Is it over already???

Well, I'm back in the states! It has been such a busy week! On Thursday, I flew to Delhi with some other volunteers. Let me tell you: Delhi is hot. Like...oven-hot. 114 degrees, but it felt like 123. And the power frequently goes out, so even though we had air conditioning in the CCS flat, at one point I thought I was going to die because it was out, and it was hot. However, Delhi is great! I (with another volunteer) went to the Lotus Temple, which is so beautiful. We hopped on bare feet across hot stones to get into the temple (we had to remove our shoes), and luckily a service started while we were inside where different people read or sang different prayers from different religions. It was beautiful. We also went to Delhi Haat, which is a market where you can purchase directly from the manufacturer for prices cheaper than you could find on the street. The craftsmanship of the fabrics, wood and metal work, and jewelry is amazing (and inexpensive). We also went to Humayan's Tomb, which is actually a huge enclosure featuring ancient ruins, including the tomb as well as a mosque dating from the 1500s. The pictures above are from that site.

So, Humayan's tomb was outside, and after being there we were pretty hot and miserable, so our driver took us to a mall. I haven't been as excited to be in a mall (nicely air-conditioned) since I was 15. It was fabulously clean and cool, and we ate at McDonald's, which featured a "Maharaja Chicken Sandwich" (I got the veggie burger). We also ate icecream from Baskin Robbins. It was a nice end to a hot morning.

On Saturday, before we left for the airport, we went and got manicures and pedicures at a spa near the flats. Now, this was the perfect end to a month of volunteer work.

After one 15-hour flight, one 4-hour layover, one 2-hour flight, and one 2-hour drive, I'm back in Cookeville hanging out with Ethan, Abby, and, of course, my dog. India is the best place I've been to, but I did miss Ed.