Putting aside my disappointment in the lack of emails playing on the word Mysore, I have been overwhelmed by how well this past week has gone. (Special kudos to the zinger from Alden, though). People have bent over backwards to help Megha and me with our work and logistical issues. We managed to scope out both of our potential sites in just a few days, including meetings with the relevant Pollution Control Board officers, Industrial Association heads, and facility managers. Still, the second site, Nanjangud, was far superior. Mysore is so much more relaxed, clean, and navigable than Bangalore and still has the same “salubrious” weather. The PCB officers are so cooperative that they are actually making all of our appointments for us. We just showed up on Wednesday afternoon, called and set and appointment for an hour later, and then walked out by 6pm with our entire next day booked with facility tours and interviews. Ok. So maybe this isn’t exciting to most of you, but I was downright giggly when we left.

Najangud Industrial Estate itself is, well, an Indian Industrial Estate. It is divided up into blocks that are parceled out to a variety of industries that range from a single shed to one of the two Nestle instant coffee factories for India. We are going to know it all too well quite soon, but for now, the sight of the Nescafé logo peaking over the Kabini River, paddy terraces, and palm trees is a beautiful thing.




We took friday off to visit Megha's friend Belli in Coorg: a district in the foothills of the Western Ghats. Belli has a beautiful 300 acre biodynamic coffee and peppercorn estate. The threatening monsoon rains held off and let us talk politics and wander around.



Unsurprisingly, given a few hours to discuss world affairs, India, and the US, we safely concluded that America has thoroughly f-ed up under Bush, but that India isn't doing much better. We hopped on a bus the next morning to pack up in Bangalore and return to Mysore on yesterday. The trip between Mysore and Bangalore is dotted with beautiful, barren stone hills that punctuate the dusty green pre-monsoon landscape. They are the same sort that I became semi-obsessed with during my March trip here. I am excited for some time off to go run up them! As luck would have it, Chamundi Hill is next to Mysore. It is a very popular pilgrimage site with the inscription: "5000 years ago at this time you had visited this place in the same way you are visiting now. Because world drama repeats itself identically every 5000 years." Indubitably.

Some shots below from the train between Mysore and Bangalore: