Trip to RIMYI - Day one in Pune

April 12th 2008 - 830 am.

I arrive in Pune at about 6 am, 2 hours later than planned. The car/cab I was travelling in got held up in traffic on the highway for an hour. The trucks that couldn't handle the steep climp up the ghats (coastal mountains), were stalled and you had these guys running accross the lanes putting wooden wedges underneath their tires so they wouldn't roll back and crash into vehicles behind them. It was insane! 3am t0 4 am is peak time for trucks to get on the super express and usually super empty Mumbai-Pune tollway. It is incredible to watch how these monsters are being stopped from rolling back down hill. Its real drama with cars trying to circumvent each other and weaving in and out. The concept of lanes doesn't exist. We are dead stalled for an hour while traffic meanders around these monstorous but powerless vehicles with drivers who are fools and refuse to follow rules. Welcome to India - welcome to the world of patience, perseverance and observence of peaceful coexistence with chaos.


We finally get through this mess and arrive the house without any further problems. I am led by my host Mr. Manu to my apartment. I crash and wake up two hours later. I have a 9 am appointment with Mr. Pandu. I am running late. I can't get the gas turned on, I can't figure out how to turn the hot water on, I can't find my tooth brush and my shampoo has leaked in my suitcase. No time for any breakfast or tea - I rush to the center, a short walk. Enjoy the video: