After 36 hours, 36 minutes, and 36 seconds, our trans-global journey came to an end as we arrived at the Chennai airport around 3:30 AM local time. I was so excited as we began our descent from 30,000 ft., but the anticipation abruptly changed to shock as the German pilot announced that an airplane before us had crashed and that we would not be able to land due to debris littering the runway. Our flight was force to circle, but with fuel running low, the pilot elected to land in Bangalore, where we spent 2 hours refueling and waiting for the Chennai airport runway to clear. We finally made it to the Chennai airport, which possessed the distinct smell of an aquarium. After several nervous minutes waiting to get through customs, and several more minutes waiting on our luggage, the study away group finally stepped foot on Indian soil. I was immediately choked by the hellishly high humidity. Hundreds of people lined the street waiting for passengers as we made our stroll towards the waiting Madras Christian College (MCC) vans. With all of the staring and inquisitive faces trained on our position, I kind of felt like a rock star.
The van ride from the Chennai airport to MCC was one of the most heroic feats of driving I have ever experienced - that's saying something coming from a Bryan Park cart boy haha. Apparently, lines on the road are just "guidelines," as Captain Barbosa would say, and vehicles frequently blared their horns as head-on collisions were narrowly avoided. We safely arrived at MCC around 5 AM local time and elected not to go to sleep in order to fight off the jet lag.
Our first day at MCC got off to an exciting start when a few of us chose to go on a nature walk around campus. Wild boar, deer, and giant fruit bats were among the observed native creatures. In addition to the abundance of wild and exotic creatures, I was struck by the oppressive humidity, dense smog, and the haphazardly ubiquitous distribution of trash scattered throughout the grounds.
Later in the day, a few of us decided to venture off campus. After a few cautious false starts, we successfully crossed 8 lanes of the insanely busy Grand Trunk Highway. I was impressed with the way in which local Indians crossed the road; they casually strolled out into traffic with tremendous faith that the oncoming herd of brightly colored mopeds, cars, bikes, and buses would avoid them.
In the evening we attended a Beatles concert performed by the students and faculty of MCC. It was delightfully surprising to see how much the Indians enjoyed the Beatles. I rarely fall asleep during events/performances, but extreme fatigue from travelling halfway around the world caused me to doze off several times. The verse from Strawberry Fields Forever best summed up the evening and our extensive travels: "Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about..."
I am abroad and on the loose. Look out India!
The van ride from the Chennai airport to MCC was one of the most heroic feats of driving I have ever experienced - that's saying something coming from a Bryan Park cart boy haha. Apparently, lines on the road are just "guidelines," as Captain Barbosa would say, and vehicles frequently blared their horns as head-on collisions were narrowly avoided. We safely arrived at MCC around 5 AM local time and elected not to go to sleep in order to fight off the jet lag.
Our first day at MCC got off to an exciting start when a few of us chose to go on a nature walk around campus. Wild boar, deer, and giant fruit bats were among the observed native creatures. In addition to the abundance of wild and exotic creatures, I was struck by the oppressive humidity, dense smog, and the haphazardly ubiquitous distribution of trash scattered throughout the grounds.
Later in the day, a few of us decided to venture off campus. After a few cautious false starts, we successfully crossed 8 lanes of the insanely busy Grand Trunk Highway. I was impressed with the way in which local Indians crossed the road; they casually strolled out into traffic with tremendous faith that the oncoming herd of brightly colored mopeds, cars, bikes, and buses would avoid them.
In the evening we attended a Beatles concert performed by the students and faculty of MCC. It was delightfully surprising to see how much the Indians enjoyed the Beatles. I rarely fall asleep during events/performances, but extreme fatigue from travelling halfway around the world caused me to doze off several times. The verse from Strawberry Fields Forever best summed up the evening and our extensive travels: "Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about..."
I am abroad and on the loose. Look out India!
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