Setting up shop

We now have the internet available on our home laptop. This gives us a chance for a little more in-depth coverage of the things that have happened over the last week or so. After our arrival in Delhi via New York and London, we had a day to relax and recuperate. During that day, we had a chance to visit a shopping district and pick up a few authentic Indian clothing items. Beth can be seen below in her salwar kameez. Dave just picked up a kurta to wear but did not get the pants to go with it.

After our day of shopping, we had a dinner with all of the other new staff at our hotel. The next morning we got up at about 4:00 to make our way to the train. The trip took about six hours to Dehradun, the capital of the state where we live. On the way, we saw lots of cows, pigs, goats, chickens, and monkeys. They all seemed to be eating trash along the railroad tracks, so we both decided to get the veg meal en route.

When we arrived in Dehradun, we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant and then survived an crazy cab ride to Woodstock at the top of the hill. There was much honking, passing while rounding blind corners, etc. It was very exciting, to say the least. We've been in Mussoorie for a couple of days exploring and have even made it down to the bazaar to buy some supplies. We are comforted to know that Snickers and Ritter Sport bars are readily available here just in case we need them.

We are now setting up our classrooms. Dave is teaching social studies and Beth is, surprisingly, teaching English and art. We will both be in the middle school. The hike up to our house is strenuous, but should get better in the next few weeks as we acclimatize to the altitude and get in better shape. In the meantime, we get short glimpse of the valley when the monsoon fog lifts for a moment.

Dave and Beth