Mangalore by Motorbike

I am starting to make my way down the coast to Sri Lanka. Arrived by plane in Mangalore yesterday and was met at the airport by my friend Guru, who I met in Hamilton in October 2004. He's the exec. director of the Urban Research Centre and we have a very full schedule planned for the next few days.

I have already met a whole bunch of people who are doing important environmental work .. many, many people to talk to. And I am having fun zipping around on the back of Guru's motorbike, all the while trying to figure out how the women sitting sidesaddle wearing saris can hang on!

The hotel here is pretty good as well. Very cheap .. would have been cheaper if I'd gone for non-AC, but since this is a malaria hotspot I figured I'd have a better chance of dodging the pesky little buggers if I didn't have to open the windows (my family knows how much mosquitos like me for some reason).

I have a whole bunch of other people to meet and tomorrow we are going on a field trip to search and destroy mosquito larvae.

this city is small compared to Bangalore. Other things .. let's see ... bigger Christian influence here than anywhere else I've been in India. The rickshaws have names -- "Sacred Heart", "Infant Jesus", "Hail Mary" -- that's because you have to invoke prayers when you get behind the wheel on the roads over here.

Just thought I'd let you know the latest. Internet access is not as common here as in other cities so if you don't hear from me for a couple of days, don't worry.