-We're about to take our first night train. 14 hours in what apparently will be the low(er) class sleeper car. no a/C but it's night train so we may not need it. wish us luck! -i got offered two freelance gigs while here; managed to refer friends for both of them. friend one booked his; friend two's in the process of connecting with the other. i am an international power broker.

-there are cows fucking EVERYWHERE here. in the streets, the alleys, the backyards, the highways, by the sides of roads. (UPDATE: "fucking" is used as an intensifier here. I never actually saw cows having sex)

-there are about as many stray dogs as there are cows. not cute dogs, no. hungry, mangy, desperate dogs. the look in their eyes is the same as that in the men who try to get us into their retail stall/autorickshaw/travel agency. so far i've only seen one dog that i actually wanted to pet, and that was because it was a hungry desperate puppy.

-There is a lot of shit in the streets, more even than in paris, by a long shot actually. i'll spare you further detail.

-i have seen two different forts here that are simply unbelievable. massive structures that take up entire tops of hills and are so huge that they have anyhere from one to two temples and one to four palaces on the grounds.

Jaw-dropping stuff.

-The song 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen" is truer than i ever realized.