Bangalore, the city where CWU currently has a study abroad site, is much cleaner and has an infrastructure more organized than other cities and villages I visited in India. There are more street signs, and less litter, fewer street-side stands and more sophisticated building complexes. Modern in appearance compared with other areas in India, this city, nonetheless, is not free of pervasive and extreme poverty, child labor, pollution and poor sanitation. I arrived at a hill station named Ooty, which is located not far from Bangalore. It is a nice escape from the big city and invigorating to breathe the fresh mountain air.
People travel great distances to come here and paddle-boat on a small lake.
At some points in my journey, I often wished I were less conspicuous. People constantly asked to take my picture. At first I thought that they wanted me to take a picture of them, and then I realized that they wanted me to hold their children or stand with their wife while they took the photograph. I came to understand their intense desire to capture me on film - after all, I was drawn to photograph people exotic from me. It seemed just at those times I longed to be home, people would take the time to speak with me instead of stare.