(Good) arrived in Madurai...

I survived the 11-hour train journey in over 40 degrees. Riding the train is not as much fun as taking the bus...and that's mainly because of the gross factor...and that's something I will NEVER get used to...and I don't want to. The customs here are pretty strange...you're not supposed to pass things with your left hand because it's considered impure, you shouldn't blow your nose with a tissue in the presence of others, but you can spit anywhere in the train without any regard for others, loudly snort your snot from who knows where, blow your nose by squeezing one nostril shut and forcefully exhaling, and you can put your dirty feet on the seats, but you can't even go near them with clean shoes. Sorry, these are things I will never understand, and I don't want to get used to them. After a totally disturbed junkie had just vomited (of course NOT out the window), he intentionally spit the leftovers at me until I threatened him with a beating in German...but other than that, I'm fine...I'm afraid to touch my own pants without immediately disinfecting my hands...after today, you could actually stand the pants upright in the corner. Other than that, I'm doing well. ;-) After the vomit-spit attack, I found asylum in another compartment and met very dear people, and I had some very deep encounters, which I could write a lot about now, but I'm just so exhausted...

Oh, ONE more thing: When I looked in the mirror just now after arriving at the hotel, I thought 'Boy, you've gotten some color!'...after washing twice with soap, I was pale again... :-/

Good night...