Hi all!

Well, today is Thursday! I leave the hostel tomorrow. Wow! I'm surprised how the week has flown. Yesterday, after doing the internet thing, I went walking in search of a headset so that I could use my new Skype connection to call everyone for a decent chat without costing a fortune. The receptionists told me to go to Supihani Complex, a shopping centre that is quite upmarket. So about 15 minutes later, I arrived. I looked around everywhere, but couldn't find an electrical shop. I had a juice, the most disgusting one I have ever tasted, at MarryBrowns, like KFC, and went on. I then walked out to find Apex Plaza, another place across the road. I went to Landmark, which is equal to Myer, and after looking around, I found a headset. 1650Rs! I didn't want to buy it, $50 is expensive by Australian standards let alone India! So I searched the store, and found 2 more, the cheapest one was 380Rs. So I bought that one. It is excellent quality, so I don't know what was so good about the $50 one.

I then went in search of an internet cafe, because I didn't want to walk home just to make calls then go back out again. I found one, but it was probably about 3m x 3m, and there was 12 people in it. I wasn't going to make a call in there! So I left and walked back to the hostel, and called Nan and Mum from here. By then, it was 1.30, and I didn't have any real plans, so I went walking. I went to a shop that Deeva recommended to me, it was quite nice, but much like the things we can buy in Aus. I then went walking. I ended up in this really poor area, and it was interesting and sad to see the poverty. You miss quite a lot of it when you zoom by in an auto. There was women carrying water on their heads, and little girls pumping water from wells. It was really heartbreaking. I saw lots of autos, but no-one was in them - then I realised that this is where all the drivers live. It is so hard - I feel bad bargaining them down on their prices when they have such little of their own.

When I got to the end of the street, I caught an auto to Egmore Museam. Now, on Sunday, I thought that I went to Fort Museam, but yesterday I got dropped to the same place, so I'm all confused. When I arrived, the auto driver said 'I come to museam too. You pay'!!! He was insisting. I'm like nuh! No way! 250Rs a piece. I don't think so! Actually that is the foreigner's price, but that's not the point. Anyway, I didn't want to pay the entry fee again, so I just walked around the outside, and took photos of the architecture. I saw the tour guide man again, but did an amazingly good job of avoiding him! Then some people tried to sell me postcards. They were in sets of 10, and there were 4 sets. 100Rs per set. I got 5 sets, bargained to 450Rs. I want to keep 4 sets for myself, as they are really nice, and I got another 10 to send.

Then I caught another auto to Anna Nagar Tower. The man started at 200 Rs, I got him back to 80. When I arrived there, this man also insisted that he come up the tower with me - my shout! I refused, then he said he would wait for me, and take me home again. Via a few shops, of course. I ended up having to walk away again. At least when you say no in Australia people listen.

So I got into the park, it is actually a really nice park. The tower is in the middle and gives quite good views over Chennai. I was rather excited. When I got to the bottom, the security guard said single people were not allowed. What?!? I was dying to go up, I paid 80Rs to get there, and no! I walked away. I walked around the whole park searching for someone. But I couldn't find anyone who I was willing to ask to go up with me. So I reverted to desperate measures. I went back to the security guard and begged. I said that I would pay for 2 people, at 1Rs each it really didn't worry me. He still said no. There was this man sitting on the ground just near the entrance to the tower selling stuff. He had a little boy, about 8 or so, and was quite willing to offer the little boy to go with me. So I took up the little boy and paid for him. He ran all the way to the top, and gave me quite a workout keeping up with him! He was so excited - he was obviously very poor and had never been up, so when he got to the top he just stood there and stared into the distance for ages. Then he waved to his Dad and friends, and couldn't stop smiling. It felt so good - for 1Rs, I had really made his day, and he had made mine.

After I came down from the tower, the Dad thanked me so much. I then caught an auto home to the hostel. I wrote on some cards and postcards, and then Bindu, Claire and I went out for dinner. We went to this vegetarian health food restaurant. I had goti bread, which was also really nice, and Chenna Masala, like a chick pea curry. I also had a freshly squeezed OJ, which would have been nicer if it was cold, but it was OK.

The curry made my nose run, and for the first time since being in Chennai, I blew my nose and experienced the 'black snot phenomenom', as Claire calls it. Because the pollution and dirt is so bad here, when you breathe, it turns the inside of your nose black! Disgusting, isn't it!

After dinner, I was exhausted, and crashed again. Not sure what I'm going to do today. Hopefully, I will upload some photos today, if not, definitely tomorrow.

Love Mel