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It has only been a few days since monsoon really has started. We were up in Alibaug last weekend and we saw some really heavy storms while at the beach. Deb and I decide to walk across the sandbar in waste deep water for about a kilometer to an island which had a small fort on it. Unfortunately, the island was surrounded by sharp rocks so we decided to head back. On the trip back, the water was now up to our chests and we saw the sky was darkening because of a storm. We quickened our pace and got out of the water just as it began to rain. We had gola (flavored shaved ice), fresh coconut milk, and roasted corn with lime and chili powder salt. Then, we had a large vegetarian meal at a nearby restaurant. When we got back to the beach, the ocean was choppy and the sky was dark. We learned that a group of five people who had attempted to walk across the sandbar to the island had gotten stuck in the storm. Four were rescued but the fifth, a twenty year old girl, had drowned and her body was missing.

We drove next to Bhushi Dam, where above the dam are a couple beautiful waterfalls. I took many pictures and we all explored the area. Vikas noted that more people were looking at me than the dam. I guess I still stick out a bit. The rain caught up with us and I was caught with my unprotected camera in a fierce rainfall. We made it to a small tin covered outdoor restaurant and had Masala tea and snacks while the wind howled and the rain swept away the tourists. I tried my best to cover my camera, but it was no use. It stopped working and my heart sunk. When we got back to the van, I dried it off and decided to just keep the battery out and hope for the best once it dried. We drove back home, stopping on the way to try the famous Chikki (like peanut brittle) and delicious fudge.

When I got back, the first thing I wanted to do was call Kathryn since I kept missing her calls and she kept missing mine. I fired up my computer, logged in and…no internet? Hmm, the modem must have flaked out during a power outage I’ll reset…where the hell is it? Oh god. It’s gone. I asked our caretaker where it was and he told me the landlord had taken it away because the bill was unpaid. I was upset but it was pretty much all my fault. I paid the bill in cash because they said it was acceptable on the payment form. What I didn’t realize, and I know this was foolish, was that I placed the envelope with the cash in the Airtel bill drop box. My money has gone missing since then, most likely pocketed by a very appreciative drop box mailman. I’m so foolish. If I only had a checking account at the time, none of this would have happened.

I explained the situation to the landlord and made amends with him, but it was a battle with Airtel. I just want my internet back, but it is not so simple as to drop by, pay the bill, and get a modem. No…nothing can be that simple here. It has been days of trying to meet with the Airtel store boss who keeps telling us to come back the next day, only for him to not show up. It was incredibly frustrating, but after a few days it was worked out. I even enabled GPRS on my cellphone which, at only about 30 cents a day, is even fast enough to allow skype conversations on my laptop – without video, of course.

The really good news is my camera started working again. From now on, I will carry a small plastic bag to wrap it in if it starts raining. That should be a lightweight and hopefully somewhat effective solution. I’m still concerned about the high humidity but nothing is going to stop me from taking pictures!