Cooper

Today was another early morning and a late night. The day began around 4:30 a.m. in order to get everything packed and loaded on the bus by 5:15. Our flight wasn’t until 8:30, but after yesterday’s excitement we wanted to make sure we left in plenty of time in case we ran into traffic or had to take a detour. The flight was on time and uneventful, which I suppose is a good thing, and we made it into Hyderabad around 9:45.

Upon reaching Hyderabad, we were greeted by Paul’s sister and brother-in-law and we went to our bus. Because we are doing homestays this week, we went straight into the city for some sightseeing. Our first stop was a Hindu temple called Birla Temple, which is made completely made of marble. I am used to seeing marble countertops in the U.S. and the occasional marble floor, but it was amazing to see an entire temple situated on top of a hill made of white marble. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take any pictures.

After we left the temple. our hungry troop headed over to an Indian restaurant where we made the mistake of telling Paul we were hungry. He ordered enough food for a small army, and there were definitely no complaints of being hungry when we left. Our next stop for the day was Golkonda Fort. which had been occupied during the 1600s. It is absolutely amazing and was well ahead of its time in design and innovation. Fort Golkonda is located on a hill which looks over much of the city, and it had everything from built-in warning systems and underground tunnels, which were miles long, to water reservoirs with both cold and hot water. We had hired a guide to show us around, and by the end of our visit I think we were all impressed by the fort and the view of the city from the top.   

By the time we got back down from the fort it was time to meet up with the host families with whom we are going to be staying for the next few nights. All of us are paired up with one other member of the team and are staying with a local family. I can’t speak for everyone, since we are in different houses, but so far the food with our family has been excellent and our host has been more than hospitable. He is actually a graduate of Whitworth’s MIM program and it was a little surprising seeing Whitworth mugs around the house. We are all settled in and have an early morning tomorrow, but it looks like Hyderabad is going to be a great city and the homestay will be a wonderful experience.