Gandigrahn

We took a bus on Jan 18 and went to Gandigrahm. A place very close to Madurai, a village area where the locals stopped the train just to see Gandhi (that is where the name came from). The village was a warm and friendly place. We saw a movie being shot and had a lecture with Sam, the media documentary producer there. They produce educational media to villagers on issues of health and hygiene as well as promote and give educational training on many fields. Their determined and hard-working work has helped the villagers by improving their life style such as installing toilets into their houses or by campaigning against alcoholism or anemic pregnant woman. It is an amazing humanitarian work that has been set an example to several others for many years!!!

After it, we went to visit an Orphanage. It was one of the best experience. They were 175 kids of every age. The olders would help to take care of the youngers as well as they would get arranged marriage. They performed dance and served us food. We played with then and took pictures. Surprisingly they were more well behaved then kids with parents... We asked the two volunteers girls about their experience there. More stunning to us was to find out that to take care of one kid per year cost only U$65.00 or 2.500 rupees!!! How little can make a difference to their lives. Of course each one of us had one favorite and fell in love for it. I can't remember many other experience more rewarding them this day...

We then went to the village outside village and performed a dance which we learned with the dance villager's teacher in 20 minutes. It was the best part of the trip. We were enchanted by their enthusiasm and charism. The kids were genuine and cute, asking for pictures and yelling our name. We then watched their music and theater performance. The American boys were playing crickets with the kids. No one wanted to leave!

Our day followed by a dinner served by the Guest house employees and a bus back to the station in Madurai. Time to hit the tracks again. Now, 8 hours to Bangalore...
We are looking for it!!!!

More to come