.. that didn't work. thursday i woke up and both my eyes were swollen and burning. i tried warm cloths, boric acid solutions, and keeping my eyes as clean as possible, but they just got worse and by sunday morning i was in a taxi on my way to a siddha medicine specialist in pondicherry. dr. l gave me ervatamia floral eye drops, sandhanathi compound oil, and aloe gel medicated in sukmara extract capsules. i took them all sunday, but by nighttime i was in tears and calling my dad to hear a familiar, comforting voice. today i went to the hospital (basically like going to the doctor here) and saw an optometrist, who prescribed some antibiotics and was really reassuring.

hopefully this will all clear up within the week, but right now i have like three styes on my eyelids and they SUCK. i've never gotten them before, but dr. l told me it's fairly common for people coming from temperate climates to get them for the first time in places with more tropical weather. i wanted to give the herbal medicine a try and dr. l was REALLY knowledgeable and helpful, but i needed someone to guarantee some pain relief... oh well, enough about all that.

so, i just got back from chidambaram, which is along the eastern coast of india and south of auroville. we stayed there one night, but the town left quite an impression on everyone. let's just say people saw a topless woman in what appeared to be the beginning of a hindu, sacrificial ceremony at the temple and someone got a firecracker thrown near them amidst a wedding precession through the streets downtown.. chidambaram was hoppin'.

before that we visited trichy, thanjavur, swammimalai, and kumbakonan. my favorite place was probably trichy because of the temples we visited there- the rock fort temple and the sri rangam temple. the rock fort temple is breath-takingly beautiful. i first spotted it as we drove into the city in our huge van that screams "TOURISTS!!!!". out of the mess of smog and uproar, my eyes landed on a huge rock formation spiraling out of the edge of the city. it towered over the brightly painted buildings and announced itself with impressive, shining temple adornments. when someone said, "oh! that's where we are visiting later on..." i almost could not contain my excitement.

the picture above is of the rock fort temple. the photo fails to fully capture the fantastic city view you get from atop the rock and the hauntingly ancient, romantic feeling it gives the city, but it does give you an idea of what it's like to see it off in the distance for the first time.. you cannot help but climb the thousands of stairs to the top in a trance, as you pass my monkeys and elderly priests in skirts, ash smeared on their wrinkly foreheads and fall silent at the sight of the city below when you reach the room at the rock's apex. there below you the beauty of india stretches out before your feet. i saw patches of lush greenery spotted with cows on the fringes of town and dirty, city roofs covered in pictures of local indian stars and starlettes.

dr. v, the 75-year old art historian who traveled with us, told us that you can find anything's opposite in india and that's certainly what i saw while scanning all of trichy on top of the rock fort temple. india is a special place. despite swollen eyelids, drama within our little community in auroville, and seeing my life flash before me everytime i ride in an indian taxi, i still see SO MUCH beauty in india's crowded streets and expansive rice fields.

it's nice to be back in auroville- sleeping in my own bed and eating as much granola as my heart desires, but i honestly cannot wait to do more traveling around southern india. i can hear the caves in hampi calling my name!

i hope everyone who is reading is well (despite pulled hamstrings, swollen eyes, flus, fatigue from studying/ partying, and all..)! you are all in my thoughts! and those thoughts are always positive!