Despite the communist party calling a nation-wide strike, I was able to get to the train station no problem. I happened upon a local festival parade with flashing lights, a skeleton puppet, drumming banchees, and loud Indian techno music. Great fun!
The night train to Puri was quiet, arriving on-time, just before 6am. I met a young French couple (again! More Frenchies!) and a girl from Israel at the Puri train station. The hostel is super nice and clean, high ceilings, granite bathroom for 150 rupees/night. The other people are older single women traveling alone from the US, Holland, and Canada, here to meditate and find enlightenment at the nearby Ashram. The beach is half nice, half filthy with dogs, fishermen, and caca. Puri as a town is good, colorful and calm. Lots of cows in the street! And monkeys, too!
I rode in a tuk tuk with the new pals to a dance and music festival which was interesting. Many white people in the audience who look like hippy hindu/buddhist/hari krishna wierdos. Feeling very sane, educated, like a respectable person who worked a proper job once, and grounded in reality :) New malaria medicine Chloroquine is much better, that helps too!
Met another French guy at the train station when I went to buy my onward ticket. I was instructed to.fill out a form first, and also cut in front of the men in line. The French guy talked to me later, full of not helpful advice, including that I should dress like Indian women do so I'll fit in better. He has been to India several times, stays for months at time, and was wearing a red, name-brand message T-shirt and Adidas shorts, not very Indian fity iny. I seem to get stared at for being white, female and alone, not for my boring, just fine modest clothes. I also don't expect Indians to ever treat me like I fit in, even if I dressed like they do. Plus, it's hot here and I wear a big backpack. A saree or long, layered tunik, no thanks!
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