Visitors!

My social life in Chennai has been a testament to the power of networking.  When you write to everyone in your address book and ask for relatives/friends/colleagues in India, you’re bound to get a few positive responses.  As a result, I’ve been VERY lucky to connect with a wonderful group of expats and locals.  (There has, my friends, even been an unexpected romance on the Deccan for this single gal…)

As wonderful as it is to make new friends in a foreign place, it’s also incredibly exciting to see your buddies from home.  I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of 2 college pals in a few days for a 2-week “Tour de Southern India” adventure.  So exciting!

We’re knee deep in VERY last-minute planning of trains, buses, domestic flights, and hotels.  Kind of flying by the seat of our pants here, but with our Lonely Planet (How do you underline in WordPress?  Beats me.) in tow and a little bit of luck, hopefully it will all work out. 

Side note to future India travelers:  waiting until the last minute to book your train tickets is NOT a smart move since everything will likely be sold out.  Umm, whoops.

Though I’ve done a few short trips to places close to Chennai, I’ve been itching to get out and see more of this beautiful country.  Can’t wait!

Since I don’t have a picture with the 2 girls who are visiting, here’s a shot from a recent trip to Vienna with 2 friends (the one on the left is coming to India).  They went NUTS with the cameras!    Incidentally, that trip was also during the Olympics…

P.S.  Will try to set up a few advance posts before I leave, but expect to be hearing from me a little less over the next couple weeks.