My Post-Sabbatical Year(s) in Asia (or wherever): 12/29: Porbandar

I caught the 6AM bus to Porbandar. I am the only non-Indian on this public bus. One man asked me where I was from: "Africa? America?" Which reminds me of a conversation I had with a retired Indian school teacher right before I left Udaipur. He asked me where the pin on my hat was from. I told him Vietnam. he spoke really good English, so I sat and talked with him for a while. Partway through our conversation I finally realized what his confusion was about - he thought I was Vietnamese. "Vietnam is German?" he asked. "No," I replied. "It is independent." "Independent," he repeated.

The bus will take three hours, and cost $1.25. Just when I thought the bus was fully packed, it stops, and 10 more people are squeezed on. The man standing over me with his armpit in my face - I do not begrudge him his body odor - this is a very poor country. The man sitting next to me chewing pan (a mixture of tobacco, lime, and other stuff) - I do not begrudge him his breath - this is a very poor country. I am not complaining; I have a seat. Actually, there is something about this discomfort that makes me happy.

It wasn't hard to find a room here, and no exorbitant prices. I decided to walk to the beach. Next to the beach is a large, vacant lot with the dual purpose of garbage dump and shanty town. There is no sand on the beach, just poky volcanic stone. Every where you look there are men squatting and shitting. As the day is beginning to heat up, the smell of shit is everywhere. All along the road which follows the coast line are cows, goats, dogs, and pigs - all shitting. The beaches are also used as dumping garbage, so that blends in with the shit smell.

I did finally find a couple of sandy beaches, and spaced out every 30 feet with their butts facing me are men shitting (I have never seen so much squatting and shitting).

And then I found the old harbor! And then I found the vegetable market! And then I visited the house Mahatma Gandhi was born in! Then I found another version of my new favorite dish (potatoes, peanuts and crunchy bits), but this time tomatoes, more sauces, and pomegranate seeds were added. I had two plates! Every evening is like a festival here in Gujarat. The street stands roll out, and there are so many people the cars can't drive on the roads (though they still do).