Day 1: Arrival

Ginny and I left Atlanta late afternoon on 4/13/07. We had a 4 hour layover in Frankfurt and met up with the rest of the U.S. team. When we took off out of Frankfurt it finally hit me; this is it, I am really going to India.

We arrived in Bangalore at midnight on 4/14/07 (2:30 pm EST on 4/14/07).

~ outside the airport in Bangalore at midnight ~

The next morning I awoke to the sound of car horns from the roads below. I wish I had a tape recorded so you could hear it. Nonstop car horns and many don't even sound like normal horns.

We were picked up by Freedom Firm's driver, his name is Shaker. While Shaker was making arrangements to hire another taxi driver he left Ginny and me in the car on a dark side street. We were a little nervous. Then this man, who was walking by, stopped to pee off the sidewalk (away from the street) right next to our car. Then another man joined him. Ginny and I were a little shocked.

This was our welcome to India.

We spent the night in a nice hotel and had a simple breakfast of toast, poached eggs and Chai.

~ left to right: Ginny, Cathy, Angela, Dorris, and Angie at breakfast~

~ view outside our hotel window, this is in Bangalore ~