INDIARY: Sunset Silhouettes 

The Personal Diary of Donald L. Clement, 1966 to 1968, India 
 *** 
INTRODUCTION 
 I graduated from Seattle Pacific College, (now Seattle Pacific University,) with a BA in Psychology on June 10, 1966. On July 17th, with an airline strike effecting travel across the United States, I boarded a flight in Portland, Oregon, my hometown, with a destination of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where I had been directed by the United States Peace Corps to report for training. Because of the strike, I was first routed to Los Angeles where I transferred to a plane bound for Dallas, Texas and was rerouted to a flight to Philadelphia. On the flight from LA to Dallas there was no room in coach so I was bumped to first class. Poor me! As I was sipping my second glass of Champaign for breakfast, I thought to myself, “Life after college is going to be just fine!” 

Members of the training group for India-33 arrived throughout the day. Friendships began to form almost immediately. We would all be involved in poultry husbandry in India with most single men going to government farms in Kerala and single women and married couples going to villages scattered throughout Gujarat. Our training would be in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. Before leaving the country, though, the six days in Philly would be filled with physical exams, dental exams, psychological exams and orientation meetings. On the second day, because I still had all my wisdom teeth, and dental services overseas might be less than ideal, I was sent to an oral surgeon. Under local anesthetic he pulled, yanked, chiseled, jackhammered and dynamited those four teeth out of existence. For the remaining four days in Philly I ate only through a straw and became known to all my new friends as “Bucky Beaver.” My face ballooned to approximately the size of the giant World Globe at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. 

On July 23rd the Kerala section of India-33 boarded a plane for the Virgin Islands by way of Puerto Rico. The Gujarat contingent would follow on another flight. The airline strike continued and, this time, our entire group was bumped up from coach to first class. I was beginning to think that the four years I had spent at my conservative Christian college were starting to pay off in carnal rewards. Those years of no dancing, no smoking, no drinking, no cussing and no fornicating were going to prove to have been worth the wait. We had first class virtually to ourselves. Our flight attendants were gorgeous, fun loving and our age. We were served unlimited alcoholic beverages, anything we desired. I think, without exception, we felt no pain. At some point, the stewardesses stopped serving and just told us to take whatever we wanted, as much as we wanted. It became a challenge to see how many mini-bottles we could stuff in our pockets, carry-on-luggage, camera cases, etc. Before the flight ended in San Juan, the prettier of the two attendants, a former Playboy Playmate, posed for a photo while sitting on my lap with her arms wrapped around me. This was not the Peace Corps we had been promised. This was so much more. When I finally staggered off the plane I completely forgot to bring along the expensive Ricoh Double Lens Reflex Camera, which my brother, Dave, had so graciously entrusted to me. The thought didn’t cross my blurred mind until the completion of the next leg of the trip, which landed us in the St. Croix Fredericksted Airport. By the time I could make inquiries, the camera had disappeared forever. Dave has forgiven me but I’ve never forgiven myself. 

We lived and trained at Camp Croix for the next three months. We then spent one month training at a commercial poultry farm in Valencia, Pennsylvania. After a ten-day home leave to say goodbye to our families, we were bound for India. 

DESTINATION: INDIA 
11/25/66 Friday 
Portland, Oregon 
The big adventure really began. Goodbyes in Portland were hard. Alice Wuorinen, my college sweetheart, Mom, and my older brother, John, saw me off at the Portland airport. 

 

BACKGROUND 
From November 26, 1966 through January 20, 1967, I neglected my diary. Here is what I recall in 2006. 

The flight from New York to New Delhi was about twenty-four hours in the air, with brief stops in London, Frankfurt, Istanbul and Beirut. We weren’t allowed, nor did we have the time, to leave any of the airport terminals. So, though technically I have been to England, Germany, Turkey and Lebanon, my exposure to those countries has been very limited, to say the least. Seeing a female attendant in the men’s room of the Beirut Airport did make a lasting impression, however. Aboard the plane, days and nights merged as we sped through multiple time zones. Every time we looked up, the attendants were bringing us another meal. On some legs of the flight there were many empty seats allowing us to stretch out with pillows and blankets for some serious sleep. 

We got off the plane in New Delhi with nervous excitement and anticipation. As we boarded a bus that threaded its way through the narrow streets we got our first taste of India. The roadway was filled with throngs of people, taxis honking loudly and indiscriminately, bicycle bells ringing, and cows bellowing, cinema music blasting over loudspeakers and the ubiquitous smell of piss and shit. A billion new stimuli assaulted every one of our senses from every direction. There would no longer be any need to explain “culture shock” to us. 

We checked-in to our nice, British-style, hotel. In the next few days we would attend meetings and briefings and receive lots of reminders of the dos and don’ts of our behavior as guests in this country and representatives of the United States. We took the customary tours of Delhi, visiting mosques and markets and dimly lit bazaars. We had a whirlwind trip by taxi to Agra to see the truly magnificent Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. 

From New Delhi it was a long, hot, dusty train-ride the length of India to Trivandrum, Kerala’s capital city. After enduring more meetings and introductions to government officials we again boarded a bus for a tour of Kerala’s state poultry farms and the scenery along the way. We were dropped off, one by one, at our respective farms to begin working at our assignments. 

My assignment was a farm in the Ernakulam District of Kerala on India’s southwest coast bordering the Arabian Sea. Kerala was India’s most densely populated state and also its best educated. The unemployment rate was high. These factors contributed to a very popular local Communist Party. 

The leading industries in Kerala included fishing, shrimping, coir (the fiber of the coconut husk), cashews, black pepper, cardamom, tea, and assorted other spices. The nearest city to me was Cochin/Ernakulam. Kerala, predominantly Hindu, had the highest concentration of Christians of any Indian state. Hindus, Muslims and Christians coexisted there harmoniously. 

Most people lived without electricity and therefore with no air conditioning or refrigeration, no hot water and limited running water. The Peace Corps and the Indian Government provided me with a modest concrete house, very basic furniture and an Indian-made Raleigh Bicycle. I was fortunate enough to have electricity for a few hours each day, which powered a pump to lift water to a rooftop holding tank that resulted in running water each day until the tank ran dry again. The windows of my house were open air, no glass. I had no phone. I picked up and posted mail at the post office in the village. There was no home delivery. 

Meals were prepared using a couple of one-burner kerosene stoves. With no refrigeration, perishable food had to be purchased at the open-air farmers’ market every morning. I had to have a full-time, live-in servant who did all my cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping. Without him, that is all I would have had time to do. With a high population of Christians and Muslims, getting meat to eat was not a problem. Getting good meat was next to impossible. I think most of the beef I ate had probably died of natural causes. It was very tough and had to be boiled thoroughly before anything else was done to it to kill any malicious bacteria. All drinking water also had to be boiled thoroughly. It was then stored in terra cotta clay pots, which kept it pleasantly cool. Milk was from water buffaloes, delivered fresh daily and also had to be boiled. That meant hot milk on my corn flakes. The mutton and chicken weren’t bad and the fish was good. Potatoes, carrots, onions, etc. were always available and were a staple part of my diet, along with great quantities of rice. The Kerala rice, or Kutthari, was the best rice I have ever eaten. The grains were plump and had reddish brown streaks on the husks. It was parboiled and sun-dried prior to cooking. Bananas, coconuts, mangoes and guavas grew locally and were available in abundance. 

KURUPPAMPADY, KERALA 
01/21/67 Tuesday 
Larry Evans, the member of my Peace Corps group stationed nearest to me, about seven miles away, stayed all night and was here for breakfast. He seemed nervous and fidgety about everything. I hoped he could relax and make the most of his situation or I thought he might not stick out the two years. Larry and I formed an immediate bond since we both were from the Pacific Northwest. (We remain best friends to this day.) 

I spent one and a-half frustrating hours at the post office trying to mail a simple letter. Yesterday, I spent at least that much time trying to send three money orders. The Indian postal system is driving me crazy! 

I discovered that George, my poultry officer, would be staying at the farm indefinitely as his request for transfer was denied. It may mean my work at the farm will be slower. 

In the late afternoon, Tom Murray, the Peace Corps Volunteer already at my site from an earlier group, and I went to Varghee’s house for food and toddy, a slightly sweet fermented drink made by tapping the juice of the coconut palm. Varghee was a college student living at home with his family who ran a sawmill. I was very impressed with how nice his house was and how clean. The toddy was great. Walking back we watched a magnificent sunset silhouetting the palm trees and forest. 

In the evening Rajan, short for Rajashekaran K. N., a student and my best friend, Charminar, a college grad in search of employment, also known as Gopalakrishnan, Ramakrishnan, my Malayalam language instructor and my other best friend, and Varghee came by to visit and to listen to records. My Ramsey Lewis album had just arrived by mail so I played it for them. I couldn’t tell if they liked it. 

After they left I picked a book from Tom’s Peace Corps book locker, Yevtushenko’s A Precocious Autobiography. He talks about the Russian people and their culture. He believes man is basically good and the most important thing in life is human kindness. “Only those who know great suffering can give birth to great ideas. …The best way of learning something is to take a leap into the unknown without looking back. That way, you either learn or perish.” 

01/22/67 Sunday 
I awoke early, at 6:30 AM, and continued reading Yevtushenko. 

I made metal coat hangers by cutting and bending a length of wire. I felt good knowing I’d made something practical for myself. 

I picked up my new shirts at the tailor in Perumbavoor, the nearest small town, about three miles to the west. I was very pleased with them. They were exact copies of my “Gant's.” I will probably send one or two of them to Dave for his birthday. 

Tom and I rode our bikes to the nearby rain forest, Khavalaykoda. It was a very serene, beautiful jungle-like place a short distance from where we lived. We didn’t see the monkeys, which were usually there, according to Tom. On riding back along the canal we saw several young women bathing and doing laundry. Some of them had their breasts uncovered, as is the custom in Kerala. It was hard not to gawk. After all, I’m just a horny kid right out of college. As we passed the rear of the poultry farm we discussed the possibility of one or both of us moving to the large vacant house there. I am seriously considering it. Tom and I haven’t really hit it off that well. 

In the evening, the four usual guests, Rajan, Ramakrishnan, Gopalakrishnan and Varghee, came by. Tom and Peter, the cook/servant, were at the cinema just a few hundred yards down the road. I corrupted my visitors with my collection of Playboy magazines and a sip of Johnny Walker for each, and for me. They seemed to enjoy themselves. Magazines like Playboy are just not widely available in India. It’s the least I could do to promote international good will. I want to know these fellows better. I hope the superficial familiarity we share now will lead to deeper friendships. 

After they left, I finished Yevtushenko. I think I am better able to understand what is going on in Russia now through this book. I want to read more Russian writers and poets. 

I will begin Orwell’s Animal Farm when I finish writing tonight and read till I fall asleep. 

Introspection 
I am going through a tremendous growing up time in my life. I am trying to find myself; whatever that means. My Baptist upbringing has shaped how I view the world. I want desperately to develop a workable and livable philosophy of life. Maybe I already have. I feel comfortable and happy just the way I am. The thought of the future really doesn’t concern me. I am haunted by thoughts that I may be wasting precious time by not having a clear purpose and goal to my life. This is probably a carry-over from being a Baptist. I would like to commit myself to something like Christianity but I just can’t seem to be convinced that the rewards of the spiritual life outweigh the pleasure, peace and contentment I am enjoying in the rather self-centered life I am leading. When I feel like helping someone, I do. I think, probably, because it makes me feel good, selfish motivation. When I don’t, I simply don’t. And, I never feel guilty about it. Or, maybe I do or I wouldn’t be wrestling with it. I am confused and frustrated about what direction my life should be taking. For almost any ideology or personality I can conceive there are people who have found meaning and satisfaction there. Or, at least, who have worked these ideas into their lives. There will always be critics. Maybe the answer is to simply make a commitment. But, what is worth a life commitment? My experience is so very limited. I want to experience all that I can. I want to learn. It’s too bad I didn’t have time for this while I was in college. I was too immature for college. I should have worked for a while first. Maybe I should have joined the military. I want to spend my life on a noble goal. 

01/23/67 Monday 
I finally got George to go with me to the Junior Engineer’s office in Perumbavoor. The Engineer is to come to the farm on Wednesday to make an estimate on modifications to the farm. 

I began the Royal Canadian Air Force exercises today. 

I’m still reading Animal Farm. 

01/24/67 Tuesday 
I mailed a parcel of two custom-made Madras shirts and some Bedes, locally rolled cigarettes, to Dave. It should reach him by April 1st, his birthday. 

John from the cinema came by in the evening and seems to be a very fine chap. He has an interest in literature. I’ve offered our library to him. I look forward to good conversations with him. 

Tom went to Ernakulam for the day and returned in the late evening. I’m trying like hell to understand the guy. He seems to be very preoccupied with his own thoughts and ideas. I mistake that for his being unfriendly and uninterested a great deal of the time. I know I can learn a lot from him if I will just keep an open mind. 

I am continuing to read Orwell. I’ll finish tomorrow. 

It gave me great pleasure this morning to be present when Injochin, a servant at the poultry farm, received his promotion to night watchman. I could tell he was very happy and proud. He is a very religious man and his first act on leaving the farm office was to fold his hands, look toward heaven and thank God for His kindness. He speaks no English, but he radiates love. He wears a long, straight, scruffy beard, prematurely gray. 

I love to talk to the girls who work as casual laborers at the farm. I only wish my Malayalam were better so I could communicate better with them. They don’t know a word of English. 

Foreshadowing 
The Communists held a big rally last night. It was very spirited. They’re really getting active around here with elections approaching. They are painting slogans on walls and fences, displaying red flags with the Hammer and Sickle, etc. I’m glad they’re not calling for a revolution. That might become rather uncomfortable for me. 05/03/67 Wednesday 
I puttered around at the farm in the morning. I accompanied the officer to Perumbavoor in the afternoon. I played cards with the usual guys in the evening. 

I’m coming to that point that I did while I was in the Virgin Islands where I forget all of the potential weaknesses in a relationship with Alice and only think about the strong points. Right now I would marry her in a minute. Though a tie with Margy seems more reasonable, Alice is the one. 

05/04/67 Thursday 
I worked at the farm. I’m having second thoughts about the new officer. In some areas he is fine. But, in others he is incompetent. He is much more concerned with how the farm appears on the surface than with how scientific the management practices are. 

After much delay I finally picked up my custom made sandals from the little shop in Kuruppampady. The sandal maker didn’t do a bad job. The merchant next door from whom I usually buy soap caught me as I was leaving the shoe shop and insisted on buying me some coffee. It was an outstanding gesture of friendship, something I haven’t seen too much of in Kuruppampady, yet. Most of the people in the town still just sort of stand back and stare and giggle when I ride by. 

WHAT CAN BE DONE? 
05/05/67 Friday 
I puttered more at the farm. Suggestions I make to Padmanabhan seem to get lost. I will spend fifteen minutes suggesting specific things that need to be done and he will turn right around and ask me, “What can be done?” 

My Peace Corps book locker arrived from Bangalore this afternoon. It looks like some excellent reading. 

05/06/67 Saturday 
Larry arrived in the evening and stayed the night. 

J. P. COATES 
05/07/67 Sunday 
Larry and I went to Kalady. From there we went on with Helen and Richard to the J. P. Coates Company where we went swimming. Several other Peace Corps Volunteers from Trichur were already at the pool. It was good to see girls in swimsuits, two-piece at that! Yah-hoo! 

I met a Brit, Collin Paige, a teacher at the school there on the grounds. He invited us up to his apartment for coffee and to listen to records. It was very pleasant. He taught for nine years in Peru before coming to India. 

05/08/67 Monday 
Tom returned from Bangalore. Yippee! I have one more month until he is gone. 

05/09/67 Tuesday 
I put in some good labor at the farm in the afternoon. I knocked out a watering pit. 

That my writing has been lacking introspection for the past month or so is not because I haven’t been thinking. I’m just not ready yet to write down my thoughts. 

05/10/67 Wednesday 
I helped vaccinate chicks in the morning. I then went with the officer to the Panchayat meeting in the afternoon. The Panchayat passed a resolution to extend the Kuruppampady water supply up to the gate of the poultry farm. 

05/11/67 Thursday 
P. C. Thomas visited the farm in the afternoon to conduct an inspection. He had his usual negative things to say. But, for the first time, he had some good things to say also. He was pleased with several changes that we had made. 

Tonight, Peter has gone to his house to see his sick wife so I cooked my own dinner, lima beans and biscuits. The beans were too salty but I ate them anyway. I’m not fond of washing dishes. I guess I will hold off on firing Peter for a while, anyway, after Tom is gone. 

Tom is sick tonight. The symptoms are like dysentery but it could also be the flu. 

Tonight it rained hard and cooled things off. 

05/12/67 Friday 
I bussed to Ernakulam in the afternoon with the officer. We saw the Executive Engineer on some business, secured a room at the Arista Lodge and went for the movie at the Sridar. The movie was the real reason for the trip. We saw From 007 With Love. (The Indian film censors had renamed From Russia With Love. 

05/13/67 Saturday 
We left Ernakulam early for Kuruppampady and reached home by 8:00 AM. Larry arrived in the afternoon to tape some of Tom’s records. 

Since Peter was gone, I took the opportunity to use some of the packaged food Mom had sent. I made a pizza and a layer cake. Both were delicious if not perfect in quality. 

05/14/67 Sunday 
It was a nothing day. Larry stayed until around 4:30 PM. 

05/15/67 Monday 
I caught a bad spill off my cycle this morning, scuffing myself up pretty badly. 

I spent the afternoon reading. I finished Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreyser. I enjoyed the book greatly. In trying to show that money can’t buy happiness the author convinced me that at least you could enjoy your misery more if you were rich. 

05/16/67 Tuesday 
The monsoon has definitely arrived. I am told it is two to three weeks early. It has cooled things off. The temperature is almost pleasant though I still need the fan a fair part of the time. 

Introspection 
I think about home a lot. I feel so separated knowing I can’t go to the phone and hear at least the voices of those I love. I will try booking a call home at Christmas. 

ANT ATTACK! 
05/17/67 Wednesday 
Ants have invaded my bed. This is not the first time. As a countermeasure I have saturated my bed with DDT. Now all I need is a gas mask so I can sleep in it tonight. 

05/20/67 Saturday 
I traveled to Ernakulam to see the doctor at Lisie Hospital. I have been having trouble with hemorrhoids and simple diarrhea. 

In the evening I went to the Sridar to see Nevada Smith. Larry was there with Helen and Richard. We all went up to the Sea Lord Bar afterwards where we sat around and talked for an hour or so. We met some Americans from the oil refinery. 

05/21/67 Sunday 
Larry and I went out to the Island. We saw that an American cargo ship was in port so we went aboard. On board we met some of the ship’s, The President Coolidge, officers and passengers. We were invited to stay for a delicious lunch. The passengers were fascinating and rich. 

05/22/67 Monday 
I received an express letter from Peace Corps Bangalore warning that we might be asked to leave by the Kerala Government at any time. God, I hope they do and I hope it is soon. I don’t know how I can ever justify sitting on my ass at that poultry farm for a whole other year. 

05/23/67 Tuesday 
Introspection 
Things are rather unsettled for me here. For the past couple of months, since the Communists won the election, there have been rumblings in the newspapers that the state government is going to expel the Peace Corps. Yesterday I received the official communication from my Peace Corps head office saying that we may be asked to leave in the very near future. There is nothing definite yet, but it seems rather certain that there will be a change of some kind for me before too long. If and when we are asked to leave Kerala I can foresee at least three possibilities: We might be transferred to another state in India; we might be asked to serve in a project in another country; or, we might be sent back home. I wouldn’t mind that last alternative at all. Though I have been here for only a short time and thus my opinion is probably not worth much, the situation here in India looks hopeless. There are many things to make one feel optimistic and hopeful about India’s future, but they are so outweighed by the monstrous problems of overpopulation, inadequate food supply, disease, ignorance and government corruption that it is very easy to just say, “What’s the use?” I know I’m not sounding very much like a Peace Corps Volunteer should sound but, believe me, things can look much different when you are sitting on a poultry farm in South India than when you were sitting in the college coffee shop listening to a pretty Peace Corps recruiter tell you how “Superaverageamerican” goes out to developing countries armed only with his good old average American know-how and sets everything straight. I’m exaggerating, of course. I knew pretty well what I was getting in for before I ever decided to come here. I don’t mean to sound so glum. It may very well be that I will finish out my two years right here in Kuruppampady. If such is the case, I will make the most of it and do the best job I know how to do, both technically and cross-culturally. 

05/26/67 Friday 
I went to Trichur on Wednesday for a big going away party for Tom and Bobo. It was somewhat fun, girls, dancing, not enough booze. I left early Thursday morning with Bobo by motorcycle for Ernakulam. There we met the American lady missionary whom I will help with vaccinating her birds after Bobo leaves. She was something else! She has been in Kerala for twenty-one years and hasn’t bothered to learn Malayalam. She is a typical Midwestern Pentecostal farm-wife. 

From there we rode back to Alwaye to the Orphan Settlement and met Mr. Mattuny. He and Mrs. Mattuny are a charming couple. Mrs. Mattuny reminded me of Mrs. George. Both are very pleasant women. There were also two beautiful daughters. The 16 year old was very shy. In the typical Malayalee fashion they didn’t say a word to us. 

I keep hoping something more from Peace Corps will come in the mail, hopefully telling me we will be leaving Kerala soon. But, nothing arrived today, no letters from anyone. 

05/30/67 Tuesday 
On Sunday the group of regulars gave Tom their big send-off. We all went to Perumbavoor to have a photo made. For this occasion Tom and I dressed in mundas. Back at the house, Peter and the fellows prepared a feast, chicken curry, beef cutlets and barota, an Indian bread. 

On Monday, we had gone to Muvattupuzha for another send-off. Nair, Larry’s cook, gave it for Bobo and Tom. It was also a very good meal, beef curry, rice, dhal, salad. 

Articles appeared in both the Hindu and the Indian Express about Peace Corps being asked to leave Kerala. There has still been no official word to me or any of the other effected volunteers from either the Peace Corps or from the Kerala government. 

Today I went through and sorted my things, getting prepared in case we have to leave in a hurry. 

06/01/67 Thursday 
Yesterday when I learned that the new Junior Engineer who has only been on the job a little over two months is being transferred and that we will be starting from scratch again next week. I became disgusted. I took off for Cochin to see a movie. I went straight to the Zaina and saw The Unsinkable Molly Brown. After the movie I got a room in Fort Cochin. 

06/04/67 Sunday 
Friday around noon Larry and I took off for Munar. When we got there we found Marikar’s store all locked up, and him nowhere to be found. We took a room at the Tourist Bungalow up the hill above the town. I saw a great big black rat run up the wiring on the wall. We slept with the lights on, all night. They let us prepare some packaged food, which we had brought with us. We had a delicious Chinese dinner. I woke up about every half hour all night long and had to go to the bathroom every time, without fail. 

That afternoon on the swinging bridge that crosses the little river that runs through the town we met an American woman. She looked like she was in her late 40’s. As she passed us on the bridge she said to her American Negro male companion, “They must be Peace Corps.” Our curiosity was aroused so we traipsed back across the bridge to where she was waiting on the other side. We identified ourselves as Peace Corps Volunteers. She revealed that she was an ex-PCV, three years in the Cameroon and was now teaching physics in Ernakulam as part of a teachers’ exchange program. Her companion was Ralph Lee, head of the chemistry department at the University of Alabama, Mobile. From his facial features and skin color, he looked exactly like a native Malayalee. Expecting an Indian accent, we were surprised when out of his mouth came perfect American English. 

The following morning we found Marikar at his store and he instructed us to occupy his visitors’ bungalow at once. We moved our things in and then went cycling around Munar. The surrounding tea plantations provided wonderful scenery for the bike ride. 

The temperature was chilly in the evening. I was still cold under one blanket. I had to put on my t-shirt and socks to warm up. Larry had bad sinus trouble and was running a fever. 

This morning we were awakened at 6:00 AM by rapping on the door. It was Raja, Marikar’s servant boy, and Marikar had sent him to help us. He was an interesting kid. Larry had fun joking around with him. He had classically handsome Indian facial features. 

I struggled through preparing coffee, bacon and eggs and pancakes all on one small kerosene stove. It took forever and was a real pain in the ass. To top it off, I poured boiling milk into a cold glass pitcher and watched the bottom burst out of it. It was a vocabulary expanding experience. 

Tom and Rajan arrived about 11:30 AM. Larry and I had decided we would leave in the early afternoon so we turned the bungalow over to them. 

The bus ride back down into the steaming lowlands reminded us we were back home. 

06/12/67 Monday 
Last Tuesday, Tom Carter dropped in from Bangalore. I wasn’t here. 

06/16/67 Friday 
I hereby resolve that I will try faithfully to write in my diary every evening before retiring. 

Introspection 
June 8th, 9th and 10th I was in Trivandrum for our six month Peace Corps project review conference. Up to and during the conference I was experiencing a low-grade depression. More seriously than ever before I was considering terminating early and heading for home. After I got back to my site and got involved in fixing up the house I am as enthusiastic and optimistic as I have ever been. Tom Murray left for good on the 9th while I was away. I am again projecting ideas for accomplishments at the poultry farm and other areas, such as extension work and community development. I really don’t want to leave Kerala and will be very sad if the government makes us leave. 

THURSDAY CLUB 
Last night I attended, for the first time, a meeting of the Perumbavoor YMCA “Thursday Club,” an organization of prominent, educated men from the town who assemble weekly to discuss important issues. They invited me to present a talk at the next meeting on any subject I choose. 

06/17/67 Saturday 
I went with Padmanabhan to Alwaye today on business. I got another good taste of red tape. After business we did some shopping. I bought another Red Chinese Fountain Pen, this time a “Youth” brand. 

The officer has been making an obvious play for Tangama. 

I got another letter from Margy today. She is really good about writing. Her friendship has surely grown to be important to me. Alice hasn’t written in well over a month. I would like to hear from her just what is going on. 

I have started reading Dr. Zhivago. It is a little hard for me to follow. 

06/18/67 Sunday 
It was a typical day for work on the farm. The management practices they are following are not so bad. There isn’t really that much for me to be doing. 

I MAY BE MARRIED. I’M NOT SURE. 
In the morning I was standing out in the yard when an old lady walked by with a child and what looked like about an eighteen-year-old girl. She stopped and took a double take when she saw the sayuppus. Finally she got up the nerve to come into the compound and talk to me. She was very friendly. All the while her daughter was standing nearby smiling and staring intently at me. After they left I asked Peter what she had been saying. He claimed she was offering her daughter to me for marriage, and she would throw in the child she was holding in her arms as well. I don’t know for sure whether I agreed or not, but I guess I will know if I see them come around again. 

Three nights ago we had another unexpected visitor, a snake in the dining room. It wasn’t very big and it wasn’t poisonous. Just the same, I have been stepping a little more carefully around the house ever since. 

06/19/67 Monday 
Mr. Kuriakose was supposed to come by this morning to take me to his house to visit but he didn’t show up. 

Today I bought window screening and made screens for most of the windows on my house. Tonight there are just as many bugs as ever. What to do? 

I am well into Zhivago now and enjoying it more. It is not nearly as difficult reading as I thought it would be. 

Bryan and a friend stopped by today for a few minutes on their way home from Munar. He believes it is not a question of “if” we are going to leave Kerala; it’s merely a question of “when.” 

06/20/67 Tuesday 
Padmanabhan and I made a business trip to Ernakulam. We succeeded in seeing the Public Works Department Executive Engineer for Roads and Buildings. We discovered our estimate had been sent on to Dr. Menon for administrative sanction and allocation of funds. 

My temporary optimism and “gung ho” spirit is wearing off quickly. Again I am hoping we will be leaving Kerala soon. I’m still mixed up. One minute I feel one way, the next minute I feel differently. 

I HAD IT COMING 
I got the long-awaited “Dear John” letter from Alice today. In a studied casual, lighthearted, buoyant way she mentioned that this spring quarter had been among the happiest in her life, largely due to “someone special,” Bob Murphy. Yippee! I guess I knew it would happen, even hoped it would. But still it’s a little difficult for me to adjust to; my ego, mainly, I guess. Alice and I were not at all matched and I suppose it’s much better that it end this way than for me to come home still unsure of my feelings for her and try to make something out of nothing. 

06/21/67 Wednesday 
Larry arrived in the evening. 

06/22/67 Thursday 
Larry stayed until about 2:00 PM. It’s odd. I was hoping very much that he would come. But, while he was here, he made me so nervous by his constant chatter about details of his work, etc. that I was uncomfortable the whole time and couldn’t think, read or write till he left. 

In the evening I went again to the Perumbavoor YMCA Thursday Club meeting. I had prepared my talk for the meeting. Since a quorum wasn’t in attendance, the meeting was canceled; thus, no talk. I am now supposed to present it next week. 

06/23/67 Friday 
I killed a cock from the farm for dinner. I was surprised to find such a good amount of meat on it. 

Larry came this afternoon with the jeep from Muvattupuzha to deliver some feeders and pick up some birds for processing. 

06/24/67 Saturday 
I was so cold this morning I had to wear a sweater. Even then it was chilly. 

Tangama was playing games again today. She got up on a stack of feedbags and stuck her tongue out at me very seductively. I shrugged my shoulders and said, “monosali illa.” I don’t understand. I finally got the invitation I had hoped for, and I squandered it. What a jerk! 

06/25/67 Sunday 
Last night after I had been in bed about an hour, Peter came in and woke me up saying, “Sir. You want girl?” I asked, “Now?” He said, “Yes, I got. Name, Mani.” So, I didn’t get much sleep last night. This could be habit-forming. 

This afternoon and evening I spent at the home of M. V. Joseph in Perumbavoor. His place was beautiful. His son, a young doctor, was very interesting to talk to. He had some disturbing ideas about India’s future. He feels that fifteen to twenty years of military dictatorship is what the country needs. Sometimes I agree. 

06/27/67 Tuesday 
On Monday I went to Chenganur to get some medicines for the farm. Larry was there repairing trap-nests. John and Tom had gone to Ceylon. Wally was there. The guys had moved into Carter and Savin’s old house. They live like a bunch of animals. I couldn’t last there more than a day or two, I’m sure. 

Dr. Nambiar gave me some very helpful advice on getting our construction work done. 

I finished reading Dr. Zhivago. It ended quite differently from the movie. 

Tuesday morning I headed back for Kuruppampady and arrived back here in the afternoon. Peter has been ill with stomach trouble. He is seeing the doctor and taking medicines for it. So far, it just continues to get worse. 

06/28/67 
The rain came down hard and it was chilly most of the day. 

I’m nervous about what I am going to say at the Thursday Club tomorrow night. 

06/29/67 Thursday 
I did a little extension work today. I visited a successful poultry farmer over by Kalady. He has some very progressive ideas. A few more men like him in Kerala could do a lot for the poultry industry. 

I also dropped by the Rayon’s factory to see how their poultry unit was progressing. They still hadn’t started it. I went on to Kalady and saw Tom and Richard. While there, I read the article in the Indian Express, which finally stated that Kerala has definitely decided to get rid of fifteen volunteers in the Animal Husbandry Department. I still don’t know if this will affect me. I hope to find out in the next few days. 

I went to Thursday Club in the evening. I gave my talk on why I joined the Peace Corps. I felt like I made a complete ass of myself. But, of course, they all said they enjoyed the talk very much. There was a good-sized group. Next week’s topic for discussion will be “What Right Does Israel Have to be a State?” 

06/30/67 Friday 
I went to the Perumbavoor Library in the morning. They have a few good novels, quite a few books on Indian history, politics, etc., but not much research material. 

07/01/67 Saturday 
I went to Rajan’s house to pay a social visit in the morning. 

07/02/67 Sunday 
I spent the day writing letters. 

07/03/67 Monday 
I went to the Malayalam cinema in the evening. 

07/04/67 Tuesday 
I went to Ernakulam and ran into Larry at the boat jetty. Together, we went out to the Malabar. We enjoyed a Chinese dinner. We talked to Slattery and Zimmerman. They said there was still no news on the Kerala/Peace Corps situation. 

In the evening, Rajan, Ramakrishnan and I enjoyed a visit from Mani. Later, she came back and stayed the night with me. 

07/05/67 Wednesday 
I went to Alwaye to see Charade. Larry was here when I got back. 

07/06/67 Thursday 
Larry was here all day and is here tonight. I went to the YMCA Thursday Club in Perumbavoor in the evening. 

07/07/67 Friday 
Larry departed in the morning. In the evening Gopalakrishnan visited, as well as Ramakrishnan, Rajan and Varghee. We set off a box of fireworks, which I had been saving for the fourth of July. 

07/08/67 Saturday 
I went shopping in Alwaye in the morning. After lunch I went to Kotamangalam with Rajan to see his college. When I got back home Bryan and Larry were here waiting for me. We ate dinner and then sat around and BS’d and read. 

We had hoped for a visit from Mani but as the evening approached 11:00 PM, we had given up. Then came a tapping, a rapping on my window. It was Mani and each of us, Bryan, Larry, Rajan, Ramakrishnan and I, enjoyed her company individually. 

07/09/67 Sunday 
Bryan and Larry left by 9:00 AM. After that I went to Kotamangalam to see Bye, Bye Birdie with Anne Margaret. (Don’t I wish I had seen it with Anne Margaret!?) 

I slept and rested most of the afternoon. The “regulars” came in the evening. Richard came in the afternoon by motorcycle. 

07/10/67 Monday 
It was a frustrating day at the farm. I am once again disgusted with the whole mess and would just as soon leave the situation. 

07/11/67 Tuesday 
Feelings were rather tense at the farm this afternoon. Evidently the officer feels I haven’t been working hard enough. He is a bastard but that is beside the point. I will try to work harder at piss-ant, coolly labor from now on. Bull shit! 

07/12/67 Wednesday 
I started coming down with a cold. I went to Alwaye to see Psycho in the evening. I am afraid I hurt Gopalakrishnan’s feelings when I told him I had to come straight back because of my cold. He had gone to some trouble preparing a meal and arranging a room for me at the Tourist Bungalow. I kicked myself all the way home that I didn’t stay. 

After getting home I was turning out the lights to go to bed when I heard Mani tapping at the window. She stayed the night. 

07/13/67 Thursday 
My cold is getting steadily worse. I went to Kalady to see Richard and Tom only to find that they had left for Bangalore on Monday. 

I skipped Thursday Club in the evening, as I wasn’t feeling well. I went to bed about 8:30 PM. 

07/14/67 Friday 
There is a new clerk-typist at the farm. She is about 4’ 10” or less, 22 years old, very shy and could be cute if she made an effort. 

My relationship with the officer in the afternoon was good, back to normal. 

The gang was here in the evening. Card tricks and games were the bill of fare. 

07/15/67 Saturday 
I went to the bank in Perumbavoor. 

After lunch I baked some brownies. I dropped the hot pan on the floor but was able to save most of the brownies. 

Sasi came about five and said Larry was “just then” preparing to leave from Alwaye for his Kashmir trip. He said Larry hadn’t seen today’s newspaper article saying that we would be asked to leave immediately. Later Nair came. The two of them stayed all night. 

07/16/67 Sunday 
Mr. S. Sankara from Alwaye was supposed to come for a visit by 10:00 AM. He never showed up. This has happened so many times now, I’m beginning to just expect it. 

I now have a cold, sore throat, and a hacking cough that have kept me feeling pretty miserable all day. 

In the evening the fellows and I played Careers. 

07/17/67 Monday 
I spent the day at the house just resting and trying to shake this cold. I had intended to go to Chengannur today to accompany a shipment of chicks back here to the farm. As I was sick, I asked the officer if K. Siva Pillar could go instead. He said that would be fine. Later in the afternoon the officer came to the house to see how I was doing. I asked if K. Shiva had gone. He said no, as they hadn’t received any definite notification of a shipment yet. I felt like knocking his head against the wall but constrained myself. It is things like this that make me feel like even if I was putting my all into this job it just wouldn’t be worth it! 

About 9:30 PM Mani came to the window. 

Today marks one year in the Peace Corps; one year since I departed Portland to start training. 

07/18/67 Tuesday 
Sure enough, the chicks didn’t come. But, I am sure they would have been sent had we sent a man to accompany them back. 

07/19/67 Wednesday 
I worked on brooders at the farm, getting them ready for the delivery of chicks on Saturday. 

07/20/67 Thursday 
I was still working on brooders. I am experiencing one of my energetic spurts where I have visions of mending all the things in disrepair at the farm. Still I am haunted by the question, “How is this helping India?” 

In the evening I went to Thursday Club. There was nothing of interest for tonight’s meeting. 

07/21/67 Friday 
I went to Chengannur. I arrived there by bus by about 3:00 PM. I played Monopoly in the evening with Nambiar and the PC group. 

07/22/67 Saturday 
I came back to Kuruppampady with a shipment of fifteen day-old chicks by jeep. Surprisingly, the officer had everything ready when we arrived. Tonight I am very tired. 

07/23/67 Sunday 
I went to Kalady. Tom was home as well as two volunteers visiting from Madhya Pradesh, a Negro girl and a white guy. The girl looked very good. 

I made arrangements to hire David, Tom and Richard’s cook, when they leave on August 22nd. I plan on firing Peter on August 1st and having Sasi work for me till David comes. 

I have also arranged to buy Richard’s guitar. I’ll probably get it in the next couple of days. 

07/24 67 Monday 
Too many chicks are dying. Poor management is the only excuse. I haven’t succeeded in getting the farm officer to heed my advice. 

I ran out of money yesterday. I was expecting to get my checks from Delhi this morning. They came in the afternoon, too late to deposit them. 

It was a good day for mail, Alice, Margy, LeAnn, two letters from Mom, Peace Corps stuff and Time Magazine. 

07/25/67 Tuesday 
I did my banking and also some shopping in Perumbavoor. 

07/26/67 Wednesday 
After lunch I went to Kalady to buy Richard’s guitar only to discover that he had already promised to sell it to someone else. I had a nice visit anyway. Helen came by while I was there. Later we went to her house for some cake and tea. 

Richard and Helen are a couple of strange people. We are definitely not on the same wavelength. 

Tonight, at home, the gang and I played cards. A couple of other guys, Narayanan and Kuriakose joined us. 

After I was alone, Mani dropped by. 

07/27/67 Thursday 
I did a little work at the farm, trying to rebuild some of the old nests. 

I went to the YMCA in the evening for Thursday Club. Some new members were present, two young men employed at Travancore Rayon’s. 

Mr. Mathuni from Alwaye was waiting for me after the meeting. He had brought a sick bird for me to inspect. He brought me home by car and arranged for me to come to his house the following morning. 

07/28/67 Friday 
I went to see Mathuni at Alwaye in the late morning. I looked over his chickens and gave some advice. I had lunch with him and his family. They loaned me a cornet to practice on at home. We made tentative plans for me to lead a music class at the Settlement once a week. It should be fun. 

The guys were here for a spirited game of Monopoly in the evening. 

07/29/67 Saturday 
I visited Miss Greet, the American missionary in Ernakulam. I had a most enjoyable day. She has about fifty girls in the orphanage, ages five to eighteen. She fed me well and we talked all afternoon. Some of the girls sang for me. They were so cute. Five of the youngest ones came and sat on my lap and gave me some big hugs and kisses. I’m going to try to spend one day a week there. 

07/30/67 Sunday 
Peter went to his house yesterday after he got word that his wife was ill, so I cooked my own meals. 

There was a big Monopoly game in the evening when I squeezed everyone else out. 

Mani visited me after I was alone. 

07/31/67 Monday 
I spent most of the day at the farm, writing letters. 

I am still doing my own cooking, as Peter won’t be back until tomorrow. 

The guys came by for cards and later Mani dropped by. 

08/01/67 Tuesday 
We were supposed to vaccinate chicks today but it was postponed until tomorrow. 

Richard came over in the afternoon, as usual with no purpose in mind. 

I had a houseful of visitors in the evening but they cleared out by about 8:00 PM, for which I was thankful. I went to bed early. 

08/02/67 Wednesday 
We vaccinated chicks in the morning. I got a box of cookies from LeAnn, which she had sent by airmail. 

I got the big telegram from Peace Corps telling me to come to Ernakulam next Tuesday for an important meeting to discuss relocation plans for a move to Mysore. 

I played Careers with the guys in the evening. 

08/03/67 Thursday 
I visited Miss Greet’s orphanage in Ernakulam. I had a good lunch, taught a pretty girl how to play the uke, and got some big hugs and kisses from my little friend, Becky. Later, I went into town to do some shopping. 

I got home about 6:30 PM and shortly after, Tom Culvertson pedaled up on his bike from Kalady. He stayed the night. 

08/04/67 Friday 
I got a haircut in the morning. In the evening we played Monopoly and Careers, ate popcorn and drank a bottle of gin. We had a very jolly time. 

08/05/67 Saturday 
I went to Ernakulam to buy tickets to take my group of friends here to see Goldfinger tomorrow. I had intended to take Padmanabhan today to see the film, but at the last minute he said he didn’t think he should go because of his responsibilities at the farm. 

The fellows and I spent a simple evening of conversation. 

Mani dropped by after the others had left. 

08/06/67 Sunday 
I took Sasi, Ramakrishnan, Rajan, Gopalakrishnan and Varghee to see Goldfinger in Ernakulam. After the show, I took them for coffee at the Sea Lord. 

08/07/67 Monday 
I went to Travancore Rayon’s and saw Raman Nair who promised to get me the tablecloth before I leave. I went to Kalady but no one was home. 

In the afternoon I went to Ernakulam and checked into the Sea Lord. I had a good time being with Bryan and the PC guys. 

08/08/67 Tuesday 
At our special meeting we learned that we were definitely leaving Kerala and the details of our relocation to Mysore. I am to report to Bangalore on August 19th. 

08/09/67 Wednesday 
Sasi and Nair came just as I was leaving for Alwaye. They went to the bank with me as they each had a dollar bill they wanted to sell me. When I got to Alwaye I ate lunch at Tea’s Aroma and ran into a fellow I had met once before at the cinema in Alwaye, one Gopalakrishnan Nair of Premier Tyres. 

From there I went out to see the Mathunis at the Alwaye Settlement. Mathuni’s secretary, Mary Paul, gave me a guided tour of the grounds; a cute and friendly Indian girl aged 19. 

From the Settlement I went to my friend Gopalakrishnan’s in Alwaye. He wasn’t there so I went on to see the English cinema, an Alfred Hitchcock movie, Marnie. I went back to Gopalakrishnan’s after the flick and spent the night there. 

08/10/67 Thursday 
I departed Alwaye by 8:30 AM and went to see Miss Greet for lunch and conversation. I was back home by about 2:00 PM. 

In the evening I went to Perumbavoor for Thursday Club, only to find it had been cancelled for lack of a speaker and inadequate attendance. Mr. T. J. John invited me to his house for coffee and conversation. 

08/11/67 Friday 
I went to the farm in the morning. I joked around with Kartha and Tangama, playing in the deep litter. 

After lunch I went to the bank and then on to Kalady. I was late, so Tom and I took a taxi into Alwaye where we caught the bus out to the oil refinery. Upon arriving at the refinery we visited with the Nippers, a young Indian engineer and his wife, in their home. We then went to see Daphne, a beautiful Anglo-Indian girl who works as a secretary there. Around seven we went back over to Nippers where a send-off party for all the Peace Corps people in the area was being held. A very drunk party ensued, one which I enjoyed, or so I am told. 

08/12/67 Saturday 
I woke up very hung over and decided not to go to the Alleppy Snake Boat races as planned. I spent a leisurely morning at the Nippers and finally left about 10:30 AM. I got home at about 2:30 PM, still hung over. 

I spent a quiet evening at home with my buddies, playing the new tape recorder, which I bought from Helen last night while under the influence. 

08/13/67 Sunday 
When I got up I did some writing before going on up to the farm. I used the typewriter at the farm office to type a letter of recommendation for Peter. 

I used the new recorder to tape the laborers out in front of my house who were chanting as they did their work of loading logs on trucks. 

RAMAKRISHNAN GOES GRAN MAL 
I began to do some sorting and packing. Rajan came and payed me the money for the radio I sold him. About one o’clock, Ramakrishnan came to visit. He no sooner said, “Hello” than he began to have an epileptic seizure. It scared the piss out of me. At first he looked strange and asked where he could lie down. Then he went blind, became very tense and his eyes became glassy. I got him to my bed. He lost consciousness and the convulsions began; a pretty terrifying sight for me. All I could do at first was try to hold on to him and keep him from hurting himself. Then I remembered that in these cases people sometimes swallow their tongues and die of strangulation so I grabbed a spoon that was handy and stuck it in his mouth to prevent that from happening. It had the immediate effect of calming him down considerably. About this time he began foaming at the mouth and having more mild convulsions, but the worst was over. After about fifteen minutes of rest he snapped out of it and was able to talk to me. 

Last week as I was riding home from Ernakulam on the bus, and on several other instances in the days leading up to today I had a very strong, eerie, feeling that I was going to be called on very soon to attend to a person having an epileptic seizure. 

I went to Varghee’s in the afternoon to record from his radio. I went to the cinema in the evening. 

08/14/67 Monday 
I am packing to leave. Helen and John came about 10:30 AM with her transistor for me to sell to the poultry officer’s friend. They stayed for lunch and left about 12:30 PM. 

In the evening we played around with the tape recorder. Unichetten worked at repairing my fan. 

Much to my delight, Mani dropped by after the others had gone. 

08/15/67 Tuesday, Indian Independence Day 
I went to the Perumbavoor market with Ramakrishnan in the morning and took a lot of good photos. 

In the evening my group of Indian buddies had their sendoff for me. It was very nice, but also very sad. Unichetten finished repairing my fan and did an excellent job. 

Hot weather has set in for at least a few days. I had to use my fan for sleeping. 

08/16/67 Wednesday 
THERE REALLY ARE MONKEYS IN THE FOREST 
I went to the Iringole forest with Ramakrishnan in the afternoon. For the first time I saw lots of monkeys. We gave them bananas and they came right up to us to receive them; much more fun than any zoo. 

Later the people at the poultry farm gave me a sendoff/tea party. It was very touching. 

In the evening the YMCA Thursday Club gave me their sendoff, each member saying a little speech about me. It was very flattering, indeed. It made me feel that my time here had been somewhat worthwhile, after all. 

Mani ended the day with me. 

08/17/67 Thursday 
I continue packing. 

There was a sendoff for me at the Mathunis in the evening. Helen and John and Tom and Richard were also honored. I decided I was going to marry Mr. Mathuni’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Jean. I will wait awhile before I propose, though. Mathunis drove all of us home by car. I saw Tom and Richard for the last time in India. 

08/18/67 Friday 
AN “UN”GRACIOUS DEPARTURE 
I am still packing. Ramakrishnan, Sasi and Nair helped me a lot. Peter made a very ugly scene just before the taxi was to come to take me away. He claimed I hadn’t paid him for his last month of work and threatened to delay my taxi, get the police, and confiscate part of my baggage. When the taxi finally came he started to grab for the fan, I shoved him back into the wall and he reeled off a few choice names for me, i.e. bloody fucker. I ended up paying him an extra Rs. 40 just to avoid missing my train and having him create any more of a scene. I got to the train accompanied by Ramakrishnan, Rajan, Varghee, Sasi and Nair and about a ton of baggage. 

EVERYBODY’S GOT SOMETHING TO HIDE EXCEPT ME AND MY MONKEY Already on the train when I boarded were about eight others of India-33. I shared a compartment with Bob and Paul and their monkey up to Bangalore. 

08/19/67 Saturday 
We arrived in Bangalore at about 8:00 AM and eventually got settled in here at the West End Hotel. I shared a room with Dan. It looks like we are going to be staying here in Mysore, even though there have been some last ditch attempts to get us back into Kerala. 

That night there was a party at the Slatterys’. There were lots of people, even girls. It was fun, but I left with the first batch of party poopers. 

08/20/67 Sunday 
I played golf in the morning and did very poorly. But, I got a nice sunburn on my face. 

I went to see A Fist Full of Dollars in the afternoon. It was the best western I have ever seen; very fresh. 

I am enjoying the dry, cool climate here in Bangalore immensely. The food at the hotel is great. For now, life is very good! 

08/21/67 Monday 
It was a full day spent at the hotel in boring meetings with government officials, sociologists and language experts. 

In the evening, Mr. and Mrs. George (Thekaekara) and Alphine dropped by the hotel. They were all looking great, especially Alphine, a beautiful and charming girl. 

08/22/67 Tuesday 
There were more meetings in the morning. Mike and I went to see The Sound of Music in the afternoon, the third time I had seen it. My eyes were hardly dry a minute during the movie. I am such a sap. 

I learned in the evening that Parker and I would be assigned together to the poultry farm in Haveri in the central part of Mysore, near Goa. There’s still a very strong possibility that we may be returning to Kerala, though. I hope we stay in Mysore now that we are here. 

PARTY TIME 
After dinner there was a meeting with Mysore government officials. Then we headed for the Metro Bar. It was a real hole, full of ugly and old Anglo-Indian prostitutes. We did have fun just sort of ranking the place. We finally moved on after a not-exceptionally long stay. 

Next we walked over to the 3 Aces. The place was full and swinging with an outstanding combo and singer. I danced with a pretty little Anglo-Indian redhead. She was very sweet and friendly. 

After the band quit, the rest of the Anglo-Indian group became very cordial and invited us to come over to one of their houses for a few drinks. John, Tom, Ken and I went with them, three ladies and two men. They were really a bunch of screwed up, very unhappy people. It seemed they were very wealthy, however. We got back to the hotel at about 4:00 AM. 

08/23/67 Wednesday 
We moved by noon from the West End Hotel to the Shilton. I got a single room. I ate lunch at the Italian Guest House, pizza, green salad, spaghetti and wine. After lunch I bathed, walked over to Mahatma Gandhi Road and did some shopping. I bought some very nice chappals (sandals) made of water buffalo hide. 

DINNER WITH THE GEORGE’S 
The whole group went out to George’s for dinner and had a delightful time. The girls are so beautiful and charming. How great would it be to walk into a fine restaurant in the States with Alpheen or Merlyn on my arm? I can dream! 

TOOTING MY OWN HORN 
After the evening at the Georges, the group again descended on the 3 Aces. There was not such a big crowd tonight but the combo was still making with the fine, fine sounds. They let me borrow a trumpet and sit in on a few numbers with them. I had a fine time and a bit of a thrill. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, many of them coming over to my table afterwards and expressing their appreciation. Some even requested me to blow another session. It was very flattering and the biggest ego-boost I had gotten in months. 

08/24/67 Thursday 
I went shopping in the morning. I took my sport coat to the cleaners to be pressed. I bought a couple of beautiful Madras cloth shirts at about a buck apiece. 

I went to the 3 Aces again in the evening. 

08/25/67 Friday 
We packed-up and left Bangalore by about 3:30 PM. We went by Peace Corps van out to Hesseraghatta, the Mysore Central Poultry farm where we will be staying for about two weeks. We have been given nice quarters in a hostel, and we have an excellent cook. 

We played poker all evening. I even won a couple of rupees. 

08/26/67 Saturday 
We visited the poultry farm in the morning. I was very impressed with it. There were clean, modern buildings, apparently efficient management and a well-organized operation. At first look, it seems much better than what we saw anyplace in Kerala. 

In the evening we played poker again. This time I won about twelve rupees. 

08/27/67 Sunday 
In the afternoon we did a little community exploration. First we went over to the Yacht Club where they were having sailboat races on the lake. We then set out for the village of Hesseraghatta, about a two-mile hike by the road. By footpath, it was much closer. This was the first time I had ever been in a typical Indian village. It was completely surrounded by farms and crops. All the houses, buildings and shops were close together in a tight nucleus. Its appearance was more stereotypically what you think of when you think of an Indian village. In Kerala, villages were more like small towns. 

Bryan left for Bombay to take care of the imported broiler chicks coming in from the States this week. 

08/28/67 Monday 
We went to the farm in the morning but our work assignments had not been made out yet. So before long I returned to the hostel. 

We played with some children outside the hostel in the afternoon. They seemed much different than many of the children in Kerala. Down there the kids seemed to be afraid of us. Here they are very friendly and seem to enjoy having us play with them. 

08/29/67 Tuesday 
I went to the farm to help vaccinate day-old chicks. It is a one-mile walk to the farm each way. We make the round trip twice a day for a total of four miles a day. The gluteus muscles are already starting to feel the benefit. 

We played poker in the evening. I lost about a rupee. 

08/30/67 Wednesday 
Carter came in the afternoon. I taped a letter to the folks in the evening. 

08/31/67 Thursday 
I went in to Bangalore, first to Vijayalakshmi to get cloth for a Punjabi dress for my little niece, Rene’, and then to lunch at Kwality. I had a mutton hamburger. I went to the Peace Corps office to pick up my mail. From there I walked to the city market to catch the bus back to the village. 

09/01/67 Friday 
I went into Bangalore with French to do some shopping and sightseeing. I saw a lot of Bangalore I had never seen before, Commercial St. etc. We went to see Walk Don’t Run with Cary Grant. I didn’t like it. We looked for the rest of the group who were supposed to meet up with us at the 3 Aces. We didn’t find them. On a stupid whim we tried to find the house of an Anglo-Indian girl I had met at the 3 Aces last week, Cheryl Hay. We found the house but nobody was home. We went back to the 3 Aces and enjoyed the band until 1:00 AM when they closed. We met some more Anglo-Indian girls. Finally we went to the Regent Guest House and got a room for the night, the mice and we. 

09/02/67 Saturday 
We came back to Hesseraghatta in the morning and then I returned to Bangalore with Parker and Larry in the late afternoon. Larry finally caught up with the rest of us. He arrived from Kerala yesterday full of tales of his big trip. We got a room at the Regent and then went for some dinner at Kwality. We ran into Bryan there, just returned from Bombay. 

Parker and I, after dinner, went over to the Bowring Institute to meet Hazel and Cheryl. We were a couple of hours late but Hazel, Gwen and Cheryl’s grandmother were there waiting for us. Gwen and I went next door to the church, where Cheryl was at a dance, to bring her back to the Bowring with us. She was very good-looking and we had a very nice evening together. From the Bowring we all went to the Catholic Club. There was not much action there so about midnight we went to the 3 Aces. 

09/03/67 Sunday 
We came back out to the farm this morning. I’m packing tonight to move into Bangalore for a couple of days. 

09/04/67 Monday 
I finished packing and moved by Peace Corps van into Bangalore. I went to see Bedtime Story starring Marlon Brando in the evening. 

09/05/67 Tuesday 
We went for medical exams at PC Headquarters in the morning. This included stool and urine specimens, TB tests, X-Rays and blood tests. 

We went again to the 3 Aces in the late evening and then on to the Breeze for a gay old time with other volunteers. We got back to the Regent for good talk until 2:30 AM. Linda, a married PCV who was staying at the Regent was certainly sexy. 

09/06/67 Wednesday 
We visited the Regional Poultry Farm at Kolar. It was very hot and very boring. We got back to Bangalore in time for a great lasagna dinner at Slatterys’ and then to the Regent for one more night. We went to the 3 Aces for one set. Then John, Tom, Ken and I went to the Metro to check it out. There was no action so Ken and I left. 

09/07/67 Thursday 
We began our big Mysore tour. The first stop was the Regional Poultry Farm at Malavalli. From there it was on to Mysore City for lunch. We then drove on to Kudige Regional Poultry Farm for dinner and spent the night at the Public Works Department Inspection Bungalow. A charming little British girl, Maxine, was also staying there. Oh boy! She’s just knocking around India on her own. She’s been here since 1966. She is here in Kudige hoping to visit the Tibetan Settlement. 

09/08/67 Friday 
I talked a little more with Maxine before leaving. I enjoyed her. She was a very sweet and sensitive girl. I wish I’d had time to get to know her better. We drove on to Mangalore. We ate lunch at the best hotel in town, which wasn’t bad. We staged an eating orgy, really stuffed ourselves at the Peace Corp’s expense. 

We drove on to Jog Falls; arriving late at night due to the “short-cut” the half-wit bus driver took. 

09/09/67 Saturday 
JOG FALLS DESCENT 
I had a beautiful morning hiking to the bottom of Jog Falls with Mike Ince, Bryan and Tom McGarry. About half way down, the trail became quite treacherous. The mist from the falls made it seem as though it was raining. At the top of the last leg of the trail we ran into John Anderson and Ken French, clad only in their skivvies! They told us we had better strip too, for the rest of the trip, or we would get our clothes soaking wet. They said it was like a big rainstorm near the bottom. We stripped, hid our clothes and cameras behind a rock and descended the rest of the trail. It got progressively wetter and windier until it became like a hurricane. We slipped and crawled over jagged rocks and through narrow tunnels. Looking back up at the thundering falls directly above us was enough to fill anyone with awe and respect for the Creator. Almost at the bottom, Ed Collins, the peon from the bus and a little boy acting as their guide, joined us. Collins was bare-ass-naked and he sure looked funny. Their little guide said the river was rising and we should start back up right away. All of us but Ince and Bryan heeded his advice and started the ascent. They insisted on continuing until they reached the river. They did make it back up safely, about a half hour behind the rest of us. 

FIRST LOOK AT HAVERI 
After lunch we boarded the bus and headed out for Haveri. We reached it by about five o’clock. It’s located in the heart of some beautiful farming country. The poultry farm looks nice, far superior to Koovapady (the Kuruppampady farm.) The officer, Dr. Rao, is very sharp and seems like he should be good to work with. Our quarters weren’t finished yet, but they looked like they might be okay, eventually. 

From Haveri, it was on to Hubli that night for a nice halt at the Woodlands, and a good vegetarian dinner at one of the other good hotels. 

09/10/67 
We departed Hubli for Hospet and arrived there for a good western lunch at the hilltop Indra Bhavan. We got rooms at the Traveler’s Bungalow. In the afternoon we visited nearby Hampi, the site of some ruins and temples. 

09/11/67 Monday 
GOOD SAMARITAN – NOT 
We drove on from Hospet to Gangavati. Just before reaching Gangavati we passed a lorry turned on its side in the ditch. We asked the bus driver to stop so we could investigate. Some of the guys thought they had seen a body lying by the truck. He refused to stop and a heated argument ensued. He said he would have to go to court if he stopped. That apparently meant more to him than possibly saving a human life. 

When we got to the farm we informed the police and arranged for the farm vehicle to take some of us back out to investigate the accident. We found out that it had happened three days previously. We were relieved, but still angry with the bus driver whose guilt in our eyes wasn’t lessened any by the outcome of the incident. 

In the afternoon we drove to Bellary. There, Bob, Dan and I were dropped off to go by train to our sites. Fred, a PCV and really a weenie, assisted us. 

09/12/67 Tuesday 
LIFE IN HAVERI BEGINS FOR US 
Bob and I got into Hubli at 4:30 AM. We were fortunate to get another train immediately to Haveri. It was a beautiful morning. We didn’t stay long in Haveri, but headed back to Hubli to take care of registering with the District Police. We checked in at the Woodlands and got cleaned up. We went to see Bill Calkins, a Hubli PCV who had said he would help us get settled. He took us downtown where I had passport photos made for the police papers. 

We went back to the hotel to lie down for a nap at about 4:30 PM and slept straight through till morning. 

We walked around Hubli’s commercial section in the morning. I picked up my finished photos and met Bill at the bus-stand. We went to Dharwar and registered with the police. There was no problem. They didn’t even ask for the photos, which I had gone to great pains to get for them. 

We went out to see the Gram Sevak Training Center with Bill. We finally got back to Hubli about 6:30 PM, got cleaned up and went over to Bill and Maureen’s for a great dinner; American-style stew with pumpkin pie for desert. Good talk followed dinner. Bill and Maureen are from Pendleton, Oregon. 

09/14/67 Thursday 
We traveled back to Haveri by train and had lunch at the bus station. Nothing had been done yet to our new quarters. Temporary quarters were arranged for us at the poultry farm. We spent the afternoon getting settled in. Dr. Rao took us to the bazaar in the evening for some shopping. 

09/15/67 Friday 
This was the first full day at the new farm. The situation looks good. 

We arranged for a language tutor and for a cook. 

We went shopping with the new cook at the bazaar in the evening. 

09/16/67 Saturday 
We worked on the farm today. Bob and I are both depressed; due in part to breaking in the new cook, but also just generally getting used to a whole new situation. 

Some kind of hymn singing or prayer meeting was going on in the house behind us tonight. I’m not sure if it was Muslim or Christian, or what. 

I started reading The Secret of Santa Vittoria. 

09/17/67 Sunday 
We decided to set precedent today and didn’t work. I got caught up on letter writing, and loafed. 

09/18/67 Monday 
We did some debeaking of chicks in the morning. We were interrupted because of an electricity failure. 

We spent the afternoon awaiting the arrival of the Director of animal Husbandry for Mysore State. He showed up three hours late. It was sickening to see everyone at the farm, including Dr. Rao, bow and scrape to him. It was as if they were paying homage to one of their gods. Actually, he was a fairly nice guy, pleasant to talk with and very friendly. 

09/19/67 Tuesday 
Dr. Rao was out of station today and won’t be back until Thursday or Friday. I had a case of dysentery in the morning; felt rotten and smelled rotten all day. I couldn’t eat. I tried some bullion tonight. I’m still not feeling good. 

09/20/67 Wednesday 
I did some work on the farm in spite of continuing to feel rotten. 

09/22/67 Friday 
Dr. Rao returned from his Raichur trip. We worked a little on the farm. 

09/23/67 Saturday 
Bob and I went to Hubli to do some shopping. Hubli is a pretty drab, ugly place. But, in the back streets and in the market there is an attraction that can hold me for hours. Bob became a little frustrated with me, for as we walked through the streets I would wander off to digest whatever caught my eye, many times not informing him. So he would be a half a block away before he would notice I was missing. Next time, I will come on my own. 

09/24/67 Sunday 
I finished reading Santa Vittoria. 

Good news! A telegram arrived from the Kalady cook, David, saying he was on his way up, a great relief to us as we are not eating well with the cook we have. 

I’m leaving for Goa at 4:00 AM tomorrow. So, I am getting things ready tonight. 

09/25/67 Monday 
I got up at 3:30 AM to catch the bus to Goa. It showed up almost two hours late at 6:00 AM. Larry, John and Tom were already on the bus. We got to Goa at about 2:30 PM. It was a beautiful ride down through the Ghats. From Panjim we ferried out across the river. On the other side we got a taxi to Calungute where the Gujarat PCV’s were having their conference. All of them looked great, especially the girls. I turned in kind of early as I was exhausted from the long day. 

09/26/67 Tuesday 
In the morning, four of us, Larry, John, Tom and I went out to visit some friends of John. It was a doctor and his family, the father of a Goan boy John had met in the States. They showed us a nice afternoon. There were two attractive daughters, Promilda, 17, and Cynthia, 25. They were charming girls. We were treated to a feast; more food than we could possibly have eaten. We headed back for the hotel about 5:00 PM. 

Shortly after we arrived back at our hotel, and as part of the Gujaratis’ PC Conference, a special variety show was presented for us by a troup of local Goans. It was an interesting introduction to their culture. At the end of the show Gene, Larry, John, Tom and I got up on stage and sang, which the entertainers and the audience enjoyed almost as much as we did. 

Later, we ate dinner at the Royal Hotel bar just down the beach from the hotel we were staying at. We had broiled prawns, caught locally. After dinner we did much serious drinking and singing. The single girls of the PC group joined us for dancing and even more singing. 

A DARK MOMENT BETWEEN JOHN AND ME 
There was an ugly incident between John and me on the beach in which he treated me a little roughly. I think it was just because he was so drunk. I have thought at times, though, that John may harbor some ill feelings against me. 

I started the incident by tossing a drink in John’s face following some very heavy drinking. I lost any semblance of good judgment and thought, impulsively, that throwing the drink would be funny. I also remember that there had been some antagonistic undercurrent going on between John and me. When I doused John with my drink, he erupted from the table, picked me up in his arms and marched me straight out into the ocean at a depth close to over my head. Several of the other guys followed us out into the surf. I was absolutely terrified, screaming and begging John to put me down and let me go. I apologized profusely, but John showed me no mercy. He dropped me, kicking and screaming, into the water. I quickly swam to where I could stand and waded back to the beach with not much more hurt than my pride. John and I talked about the incident years later and both of us apologized. Each of us took the blame for what happened. We still love each other. As I recall, we had no hard feelings toward each other even immediately after it happened. We finished out the Peace Corps term as close as we had ever been. 

09/27/67 Wednesday 
The five of us, Gene, John, Tom, Larry and I, went sightseeing in Old Goa. We visited a museum and the Church of Saint Francis Xavier, where his remains are kept and exhibited once every ten years. 

When we got back to the hotel at Calangute, Mike and Paul had arrived. We had a good dinner of fried fish at the Royal, the little hotel/bar down the beach. Larry and I later had dessert. 

09/28/67 Thursday 
We departed Goa by bus at about 2:15 PM. I was feeling miserable and kept feeling miserable all day. It may have been coffee withdrawal. It was a bad ride. I halted for the night in Hubli at the Ashoka. 

09/29/67 Friday 
I got into Haveri about 9:30 AM. Parker and Rao were just leaving for Dharwar for the poultry lecture. I told them I would follow later by bus to join them. 

David had arrived yesterday. Hopefully, our food worries are over now that he is here. 

I went to the bank to deposit my bi-monthly check and left for Hubli-Dharwar at 1:45 PM. I arrived in Dharwar about 5:00 PM, in time for most of the lecture and slide show. I rode back to Hubli after the meeting in the farm vehicle with Dr. Rao, Bob and John Spencer, another PCV who was at the meeting. We checked in at the Ashoka Hotel, got dinner and went to a movie. 

09/30/67 Saturday 
In the morning Rao took us out to see a private poultry farm in Hubli. It was the farm of Mr. Sirar, a wealthy businessman who has been to the States several times. 

I spent the rest of the morning shopping. I got a biriyani meal for lunch and then Bob and I went to see A Hard Day’s Night in the afternoon. 

Rao met us at the Hotel about 5:30 PM and we took off for Haveri. We finally got back home about 9:00 PM. We were met by a pleasant surprise. David had dinner waiting for us. 

10/01/67 Sunday 
We spent the day moving into our new quarters, about a half-mile from the farm. We will now have more room than we know what to do with. 

I am becoming more and more aware of my dislike for Parker. He has to be the world’s biggest bore. I’m sure I can stick it out with him, though, as there is much more communication between us than there ever was between Tom and me. And I made it with Tom. Maybe I just can’t get along living with anybody. That is a definite possibility. 

10/02/67 Monday Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday I visited a private poultry unit with Rao and Parker in the morning. I went back to the same place in the afternoon to give injections to some vitamin deficient birds. 

I got a long letter from Randee. It’s easy to see she is mine if I want her. The question is, “Do I want her? Or, will I ever want her?” The answer is still only, “Maybe.” 

David made a great dinner tonight, cutlets, mashed potatoes and broiled tomatoes. 

10/03/67 Tuesday 
I’m depressed and homesick. The ambiguity of the work and my responsibility is bothering me. 

We hired a sweeper this morning, a pretty little girl, probably about sixteen. She will come in every morning to sweep, wash clothes and dishes, and wash the floors once a week. 

10/04/67 Wednesday 
Hugh and Lynn Brown came to the house in the afternoon. They were on their way from Dharwar to Bangalore. 

10/05/67 Thursday 
Bob and I went with Dr. Rao to see the Block Development Officer, BDO, in the morning, presumably to clarify what work we could do with the block and what mutual service we might be to each other. We only came away more confused than ever as to what was expected of us. When we asked Rao to explain things to us later, it became even more confusing. It’s a zoo! 

In the afternoon I received a registered parcel from home containing film and recording tapes. The three-hour music tape that Dave had recorded for me was there. It is really a great tape. My little tape recorder never sounded so good. Bad tapes equal bad sound. Good tapes equal good sound. 

Hugh and Lynn left on the evening train. 

10/07/67 Saturday 
I went to Hubli in the morning to do some shopping and see a movie. I had a good Biriyani lunch at the “NICE” restaurant. 

I started reading Lolita at my hotel room. I’m going to see Lawrence of Arabia tonight. 

10/08/67 Sunday 
I got up and started to go to church. When I got there at 8:30 AM I discovered that the English service had been at 7:00 AM. I met a gentleman just coming from that service and spent some time back at the hotel talking to him before I caught the train back to Haveri. He was a traveling salesman for a patent medicine company from Bangalore. 

10/09/67 Monday 
I spent the day at a cattle show cum village fair in a little village about five miles west of Haveri, Kurab Gonda. Most of the affair was strictly a pain in the ass, very boring. There was, however, some good music performed in the evening. 

10/10/67 Tuesday 
I spent the morning at the farm playing the music I recorded last night for Rao and for the Superintendent of Police who happened to be visiting the farm with his family. 

After lunch I recorded Rao singing some songs. To my surprise, he has a beautiful voice. 

10/11/67 Wednesday 
It was another day of running around in circles after Dr. Rao. The man seems incapable of logical thought. 

The stockman was more obnoxious than usual today. I swear if he keeps it up I am going to deck him. Today, he told me I must give him a presentation from America when I leave. I told him it was not my custom to give a presentation to anyone who told me I had to or even asked me for one. 

10/12/67 Thursday 
IMPRESSIONS OF HAVERI 
This place doesn’t have the natural beauty of Kerala but it is interesting in its own way. It is much more like what one thinks of as typically India, a dirty, dusty village, crowded, narrow streets cluttered with people, animals, bullock carts and bicycles. There are open shop fronts, naked children with bloated stomachs, a million flies and hundreds of stray dogs fighting over the few scraps of garbage that the beggars have missed. Religion is everything. Signs of worship are everywhere. 

Today we went out to another tiny little village to visit another poultry unit. 

In the afternoon, Rao and Hiermat came over to our place for coffee. It was an important holiday, the last day of Dasava. All kinds of rituals and celebrations were being observed here. One particularly nice custom they have is going around to all your friends and exchanging forgiveness for all wrongs against each other; starting off again with a clean slate. 

10/13/67 Friday 
Rao, Bob and I drove out to Shigoo to deliver some chicks. We got back about 2:00 PM. Later we went shopping with Rao and then spent a quiet evening at home. 

10/14/67 Saturday 
Rao came by at 7:00 AM to wake us up and say. “Goodbye,” before departing for his extended tour/vacation. 

I went to Hubli by train and reached there by 1:00 PM. I did a little shopping but rested most of the day and evening. 

10/15/67 Sunday 
I attended the English service of the CSI Church at 7:00 AM. It was only mildly tolerable. I met some young fellows from Hubli who were quite friendly. 

I met Rao for the Carnatic Music Concert at the Town Hall at 6:00 PM. Then, I came by the 9:30 PM luxury bus back to Haveri. I took a tonga from the bus station home at 11:30 PM. 

10/16/67 Monday 
Rao is still on leave, so life around the farm is a bit more relaxed and less nerve-racking than usual. 

I recorded a tape-letter to Johnny in the evening. 

10/17/67 Tuesday 
Bob went to Hubli today to take care of renewing his visa with the District Police. 

I did some routine work at the farm. At home I got letters from both Ramakrishnan and Mary Paul today. The letters cheered me up. Ramakrishnan told about having a job interview with the J. P. Coates Company. I think if I write a letter to the personnel manager there it might be of some help to him. 

OUR DEAR DAVID 
David, our cook, is now seventy-one years old. He started cooking in 1909 for British tea planters in Ceylon during the reign of Queen Victoria. He worked there for 27 years and then came in 1936 to work for another British planter in the Nilgiri Hills of India. Now, he says, all the planters have gone back to England. For the past several years he has just been working here and there, wherever he can. His third wife and six daughters, the eldest being twenty-two, reside in Trivandrum. 

10/18/67 Wednesday 
Bob was still in Hubli but returned in time for supper in the evening. I was involved in routine work at the farm during the day. 

10/19/67 Thursday 
I went exploring the town in the morning. I visited the church and was shown around by some people who lived nearby. 

I am using more Kannada, the language of Mysore, everyday. The workers at the farm are very helpful and one tutor, Dessande, does an excellent job helping me. 

Most of the people who work at the farm dropped in after work tonight. They seemed to enjoy seeing our house and all that is in it, i. e. not much. 

10/20/67 Friday 
I am getting on very well with the workers at the farm. 

I went to a printer in Haveri this morning to get some “visiting” cards printed. The printer, I discovered, has a son who is a doctor in the States. 

David made beef steak for dinner and it was almost tender and delicious. 

10/21/67 Saturday 
PEST ALERT! AND, A MYSTERIOUS THIEF. 
It was a big day for thrills on the farm. Someone discovered a scorpion in one of the chicken houses. Then, as we were moving some nests in another house we uncovered hundreds of mice that went scurrying in all directions, squeaking wildly. In the corner was one of the biggest, fattest and scaredest rats I have ever seen. It was a wild scene as he made his escape. We also discovered in moving the nests, a sizeable cache of hidden eggs, the work, no doubt, of the peons. There is bound to be a full investigation when Rao gets back. 

10/22/67 Sunday 
I used the day as a holiday and didn’t go to the farm. I enjoyed the day just relaxing, reading and writing letters. 

In the evening, the poultry assistant, Wadenpur, and I attended some dramas at the Town Hall in Haveri. It was scheduled to begin at 9:00 PM. When they actually got down to business it was 10:30 PM. The delay was due in part to a power failure and defective generator, but mostly to poor planning, preparation and organization, I feel. By 1:00 AM only one drama had been performed and I had to give up. I am told the entire thing didn’t finish until 4:30 AM. 

10/24/67 Tuesday 
Carter dropped by in the morning on his way north. 

In the afternoon the veterinarian, Hiermath had a farewell tea for himself and it was quite nice. 

In the evening, I went to see a Hindi movie with Wadenpur and his roommate. I actually enjoyed it; pretty fair color photography, and lots of pretty girls, good songs and dances. 

10/25/67 Wednesday 
’67 CHEVY 
I went to visit Dr. Hiermath, the young Haveri doctor who has just returned from nine years in the States. It is amazing how Americanized he and his wife and kids have become. He had just received delivery a couple days ago on a 1967 Chevy Impala from the States. It stood in stark contrast to the rest of Haveri. It just didn’t fit. 

AIDING AND ABETTING 
Wadenpur, the poultry assistant, and his roommate came for their daring nonvegetarian dinner at the house with Paul and me. They seemed to enjoy it. 

10/26/67 Thursday 
DELHI BELLY? 
I came down with dysentery accompanied in the night by a fever of 103. I was miserable and unable to sleep. After taking Teramycin the fever immediately receded. The trots continued, however, till morning when I borrowed some Paregoric from Bob and stopped myself up. 

10/27/67 Friday 
I didn’t go to the farm but stayed in bed most of the day. I had a headache and general malaise along with a persistent stomachache. 

Bob left for Bombay on the 8:45 PM train for his thirty-day tour of North India. 

10/28/67 Saturday 
I was feeling much better. I went back to work at the farm, though I didn’t do anything once I got there. Dr. Rao was back from his leave but turned right around and headed for Hubli for the day. 

I received the $100.00 international money order that Mom had sent some time ago. I will save it for my big trip in January. 

A BIRTHDAY BLOWOUT 
I attended what for Haveri must have been one of the “in” social events of the decade, the birthday celebration of Dr. I. S. Hiermath’s eldest son, in the evening. It was a very big deal. Everybody who was anybody was there. It seemed as though this was the moment for which Hiermath had been waiting for nine years while he was in the States. It gave him the chance to show all of the hometown folks what a success he had become, i. e. his ’67 Chevy, movie camera, etc. 

10/29/67 Sunday 
A REVERENT VISIT TO A NEARBY TEMPLE 
I just loafed in the morning. I went with Dr. Rao in the afternoon to visit the Kanakodasa Temple about eight miles from Haveri. Kanakodasa was a real stud among holy men back in the sixteenth century, I guess, and he performed all his “cools” at this one temple. So all the local “wheels” go there to get his special blessing now. 

I got a telegram in the evening inviting me to a party in Dharwar tomorrow night, which I don’t plan to attend. 

10/30/67 Monday 
I went in the morning by bus to Shigoo to give vaccinations to some chicks. I stayed on for a great lunch with the Patel’s. I just missed the afternoon bus so caught a ride with a lorry back to Haveri. 

Not long after I got back to the office, George Thekaekara drove in on his way back to Dharwar. He urged me to attend the party in Dharwar, and I promised him I would catch the 5:30 PM bus tonight and attend. As soon as he left, I promised myself I wouldn’t go, and I am not going! No disrespect meant to George, but it would be nothing but a clumsy time with socially inept guys and fat, unfeminine girls, feeling tired, getting drunk, spending money and wishing I had stayed home. 

11/01/67 Wednesday 
I visited Magowi’s poultry unit in the morning. He’s really a stud. 

We expected Mr. Sirur from Hubli to stop by the poultry farm this morning but he never showed. 

The local MLA came by. It appears that Dr. Rao is going to be transferred to Gangavati in the near future. I will hate to see him go. 

VULTURES, ACTUALLY 
On the way home from the farm in the evening, I passed an open field where four or five huge vultures were picking clean the carcass of a calf, not a pretty sight. 

11/08/67 Wednesday 
I have been doing routine work at the farm. Today I mailed parcels to Mom and Rene’ for their birthdays. 


11/09/67 Thursday 
In Bangalore, I went to Slatterys’ with Bryan to feed his chickens. We shot the bull with Alice Slattery for a while. Judy, a language coordinator we had met in the Virgin Islands was there, and she was looking good. 

From there we went to the Russell’s Market area and checked out Bryan’s “Beer Hall,” another horror show. We then fought our way back to Bryan’s on cycles and had great fun. We had a shitty lunch of basic rice and curry. 

Bebeau was still in the last throes of moving out. About 3:00 PM I went over to Mahatma Gandhi Road to do some shopping. I ran into Larry there. I bought some silk scarves for Margy and Randee at the Handicrafts Emporium. After that I went to the Handloom House for some Madras cloth for shirts for John. I got lost on the way back to Bryan’s, but finally made it. I stayed in for the evening and went to bed early. 

11/10/67 Friday 
It was a nice, easygoing morning. I went over to Alice’s with my tape recorder to tape some albums. She had the brand new Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s album. She had me stay for lunch and it was a good one including chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert. 

Bryan met me after lunch and we spent the afternoon just knocking around on Mahatma Gandhi Road and then in Russell’s Market. There is a great “mysterious East” atmosphere up and down the back streets of the market. 

11/11/67 Saturday 
LEARNING KANNADA 
I spent most of the morning with Bryan, Larry and John waiting for Carter to take us from Bangalore to Mandya. We got to Mandya at about 3:00 PM. It looks like we won’t be doing much besides studying the Kannada language for the ten days here. It is a very full schedule. 

We went into town tonight for a flower show. 

We are sleeping in a big dormitory: mass gas! 

11/12/67 Sunday 
I had diarrhea all night and have not felt very good all day. The food they are serving us here is pure shit; strictly vegetarian, not even eggs. But, the language study is going well. 

11/14/67 Tuesday Mom’s Birthday 
In the afternoon we all went to a village about five miles away where we saw an underwater stream by climbing down into a manmade cave. Later, on the way back Bryan, Mike Ince, Mike Thorburn, Joe, John and Tom swam for about three furlongs down an extremely swift and deep irrigation canal. It looked very dangerous. I decided I wasn’t a strong enough swimmer to attempt it. John got hurt a little, but they all had an exciting experience. 

ORANGE PEEL FIGHT 
In the dorm tonight we had a gigantic battle with orange peels, a very good way to let off steam. 

11/15/67 Wednesday 
We had classes both in the morning and the afternoon. I am still getting quite a bit out of the conference. 

At about 4:00 PM the director of the Indo-Japanese Agricultural Project came by to tell us about their farm. He was a character and made us all laugh a lot. He had been to the States. 

We went into town for dinner in the evening and also stocked up on food to snack on back at the Government Training Center, GTC. 

We learned Kannada songs after script class in the evening and had lots of fun. 

11/16/67 Thursday 
In the afternoon we all went over to the Home Science Wing of the GTC to do some work on constructing a playground for their nursery school. We did some hard physical labor, working with pick and shovel to dig the foundation for a wall. The pretty young girls staying at the Science Wing all came out to help us work. It made the task much more pleasant. 

11/17/67 Friday 
We visited the Indo-Japanese Demonstration Farm this morning. The improved Japanese methods have increased the yield of the local rice production. 

MUD FIGHT 
In the afternoon we continued working on our project at the Home Science Wing. When we were finished, we had a big mud fight. I got thrown in the mud pit and thoroughly drenched. But I slung my share at the guys who threw me in. It was great. 

There was a cultural show given for us in the evening at the GTC. Some musicians from Bangalore came to perform Indian folk music. I got it all on the tape recorder. 

John’s birthday, fireworks, what a zoo! 

11/18/67 Saturday 
We all took part in a big cultural presentation tonight. We performed about six American songs and four Indian ones. We had a ball, irreverent as hell. The girls from the Home Science Wing performed some dances and a drama. After the show we talked to some of them. They are so desirable. One, in particular, seemed to be interested in me, Usha. I hope to see her and talk with her more tomorrow. 

11/19/67 Sunday 
We attended classes again, as usual. Tom Carter came by about lunchtime. In the afternoon Mike and I visited with the very attractive head instructor of the Home Science Wing. She played the veena for us and sang. What a charming lady. An American girl from International Farm Youth Exchange, IFYE, had just arrived and was also there, Nancy Maxwell from Illinois, a farm girl through and through. 

Later, the whole group gathered at Krishna Murthy’s quarters for a group portrait. At about 6:30 PM some films were shown for us, with the Home Science girls in attendance, and under close supervision. We were shown three excellent Japanese documentary films and one film on American farming. 

11/20/67 Monday 
I got up early and went for my FSI language examination. I got a 2+ which was what most of the guys got. 

I had to hunt down the dhobi (laundry person) to find our clothes so we could pack to leave. This was the last day of the conference. 

We drove back to Bangalore by Taxi from Mandya. I went straight to the Regent’s for a big hamburger and French fries, then to Kwality for a banana split. What a treat it was after the crap we had to eat for the last ten days. 

I then went to Bryan’s house and got my things settled in. 

11/21/67 Tuesday 
I started the day in a leisurely manner: read the papers and ate breakfast around 8:30 AM. I cycled to Larry’s and from there to the Peace Corps office. I went on to do some shopping at Spencer’s and got back to Bryan’s by about 2:00 PM. 

I spent the rest of the day and evening loafing and reading. I had some great steak for dinner. 

11/23/67 Thursday 
THANKSGIVING DAY 
We killed four of Bryan’s special broiler chickens and enjoyed a scrumptious fried chicken dinner: Bryan, Paul, Larry, John, Ed and I. Larry brought pastries and wine, Paul made a big tossed salad, Bryan and I prepared the chicken, John had a fever of 103 and Ed watched. Ashok, Bryan’s friend, brought an Indian girlfriend up to hear my Beatles recording in the late afternoon, a beautiful and very “with it” girl. 

After everyone else left, Bryan and I got another bottle of wine and became very potted: delightfully potted. Our drinking culminated in smashing empty bottles against the wall, then our glasses and finally all the dishes, and laughing ourselves silly. 

11/24/67 Friday 
I had intended to return to Haveri this morning, but have decided to explore the possibility of moving to Bangalore to work with Bryan on the broiler program. I went to see Jack and ate lunch with Alice and him. I will try to see Dr. Verapa Gowda this afternoon to get approval for the transfer. I enjoyed some nice turkey leftovers with Jack and Alice. The answer was, “No.” 

11/25/67 Saturday 
I got up, fixed breakfast, packed and boarded the train for Haveri. I sat across from a couple of Indians who argued that birth control is a Western plot designed to corrupt the morals of the Indian people and destroy the fiber of Indian family life. They were asses who would not listen to reason. 

I reached Haveri by 8:45 PM and David had dinner waiting for me. There was a huge pile of mail for me, 34 pieces in all, not counting the registered parcels they are holding for me at the post office, which I can’t get until Monday. 

11/26/67 Sunday 
I went to the farm at 9:00 AM just to check in. I found that Dr. Rao is in Dharwar on an ANP tour and won’t be back until Wednesday. 

I spent the day getting organized and starting to answer my mail. 

David had fired the new sweeper, Baby, while I was gone and has hired a little girl in her place. I wish he would have hired a big girl in her place, but that’s the way it goes. 

11/27/67 Monday 
I am still getting organized and trying to catch up on answering letters. I even got started on checking out specifications at the farm for the new breeding program. 

The package with pants fabric for Gopalakrishnan finally arrived today. It had been mailed on August 1st. 

11/28/67 Tuesday 
I went to Dharwar today to see the Police about getting my “No Objection to Leave” and “No Objection to Return” papers in preparation for my Nepal-Sikkim visit the first of the year. I wandered around in the market at Dharwar, snapping pictures and thoroughly enjoying myself. After some shopping in Hubli, I got back home by 8:00 PM. 

Parker got back this evening and was still pretty keyed up after his long trip. 

11/29/67 Wednesday 
Dr. Rao was still not back from his tour. I worked on taking stock of floor space and equipment in preparation for the proposed breeding program. 

11/30/67 Thursday 
Introspection 
Rao returned to the farm. Chaos reigns again! I did some work at Magavi’s poultry unit. I am enjoying an energy spurt and trying to make the most of it. I never know how long it will last. An energy spurt is when I seem to be able to think with crystal clearness, to get things accomplished and use my time efficiently. They occur rarely. 

Socializing 
Madival came for chicken dinner in the evening and seemed to enjoy himself. 

Mr. Shiva Yogi came by before dinner for a social call. 

12/01/67 Friday 
I went to Magavi’s poultry unit and then to his shop. I visited B. S. Shetru at his house. 

Yesterday morning I got the language tutor all bent out of shape because I tried to tell him how I wanted to be taught. I thought he was going to cry. His days as my language tutor may be short-lived. 

12/02/67 Saturday 
THE DROOLER 
I worked at Magavi’s poultry unit and then went to the Bharat printing press to buy paper to make flash cards. The proprietor there is really a character. He drools incessantly. He can’t go more than thirty seconds without taking a giant slurp. But, other than that, he is totally obnoxious. 

MORE SOCIALIZING 
B. S. Shetru dropped by just for a social call in the evening. Dr. Rao came for dinner. Luckily, he had to leave early. 

The kids from next door came over to get acquainted tonight. They are very nice. The nine-year-old girl is very cute. She is going to be a heart breaker. 

12/03/67 Sunday 
I left in the morning by bus for Shimoga, a five-hour, very bouncy bus ride. I checked in at the Woodlands, had lunch and took a nap. I then located the Poultry Extension Officer and looked over the facilities for the new breeding program. By late afternoon, I returned to the hotel, showered and changed clothes. I proceeded to the nearby National Girls’ High School where there was to be a big concert of Indian popular music. I walked right through the crowd and up to the door with my tape recorder under my arm. I told them I wanted to see the manager about permission to record the concert. They immediately seated me in the front row center aisle reserved Rs. 15/ seat and told me they would inform me later about the permission. They never returned to tell me one way or the other, I got my recording done and I sat free in the best seat in the house. 

12/04/67 Monday 
From Shimoga I traveled to Davangere by back roads on a country bus. It was a long, but, in a way, enjoyable ride. I got to see a lot of countryside and villages that I would never have seen, otherwise. I got to Davangere at about 1:00 PM, at lunch and got a cheap room to lie down for a while, and to have a place to leave my bag while I went to visit the Poultry Extension Center. 

When I got to the Poultry Extension Center the Davangere poultry Peace Corps Volunteer, John, was there. He helped me get information for my report. He is a nice guy but he is kind of an ass. 

I left Davangere by train at 6:30 PM and got into Haveri around 9:00 PM. Once again, David had dinner waiting for me. 

I was starting to get a sore throat and cold about the time I left on this little junket, Sunday morning. I now have added to those symptoms a nice cough and I feel fairly miserable. I am starting intense medication in hopes of clearing it up fast before I take off again for Kamta and Goa. 

12/05/67 Tuesday 
I am still feeling low with a cold. I stayed home most of the day writing letters. Paul went with Dr. Rao to Hubli. 

12/06/67 Wednesday 
I left by early bus for Kamta to visit the Poultry Extension Center, reaching there by 2:30 PM. It wasn’t a bad ride. I ate lunch and then found my way to the farm. I finished my work there in about a half hour. 

I learned that there was a Peace Corps couple working there and living nearby. Since I had a couple of hours to kill before catching my bus I looked them up. They are James and Carol Holcomb. Only Carol was home. She and I had a nice conversation until it was time for me to leave. She is a very pretty, if chubby, Oriental girl, maybe Japanese, maybe Filipino. She accompanied me back to the bus stand. We met her husband on the way, a white guy. Both seemed very nice. We looked at one of their cage-type poultry units. I was very impressed. I might try to start some similar ones in Haveri. 

By a series of bus and taxi connections I made it to Karwar by about 9:30 PM and stayed the night at the Tourist Home, a nice accommodation for only Rs. 2/-. 

12/07/67 Thursday 
SOLO TO GOA 
I left Karwar early. I went by taxi to the ferry. I took the ferry to where I caught the bus for Vasco da Gama. A very long bus ride ensued, stopping about every fifty feet to pick up and let off passengers. When I finally got to Vasco, I discovered I had passed up the place where I had to make ferry connections for Panjim. Back I went. I caught the ferry from Kortalam to Agaciv, and then went by taxi to Panjim. Another ferry took me over to Betim and a bus ride followed to Calangute. I walked the last half-mile to the beach and, at last, arrived at the Royal Hotel, my destination. By this time I had a splitting headache, probably traceable to the absence of sufficient coffee all day compounded by the absence of substantial food, not to mention the hard, tiresome travel. The first thing I did was to get a room and a cup of strong coffee. I popped four aspirins to try and shake the headache. After a nap, a nice steak dinner and a bath I started feeling better. I took a long walk on the beach and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset. I sat in the sand by the fishing boats. The beach was deserted as I watched the crescent moon and dim stars in the hazy night sky. All the while, the rhythm of the rolling surf sent my mind spinning. I felt very alone, but not really lonely. 

Back at my bungalow I had a pleasant chat with the lady who lives there permanently with her four kids. Her husband works in Bombay. She seemed extremely lonely, but not lonely enough. She sent me off to bed before I had a chance to make any improper advances. 

12/08/67 Friday 
I spent the whole day loafing on the beach. I have been reading Robert Roark’s Honey Badger for several weeks. I met some American Methodist missionaries on the beach, the Gay Johnson’s, serving in Pune’. They were not bad people, just typical missionaries. 

12/09/67 Saturday 
A BAD TRIP 
I set out for home. I stocked up a good supply of booze and departed Panjim by about 10:30 AM. I got the train out of Vasco da Gama at 1:15 PM and changed at Londa to the Deacon Express. That’s when I goofed up royally. I bought a ticket for Karajgi, which is five miles from Haveri since the Deacon doesn’t stop in Haveri. By the time I reached Karajgi at 11:15 PM there was no way to get from there to Haveri until morning, and no place to stay. I just stayed on the train and rode on to Harihar, thirty miles south of Haveri. There, I slept on a bench until 5:00 AM. Then I caught a train going north that did stop in Haveri. Very beat, I finally got home at about 8:00 AM. 

12/10/67 Sunday 
I ate breakfast, shaved, bathed and then spent the day catching up on correspondence. I didn’t go to the farm. 

12/11/67 Monday 
MY BIRTHDAY 
Nobody here knew it was my birthday, or if they did they didn’t remember. I got cards from Dave, John and John’s kids. I also received a $50.00 bank draft from the whole family. 

It was a busy day spent running around town doing things that needed to be done. 

12/15/67 Friday 
Shetru came by in the evening with his son and nephew. Unfortunately, he did all the talking and we didn’t get a chance to say much to the boys. 

I wrote a letter to Mom and then finished off the bottle of wine I brought back from Goa: an excellent sleeping remedy. 

12/16/67 Saturday 
AUCTION 
I awoke early and left on the Pune’-Bangalore Express. I was lucky. All the way to Bangalore I was in an uncrowded car. I arrived in Bangalore right on time. With the aid of a benevolent coolly I made a quick transfer over to the Cochin-bound Island Express. It was beyond crowded. There was no room to even move. For the first half-hour or so I had to stand. Then I got brave, and tired, and asked a young Anglo-Indian chap if I could rest on the edge of his seat as long as I didn’t crowd him. He was glad to oblige and, before long offered me his sleeping berth to use since he thought I must be very tired after traveling all day. I accepted his generous offer, along with some of his sandwiches, and got a fairly good rest. Before bedtime, though, we were entertained by an extemporaneous auction where things that nobody wanted or needed were sold at prices nobody could resist. I resisted. 

12/17/67 Sunday 
KERALA REVISITED 
I arrived in Alwaye about forty-five minutes late at 11:00 AM. I ate lunch at Teas Aroma and then headed out for Kuruppampady. I went first to the poultry farm and met the new Assistant Director. I had a nice chat with Padmanabhan. The farm looked much improved. The new Assistant Director is a pretty sharp fellow. It might have been fun and productive to work with him. He invited me to his home for lunch, (yes, that’s my second lunch today.) I went to Ramakrishnan’s for a visit. He seems very reserved and despondent: not at all his old self. We went by Unichetten’s but he wasn’t home. His mother was cool. She had enough hospitality to make up for all the people that seem to have none at all in this place. 

We went next to Rajan’s house where we caught him by surprise. Ramakrishnan hadn’t told him I was coming, I learned. He seemed overjoyed to see me. His father attempted conversation with me but I am hopeless. 

I returned to Padmanabhan’s for a bath and change of clothes. Rajan met us there and we walked down to the road where we met Ramakrishnan. 

Now I’m sitting in the Poultry Farm office with Padmanabhan awaiting the imminent arrival of the chicks from Chenganur. The whole program in Kerala was represented by this delivery. It was a very significant day, and one that I had not recently planned on. 

12/18/67 Monday 
THOUGHTS OF MARRIAGE 
I left Kuruppampady by 9:30 AM for Alwaye. I stopped in Perumbavoor to see C. P. Poulose. The old codger from Thursday club who studied in the States about one hundred years ago was there in Poulose’s office. I saw other merchants in Perumbavoor whom I had done business with. It was interesting to me that there are now several places in Perumbavoor where you can buy Coca Cola. When I left, the nearest place you could buy it was in Alwaye, and even there, you could only get it at one shop. I guess that’s a sign of progress. I reached Mathuni’s in Alwaye by Noon. Mrs. Mathuni was there to greet me: even sweeter and dearer than she had been before I left. Mr. Mathuni arrived in time for lunch and I was able to have at least a short visit with him. He had to take off for Trivandrum in the afternoon. That left me alone with his gracious wife and his beautiful young daughter, Jean. I tried talking some with Jean while her mother was out of the room for a few minutes, but a combination of shyness and fear of using English kept her from saying very much. These are difficulties which I am confident could be overcome, however. I would love to take her or her older sister back home with me and am thinking seriously of approaching the Mathuni’s on the subject. There are a lot of things to consider, though. Marriage is such a big step anyway. Bringing back a brown-skinned girl from a completely foreign culture to spend the rest of my life with is complicating the consideration of that step to a degree that is frightening. I keep thinking of how great it would be to have such a gorgeous creature as my wife, though, and that outweighs a lot of the seeming drawbacks. I got a wonderful night’s sleep in a perfectly comfortable bed. 

12/19/67 Tuesday 
GREETING MISS GREET 
I awoke well rested, had a nice breakfast with Mrs. Mathuni and took off for Ernakulam to see Miss Greet. What a madhouse it was when I reached the orphanage. She was yelling and screaming at everyone and blaming all her mistakes on everyone but herself. I could tell she didn’t approve of my new beard, but then I didn’t approve of her ranting, so I guess it all evened out. I left as soon after lunch as I could, graciously. I went on into Ernakulam Town and almost ran into Paul Zimmerman and his wife at the Sea Lord. I spotted them in time to turn around and head the other way. If they had seen me and later noticed that I was on unauthorized leave, it could have been tense. I did some shopping: two Chinese pens. Then I headed back to Kuruppampady, getting there around 7:00 PM. Rajan met me at Padmanabhan’s house and we walked together to his house where I am now spending the night. I had a bath, a good vegetarian dinner, and a nice chat in Malayalam with his father. I was proud of myself to remember as much Malayalam as I did. They have no electricity so now I am writing by the light of a kerosene lamp and Rajan is studying by the light of the same lamp for a Hindi exam. Tonight we have moved the beds outside where we will be sleeping because it is cooler than in the house. It is very quiet except for the sounds of the night: the crickets and frogs, the ticking clock, the sound from the cinema in the distance. The ten o’clock whistle from the Rayon Factory in Perumbavoor just blew and an occasional lorry passes out on the highway. A solitary dog barks somewhere across the paddies. 

12/20/67 Wednesday 
I awoke early after a pleasant night’s sleep. Gopalakrishnan came after breakfast and we went to his house where I spent most of the day. We saw Ramakrishnan for a while but then he disappeared and that was the last I saw him. I didn’t even get to say goodbye. It was a day of being forced to eat food that I didn’t need and didn’t want. I got away from Kuruppampady about 4:45 PM and arrived back at Mathuni’s about an hour later. I had a bath, a nice dinner, a visit with Mrs. Mathuni and a nice look at Jean and went to bed early. 

12/21/67 Thursday 
I went by train from Alwaye to Bangalore. On the train I talked with a Mr. Sam Pearl, a businessman from Bangalore. I didn’t get much sleep on the train. The guy in the next berth snored loudly all night. 

12/22/67 Friday 
I arrived in Bangalore two hours late and went straight to Larry’s. He wasn’t home so I went to the Regent’s and had lunch. I saw John Anderson and got Larry’s combination. I went back and got my things put away at Larry’s and took a bath. Larry came home. Then Mike and Ed arrived. We went to see Born Free and Hotel. Both were pretty good but I preferred Hotel. 

12/23/67 Saturday 
We went to the racecourse to see how the Poultry Show was shaping up. I ran into Dr. Rao. Later I went to his hotel with him to get my tape recorder. I took the machine to be repaired. I discovered that the major maladjustment was simply weak batteries. I ran into Sunitha on Brigade Road and made a date for the evening. I had met her on a previous Bangalore trip at Kwality. 

I returned to the racecourse and stayed until about 8:00 PM. I arranged with Foley to take over his hotel room for the night. I cycled back out to Larry’s, changed clothes, put a few things in a bag and hurried over to the hotel. I got my room, slipped a couple rupees to the watchman and the bearer and went to pick up Sunitha. She was a half-hour late and had been drinking. She was in a very romantic mood. I spent a very delightful evening with her doing some things I had never done before. 

12/24/67 Sunday 
CHRISTMAS EVE 
I returned to Larry’s in the morning. We went over to Slatterys’ at about 10:30 AM to help butcher chickens for the Christmas party. We had great fun. 

I rested in the afternoon and returned to the party in the evening. I enjoyed the delicious food and became quickly and completely drunk on massive doses of gin and lime. I became quite ill and went back to Larry’s and went to bed. 

12/25/67 Monday 
CHRISTMAS DAY 
I woke up with a doozy of a hangover from last night’s party. I managed to get up and about by around Noon. On my way to work at the Poultry Show in the afternoon, I stopped off at Slatterys’ to see if I could find my light brown sweater, which I had left there. It wasn’t there. I guess I’ve lost it. 

I went to Bryan’s for dinner in the evening. JoAnn and Ruth were down from Gujarat for Christmas. They prepared a delicious meal for us: tender roast beef and all the trimmings. Ashok brought over his record player and some Christmas albums he had received from the States. Candlelight, Christmas music and a cool windy night added up to make it seem almost like Christmas. 

12/26/67 Tuesday 
I worked at the Poultry Show in the afternoon. I spent the morning at the Peace Corps office trying to get some money. I ate dinner again at Bryan’s, prepared by Ruth and JoAnn. They fixed spaghetti. Good food, good friends, good wine, good talk. 

12/27/67 Wednesday 
I moved my things over to the West End Hotel for the Peace Corps “One Year” Conference. I shared a nice room with Mike and enjoyed great chow. It was a lazy day. 

12/29/67 Friday 
I skipped some meetings in the morning and went to the City Market to try to get my camera chain repaired. Again, I became delightfully absorbed in the atmosphere of the market. It’s a world unto itself. 

In the evening a bunch of us went with Ashok to the 3 Aces nightclub. 

12/30/67 Saturday 
In the evening I went to see Alice Slattery perform in classical Indian dance. Foley and I had the pleasant surprise of being accompanied by Merlyn and Alpheen Thekaekara. We took advantage of the occasion and took them to dinner afterwards. It was a pleasure to be in public in the company of two such beautiful and charming Indian girls. 

After they left us off at the hotel, Dan and I went over to the International to catch the floorshow. Wally and Tom were there with their dates. The show featured a female impersonator. 

12/31/67 Sunday 
NEW YEAR’S EVE 
I participated in the taping of a Peace Corps interview show on All India Radio in the morning. 

The Conference ended and I moved back over to Larry’s. I went to Carter’s party in the evening. There were many bodies, many people I didn’t know. I got just enjoyably buzzed and had a reasonably decent time. Merlyn and Alpheen were again present. I enjoyed some nice close, slow dances with Alph. 

01/01/68 Monday 
NEW YEAR’S DAY 
I went to breakfast at the Zimmerman’s and it was quite nice. Many of the people from Carter’s party were there. 

From there I went to see Doc Whitaker. It seems I have developed a case of “the clap” as a result of my date with Sunitha. He gave me a massive dose of penicillin, one shot in each cheek. I could hardly cycle back over to Larry’s. They were powerful. 

In the evening I went to see a Cambridge University traveling drama troupe perform Bernard Shaw’s Misalliance. It was excellent. Afterward, Bryan and I went out for Chinese food. 

A BLUEPRINT FOR MY LIFE 
In the afternoon an old Swami came by Larry’s house and we all, Ed, Larry and I, had him tell our fortunes. Here’s what he told me. On January 27th I’ll get a good letter, not from India, containing a photo. On January 29th the planets will be in a position of good luck for me. On March 25th I’ll get a promotion on my job. My work will be steadier. Also, I’ll get some foreign money. My marriage will be at age twenty-eight to a girl between twenty and twenty-four and she will love me like a rose. There are three things I am not to do: 1. Play cards, 2. Keep only one sweetheart, and 3. Give surety. Also, I am not to take money from my family. I’m to make it on my own. For the last two and one half years I’ve not had good luck but now I have started to have good luck. There is some enemy looking for me, a girl, wanting to make a bad name for me. I will live a healthy and active life up to age eighty-seven and then die of a heart attack. I will have five kids, two boys and three girls. I will be strong and not fat. I like exercise and work but now I am lazy. There is a girl in my office in Bangalore who wants to kiss me. She is short and thin with a round face and brown hair. I want to kiss her but I am afraid. I will marry a rich lady but not for money. It will be a happy marriage. Her name will start with “M.” In 1968 I will leave India. In 1969 I will get engaged and be married three years later. I should keep only a few close friends, not many. I should only drink a little, not to excess. Ed will love me and be a true friend but Larry, I won’t be able to count on. I will serve in the military but if I go to war I will be a success and not be killed. 

01/02/68 Tuesday 
I rode all day on the train. Nothing interesting happened. I gave up on reading Sartre. I guess he is just too much for me. 

01/03/68 Wednesday 
I am back at the farm in Haveri. My tolerance for Dr. Rao’s asininities (is that a word?) has reached an all time low. I am very glad I am leaving again in ten days. 

01/04/68 Thursday 
I made an early trip to Dharwar to see the District Police about my “No objection to leave/return” papers for my visit to Nepal-Sikkim. They still didn’t have them ready. It seems now I will have to return to Dharwar tomorrow and then go again to Bangalore to get the papers personally if I hope to get them by the time I am to leave on my trip, Friday the 13th. I became quite angry and started screaming and shouting. 

Tonight, my “clap” symptoms are returning in strength and I fear I may have the famous penicillin resistant “Thailand” strain. How nice! Merry Christmas, Sunitha. 

01/05/68 Friday 
I spent the morning rushing around Haveri, to the Police and back, a quick lunch and then by bus to Dharwar. I got to the Police in Dharwar just five minutes before they were to close. I got the necessary papers and signatures and got back to Hubli in time for dinner, before catching the 9:00 PM Decan Express to Bangalore. 

01/06/68 Saturday 
I arrived in Bangalore at 9:30 AM. I deposited my things at Larry’s, got some lunch, bathed and went to see the Peace Corps doctor about the new clap symptoms. He put me on a program of Teramycin, which he said should definitely cure it. 

In the afternoon I went to the Police about my visas. There were more ugly scenes, shouting, losing my temper. They really did their best to intimidate me in every way they could. I have to go back on Monday, hopefully to find that my papers have been processed so I can move them on to the Home Secretary’s office for the final endorsement. 

Larry and I went to see Mary Poppins in the evening. It was entertaining but very much for children. 

01/07/68 Sunday 
Larry and I went to Bryan’s for a great steak and potato lunch. We wasted the whole afternoon and enjoyed it. We spent the evening loitering with the crowds on Mahatma Gandhi road and Brigade Road. 

01/08/68 Monday 
I got my tape recorder, still not repaired, and then took my wire-framed glasses to be repaired. 

I ate lunch at Kwality and spent too much. From there I went over to see the Police and then to the Secretariat to get my return visas. 

I then went back over to the Regents where I ran into Bryan talking to Merlyn. She was beautiful as always. 

01/09/68 Tuesday 
I got up early and went out to Hesseraghatta to see the guys and the farm. I watched John kill rats. I also retrieved my Air-India calendar, of which they had so graciously relieved me. 

I saw Doc Derman in the afternoon and got some more pills for my clap. He was funny. 

Tonight I am going to a piano concert. Tomorrow I will head back to Haveri. 

01/10/68 Wednesday 
I spent all day on the bloody train. Supper was waiting for me at home along with a pile of mail. 

01/11/68 Thursday 
THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GOA: THE BIG TOUR BEGINS 
I spent the day preparing for my big vacation: getting clothes washed, going to the bank, packing and repacking. I caught the evening train and joined Bryan en route to Goa. 

01/12/68 Friday 
After all night with no sleep on the train, we arrived in Goa at about 8:00 AM. We got out to Calangute by about 10:30 AM. We got our rooms and shortly after met John, a nice young English chap who was touring. There are lots of Americans staying along the beach. That makes for interesting company and conversations. There are some hippies here also who seem unfriendly. Two guys are from Spain and seem to be okay. There are two Yanks traveling by motorbike through India. One of them rode the bike all the way from England. 

01/13/68 Saturday 
It was another beautiful day on the beautiful beach. This morning was marred by an incident, which is better forgotten. God! How could I do it? (You know, it worked. I have absolutely no idea what this refers to. What could I possibly have done that was so bad, especially with Bryan there watching over me? 01/03/2007) This is such a relaxing, tranquil, enjoyable spot next to the spellbinding sea. Today the surf was perfect: big crashing breakers, good for body surfing. A group of dolphins came in close to shore for a little play. Everyone thought they were sharks. 

We are drinking a lot and staying pleasantly buzzed all day long. We had suckling pig for dinner but it was disappointing. There was very little meat and what there was, was undercooked. 

I read till about midnight, Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth, an excellent book. 

01/14/68 Sunday 
We went swimming in the morning and to Panjim after lunch. We tried to rent motor scooters, but Bryan was the only one that had any success. It was fun looking around the streets of Panjim, very Iberian in appearance. Later we had a disappointing meal at Cappuccino’s. 

Back at Calangute we sat out on the porch drinking and talking to Catherine and the old lady, and to Millie, the healthy sweeper girl who uncaps beer bottles with her bare teeth. 

01/15/68 Monday 
I caught the boat from Panjim to Bombay. I purchased lower deck passage and then rode on the cabin deck the whole trip and ate in the first class dining area. The old Australian who I had met previously and his Indian friend had a cabin and let me keep my things in it. I met an off-duty Indian sea captain who had been to Portland and had friends in Lake Oswego, Oregon. 

01/16/68 Tuesday 
BUBBA DOES BOMBAY 
The boat arrived in Bombay about 7:30 AM. I found Wood’s Guest House and checked in. It’s really a hole but, at least, it’s cheap and in a convenient location. Some India 41 and 34 volunteers were there and made for good company. 

I ate lunch at the Nan king Chinese Restaurant next door. It was absolutely delicious. I slept in the afternoon and went to see a movie in the evening with John and Bill, Tobruk, a “shoot ‘em up” war flick. 

01/17/68 Wednesday 
I took some pics around the Gateway of India and cashed my bank draft at the Hong Kong–Shanghai Bank for traveler’s checks. Then I went to American Express where I had them send two U. S. Treasury checks to New York for collection for me. (I have no idea what that means. 08/19/2012.)

I went to Victoria Terminus to try to get a student concession on rail tickets, but failed. I walked over to Crawford’s Market. I caught a taxi to see “the cages,” the lowest of the prostitution areas of Bombay and a real zoo. It was sickening, the underbelly of degraded humanity. Even I am not that depraved. 

I went up to Malabar hill and the Hanging Gardens, a serene, beautiful spot with a tremendous view of Bombay. From there I went out to the Peace Corps office to check in and to get some cold medicine. 

I went back to the Guest Hole. Carl and Candy had just arrived from Goa and went with me to the Taj Mahal Hotel for a delicious steak dinner. We met a nice American family who had arrived in India only three weeks ago. They were pretty unhappy here and were supposed to be living and working in Bombay for three years. They had had absolutely no preparation or briefing before coming to India. They were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Ridolfo from North Jersey. When they heard how much money we were making I guess they took pity on us because they presented the three of us with a bottle of Black and White Scotch at the end of the meal. 

We drank most of the booze when we got back to the hotel. I drank too fast and became ill. 

01/18/68 Thursday 
In the late afternoon I returned to the hotel to find Jack, Terry and Jan finishing up last night’s Scotch with Carl and Candy. I joined them, of course, and we all decided to eat at the Taj again. The hotel didn’t start serving dinner early enough for me to eat without missing my train so I had to leave before ordering. I made it, riding in a compartment with some very nice Parsis. Even though I had to sit up, I did manage to get some sleep. 

01/19/68 Friday 
GUJARAT GET AWAY 
I got into Ahmedabad’s beautiful new train station at about 7:00 AM. The weather was noticeably colder. I would have been freezing without my sweater, jacket and blanket. When I got to Gene’s he was still in bed. I went out to visit some villages with him in the afternoon. Also, in the afternoon we went to visit some Fullbright friends of Gene’s, the Hunts. In the evening we went to see a flick, The Man Outside, with Van Heflin. 

01/20/68 Saturday 
I got up early and took the bus tour of Ahmedabad, seeing most of the points of interest. When I got back Gene took me shopping. I bought about Rs. 100/- worth of handicrafts. 

I took Gene out to dinner in the evening and then we went over to Adi’s for some drinks and talk. 

01/21/68 Sunday 
UDAIPUR, HERE I COME 
I was up very early to catch the train to Udaipur. I traveled all day, shivering most of the way, and reached Udaipur at about 6:00 PM. A very helpful tonga-wallah helped me locate a good, cheap hotel. I went out to the Lake Palace to have dinner but was turned away since I didn’t have a reservation. I ended up eating back at my hotel, the Apsara, and going to bed early. I nearly froze the whole night long. 

01/22/68 Monday 
My friendly tonga-wallah returned to guide me through the sites of Udaipur. I had a delightful time, especially enjoying the many beautiful gardens, the Jain Temple, the City Palace, and, of course, lunch at the beautiful Lake Palace. 

JAMMED: THE TRAIN TO JAIPUR 
Again, I was in transit as I took the night train from Udaipur to Jaipur. I did manage to get a luggage rack to sleep on, but it was pretty gruesome. The car was really packed. The only way to get to the bathroom was by walking on sleeping bodies. I met an Indian traveling salesman, S. D. Alea, also going to Jaipur. 

01/23/68 Tuesday 
I arrived in Jaipur by about 10:30 AM. Alea and I went in search of a hotel, ending up at the Tourist Hotel where I managed to get a comfortable, if costly, room. I noticed some European or American girls staying there also. In the evening, Alea and I went to the bazaar. We had a good time just walking and looking. I bought some sweets from a street vendor. We had dinner at a good vegetarian hotel. 
At his insistence, I tried some “paan” on the way home. I found it to be at least tolerable. It begins with Betle Nut cut into small pieces with a special instrument called a sarota. The husk is wrapped in a betel leaf spread with lime paste and may include cloves and cardamom for extra flavoring. Betel leaf has a fresh, peppery taste, but, depending on the variety, it can be very bitter. Seasoned chewers might mix the Betel Nut with tobacco. You pop it in your mouth all at once, chew it and then spit the juice, like you would with chewing tobacco. It’s not meant to be swallowed. The juice created is bright red and stains anything it touches, teeth, gums, tongue, lips, etc. It is used almost universally in India as an after dinner treat and breath freshener. Betel Nut is also available in ready-to-eat pouches called Pan Masala. 


01/24/68 Wednesday 
The girls were British, friendly and left this morning. 

I went sightseeing by taxi. I saw the Amber Palace and the City Palace. The Amber was a fairy tale setting with a hilltop fort and palace, a great wall running along the contours of the hills, elephants and camels and mirrored mosques. 

I looked through some handicraft stores in the afternoon but the stuff all looked like junk so I didn’t buy anything. 

Alea and I caught the evening train to Delhi. This time we got first class berths. An army colonel that had interesting opinions on the defense of India on the Pakistani and Chinese fronts joined us in our compartment. 

01/25/68 Thursday 
DELHI HO! 
It was plenty cold when we arrived in Delhi. I got over to the YMCA Tourist Hostel and checked into my room, had breakfast and met an American businessman from Hong Kong. He offered his guide services to me when I get to Hong Kong. I had a full day of business. I went first to the Government of India Tourist Office, then to the Peace Corps, the Nepalese Embassy, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs about visiting Sikkim, the Ministry of Defense to try to get Republic Day Parade passes, and to the Income Tax Office to get tax clearance to leave the country. I went back to the Peace Corps to pick up my check, which I forgot on the first trip. I went out to the American Embassy to have lunch in the cafeteria. There, I ran into Candy (Bombay) and some other PCV’s from her group. I came back to the Indian Airlines office and booked a ticket to Khajuraho for the 30th. From there I went to the Old Delhi Station to book a ticket to Agra for the 28th and on over to New Delhi Station to get reservations for the Night Express to Benares on Tuesday night. When I tried to get a rickshaw back to the Y, none would take me as they could get bigger fares by taking people to some big deal that was going on. It made me mad and I started screaming. Some Indians came to my assistance and succeeded in getting me a rickshaw. 

When I got to my room I was pooped. I took a hot shower, ate dinner with the Hong Kong businessman again, and came up and went to bed. 

01/26/68 Friday 
MAHARISHI IS IN THE BUILDING 
I got up and ate breakfast. I sat at a table with three of the people from the Transcendental Meditation group, followers of Swami Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: Sarah, a cutie from California, a guy from Australia and an Irishman. The four of us ended up viewing the Republic Day Parade together. The Parade was impressive. Because we were white foreign tourists with cameras the police insisted that we move up to the front of the crowd. 

After the parade, I went over to Wenger’s for lunch. I met a bunch of PCV’s there. One cute blonde, Linda, has only been here one month, with group #52. 

Back at the hotel I wrote letters in the afternoon and evening, had dinner, wrote some more, and went to bed. 

01/27/68 Saturday 
This was another business-type day. I went to the Nepalese Embassy to retrieve my passport. Then I moved on to the Income Tax office to pick up my clearance certificate and out to the American Embassy to find the cafeteria closed. I walked by the Embassy of The People’s Republic of China and snapped some pictures. From there it was back to Jan Path Road to window shop. There were lots of nice things to buy but I couldn’t decide, so I bought nothing. 

I went back to my room, took a hot shower, did some writing, packing and reading. 

01/28/68 Sunday 
TAJ MAHAL: 2ND VISIT 
I was up early to board the Taj Express to Agra. On arriving in Agra I checked into a “good” Indian hotel Fodor’s had recommended. I didn’t look it over too carefully nor did I give it much thought. I changed my clothes and went off on my day’s sightseeing. I spent several hours at the Red Fort. I went around once with a guide and then again just using Fodor and the Government of India Tourist Brochure. I got much more out of the second time around. The place came alive for me. 

Seeing the Taj again had its same spine-tingling effect on me as it did upon seeing it the first time. You sense that you are in a magnificent presence when you stand before the Taj. It is a spiritual experience. 

When I returned to my hotel room I was so stricken by its utter filth that I knew I couldn’t spend the night there. I picked up my bags, paid up, and walked out. I checked into another hotel on the opposite end of town that was a little cleaner, but not much. 

01/29/68 Monday 
I took the bus out to Fatehpur-Siri to see the sights there. I did okay with my Fodor’s but was disappointed when it gave erroneous information in several instances. 

I returned to Agra in time to eat and pack before traveling back to Delhi on the Taj Express. The trip went quickly. I arrived in Delhi at 10:00 PM spending the night once more at the Y. 

01/30/68 Tuesday 
THE EROTIC TEMPLES OF KHAJURAHO 
I was up very early and hurried over to the Indian Airlines office for my day’s flight to Khajuraho and back. I met a talkative fellow of about 35, single, whose father had died a couple of years back and left him an enormous amount of money. The guy now does nothing but travel. His mind is a gigantic storehouse of little known historical trivia and anecdotes. I soon grew bored with him. The flight was delayed nearly two and a half hours because of fog. Once on the plane I noticed a cute blonde who I had seen at the West End in Bangalore at Christmastime with her parents. She was quite friendly and encouraging when I spoke to her at Khajuraho. I hope to see her again. 

The temples were splendid. They were pornographic history carved in stone. They were erotic imagination on steroids. They depicted the gods and goddesses of Hinduism in every possible sexual combination and position. In a society that so strictly dictates the social behavior between men and women, these scenes were incongruent to the maximum. 

Since the flight had been late leaving Delhi, they appropriately delayed our departure from Khajuraho to give us plenty of time to view the temples. Consequently, we got back to the Delhi Airport at about 7:10 PM. I was to catch the train to Benares at 8:10 PM. I got a taxi to the Y to retrieve my bags and got to the train station with time to spare. Then, the train was forty-five minutes late leaving. I could have made it easily had I taken the free Indian Airlines bus back into town from the airport rather than the taxi. But, who knew? 

01/31/68 Wednesday 
I slept well on the train. I was reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. Time passed quickly. We were about three hours late getting into Benares so I didn’t do any sightseeing. I checked into the Dak Bungalow. 

02/01/68 Thursday 
BENARES: THE HOLY CITY 
I was up early for the bus tour, but didn’t run fast enough and missed the bus. I picked up the tour after the breakfast break. It was an uninspiring round of lesser-known sites in Benares. 

The afternoon segment was much better. We went to Sarnath, the birthplace of the Buddha and the holy city of Buddhism. Two young American couples were also on the tour on leave from their military bases in the Philippines. They were very friendly to me. They invited my brother Dave and me to come see them when we are in Manila. 

In the evening I went by bicycle-rickshaw down to the river Ganges. Only a few people were there. I walked around, exploring the narrow allies and passageways. A young student started walking with me and stuttering sentences in broken English. I couldn’t understand much of what he was saying. When I left him, he asked for Rs. 5/- for his guide services. 
02/02/68 Friday 
This morning I did make the bus for the early tour. We took a boat-ride on the Ganges and saw Benares as it is meant to be seen. I saw the burning-ghats where bodies were being cremated on open pyres. In the misty morning air it was a ghostly sight. When the tour left the river for the rest of the city I stayed behind and just let the whole scene sink in. I was very tempted to go for a dip in the river. But, when I got up close to the water, I just couldn’t do it. (Hygiene trumped spirituality!) There were lines of hundreds of beggars near the river, holy men meditating beneath their umbrellas, cows, bathers, narrow crowded allies and myriad shrines and temples. All this was my Benares. 

02/03/68 Saturday 
KATMANDU, HERE I COME 
I caught the train last night. I boarded an empty “Ladies’” car, locked all the doors from the inside, and had a whole car to myself until we reached Muzzaffarpur this morning. It was cold, but quiet. At Muzzaffarpur I changed trains and met more travelers. We reached Rauxall, the border town by about 4:00 PM. There I met two Australian girls who had been on the train, Tina and Julie, very sharp girls. They have been traveling in Ceylon and India for the last four months. They are going on eventually to England and then back home. We all crossed the border, took care of passport formalities, etc. and found a hotel in Birganj, a little Nepalese town just inside the border. 

02/04/68 Sunday 
Tina, Julie and I caught a bus to Katmandu while some of the others I had been with on the train decided to wait and try to get a ride with a lorry driver around Noon. The ride was beautiful. The high point was when we got our first glimpse of the Himalayas. They were magnificent. We got into Katmandu at about 4:00 PM, got rooms at the Camp Hotel where about sixty other young European and American travelers were staying. There were lots of nice kids, and very friendly. I got a bed in the dormitory, as no singles were available. It turned out my dorm was the “smoking room.” There were several hookahs scattered around and they were seemingly always lit. No wonder everyone was so friendly! Marijuana and hashish are legal in Nepal and are sold openly in the market. Alas, it held no attraction for me. I still had a wretched, lousy cold, sore throat and cough and all I wanted was a smoke-free, quiet place to sleep. I was able to trade beds for the night with one of the smokers who had a private room. 

02/05/68 Monday 
I didn’t wake up until about 9:30 AM. I had a bath and then breakfast with the girls. After eating we walked through the town and did some shopping. The town has an enchanting feel to it. The people are wonderful. 

02/06/68 Tuesday 
It was another relaxed day of just meandering around the streets of Katmandu. I went out to the Indian Embassy to get a new entry visa and a permit to visit Darjeeling. Then we cycled out to the Tibetan Refugee Center and did some shopping there. We saw the Tibetans working at their rug-weaving looms and related jobs. They also seemed to be very happy, friendly people. Cycling out and back we had a beautiful view of the mountains. In the evening we went to the Everest Restaurant for a huge Chinese dinner. We stopped in the Blue Tibetan, a pot smoker’s paradise. Everyone in there was tripping. On the way back to the Camp we stopped into some of the temples where men were singing and playing instruments. We noticed that most of the musicians were high on ganja, too: part of the religious experience, I guess. 

02/07/68 Wednesday 
I wandered by myself through the market. I ran into Julie and Tina as well as some of the smokers from the Camp, Donnie, John and Dave. They showed me to a place where I bought some hashish to take back to Mike. In the afternoon I sat around BS’ing with the girls and helping them write some poetry. We went to the Nanda Devi for dinner, the girls and Brooks and I. We sat around the Camp Café, read and listened to music before going to bed. I took Tina and Julie some hot lemonade before going to bed. I sat and talked with them for quite a while. I really like them. 

02/08/68 Thursday 
Julie, Tina, Brooks Goddard, another American fellow staying at the Camp, and I got started by about Noon for our overnight trek up to Nagarkot. We caught a bus to a point about nine miles outside of Katmandu and then hiked another nine miles from there. The hike took us about four hours, some of it pretty rough. The scenery when we reached the top was superb. At Nagarkot we could see the entire western ridge of the Himalayas. Mt. Everest and Kachenjunga were among the peaks but certainly not the most impressive at the distance and angle we were from them. It got very cold very fast and there was a wind that blew right through us. We had a dormitory room at the Tourist Hut, four beds in one room. We played some cards, had some light conversation and ate dinner. The girls, of course, I enjoyed very much but it was also interesting to get to know Brooks. He had been in Kenya, East Africa teaching under USAID, The United States Agency for International Development. He was a very good-looking guy. He was also friendly, pleasant and interesting to be around. I had talked with Julie along the path and then with Tina when we hiked up to the very top to see the sunset. We all went to bed very early, sleeping in all our clothes and using extra blankets to stay warm. 

02/09/68 Friday 
We got up at 5:30 AM to see the sunrise. The first rays of sunlight on the distant mountain peaks made for a very special sight. We went back to the lodge for breakfast. We met some other kids who had been staying at the Camp Hotel with us in Katmandu. They had come up in a Land Rover to see the sunrise. Tina went back down with them and Brooks, Julie and I stayed around a while longer taking pictures and then took the four hour walk back out. My feet were pretty raw when it was all over, but it was worth it. I wore the sturdiest pair of shoes I had with me, which happened to be wingtip dress shoes. This was not a wise choice on my part. 

Brooks and I, after getting back and getting cleaned up, went to the American Embassy Marine House for their TGIF happy hour. The highlight was good foreign booze and fresh, hot popcorn. 

02/10/68 Saturday 
I was up early and ate a Nepali breakfast with the hotel owner. I told Tina and Julie, “Goodbye,” and headed to the airport. After sitting in the airport for an hour, I learned I had missed my flight. With a bit of screaming I managed to get on the next flight, three hours later. From then on I made pretty good connections. From Rauxall I got to Muzzaffarpur by 9:45 PM. At 10:20 PM I got a direct express train to Siliguri, complete with a sleeping berth. 

02/11/68 Sunday 
FROM THE KINGDOM OF NEPAL TO THE KINGDOM OF SIKKIM 
I rode all day and arrived in Siliguri at about 1:00 PM. I had lunch, and then got a ride by jeep on up to Gangtok, Sikkim. It was a pretty ride on a curvy mountain road, sometimes in pretty bad condition. The jeep was usually crammed full of people, letting them out and picking them up as we went along. We got to Gangtok about 7:00 PM. I checked into the Paradise Hotel, clean but not fancy. 

02/12/68 Monday 
I spent the morning wandering through the market, absorbing the atmosphere. I was sorely disappointed that there really wasn’t much atmosphere to absorb. The military occupation by India was ever-present. At one point along a path I came across three young soldiers perched behind a machine gun scanning the hillside. I couldn’t see much of the Palace, but what I could see wasn’t very impressive. Queen Hope was down in Calcutta having a baby so I didn’t get invited in for tea. It was a gray day, cloudy and overcast. 

02/13/68 Tuesday 
I awoke to a gloriously beautiful day. The view of the mountains to the north was crystal clear. It seemed as though one should be able to reach out and touch Kachenjunga. A couple of PCV’s had checked into the hotel last night. One of them, Bob Jolly, had been a college mate of Paul Stefanacci. I again hiked up to the top of the hill where the Palace is located. I got an even better view and lots of good pics. I had to get special permission, but succeeded in getting some pics of the colorful Palace Guards. 

TEA ANYONE? TRY DARJEELING 
I left Gangtok at Noon by jeep for Tista. At Tista I got a seat in a Land Rover all the way to Darjeeling. Again, it was a gorgeous drive, tea gardens, pine trees and, fortunately, another spectacular glimpse of the Himalayas as we wound our way up the mountain road. We reached Darjeeling by about 4:00 PM. I found the Stuart Lodge, which had been recommended to me by someone, and checked in for the night. I went out to a place called Glenary’s for dinner. They had delicious food and it was cheap. Tokyo Olympiad was playing near my lodge so I went to see it. By this time it was getting bloody, bloody cold. Back at the lodge, I put on every stitch of clothing I could get on and covered myself with three blankets. I was still so cold that sleep was just out of the question, though my eyelids were nearly dropping off. Somehow, I made it through the night, dozing off at one time or another for short spells. 

02/14/68 Wednesday 
The first item on my agenda was to find a hotel where I could keep warm for the next night. The Tourist Office directed me to the Central Hotel. There, I was given a spacious room with soft beds, blankets, quilts, a fireplace at the end of the bed, running hot water and the promise of a hot water bottle for the night. After lunch, one of the owners of the hotel, Mr. Madan, spoke to me of his recent study tour to the States. He showed me one of the interesting walks around Darjeeling. He seemed to be a very unhappy man, very cynical and quite bitter about life. I went to the show in the evening, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, a very second rate movie. I purchased a bottle of brandy, curled up in an easy chair in front of the fireplace with a good book and enjoyed a very relaxing evening. Extra quilts and a big hot-water bottle made sleeping nice and cozy, too. 

02/15/68 Thursday 
I spent the morning walking, again. I went down to the Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Center and purchased some nice leather boots. I loafed after lunch and went to another flick in the evening; the Three Scrooges in The Outlaws is Coming, pure Saturday morning TV, really shitty. I went back to my cozy room and the warm fire, good book and brandy for the rest of the evening. 

02/16/68 Friday 
At 7:00 AM I got up when I saw the day was clear and bright outside. I walked to the top of Observatory Hill for a pretty good view of Kachenjunga, et al. The view from Gangtok was much better. After breakfast, I took off by taxi for Siliguri. The poor guy couldn’t get any other long-distance passengers and I ended up having the car and driver all to myself for most of the trip. I ate lunch in Siliguri then caught the “Toy Train” to the next station where I waited until 8:00 PM for the Calcutta train. I purchased first class passage and I was glad I did. 

02/17/68 Saturday 
OH CALCUTTA 
By about dawn we came to a point where everyone had to get off the train and board a ferry. The ferry took about three hours, and then we got on another train chugging toward Calcutta. We got into Calcutta between 3:00 and 4:00 PM. I found the Red Shield Hostel and checked in, in spite of some difficulty with the desk staff. There was a very friendly little Anglo-Indian lass hanging around the lobby. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to meet her. As soon as I got settled, I took a cab to the Peace Corps office to check in and see if there was any mail for me. The cabby drove around in circles for about a half hour before he finally located the office. The film and letter from Mom was waiting for me there. Keith, a returned PCV who had worked in our training project in the Virgin Islands was working in the office. It was nice to see him. He had acquired a very obnoxious wife, utterly revolting, who was in the office with him. 

I went back to the Red Shield, got cleaned up and changed clothes. I then went to Firpo’s, a fine restaurant, for something to eat. After that I went back to the hotel and soon went to bed. 

02/18/68 Sunday 
I knocked around Calcutta, Chowringhee and Park Street. I ran into a British fellow who had been in Katmandu when I was there. He was on his way to Bangkok. At the invitation of a fellow PCV, I went into Trinca’s Restaurant on Park Street for the morning jam session and a couple of beers. The singer was quite good, and very sexy with an unbelievable body. I went next to the Howrah Train Station to see about connections to Madras. I decided to take the air-conditioned express train tomorrow morning. I went back to the hotel and found that more PCV’s were now staying there. I hit it off well with one fellow, Frank Fontaine, a Negro from Alabama. About 6:00 PM we went up to the Park Hotel to check out the big dance they were having. It was really a rocking affair, but mainly high school age kids. It was very crowded. The bands were good. From there we went back to the hotel and sat around talking. Then Frank and I went over to Isaiah’s Bar, supposedly a big “pick-up” spot. It was loaded with good-looking Indian and Oriental girls, and sailors. I took out a very sharp girl with a nice hairdo wearing a green Punjabi outfit. We went to her hotel room, had something to eat, listened to soft music, changed into more comfortable clothes, she into stretch pants and a cotton pullover, me in a lungi, dancing, smooching… 

02/19/68 Monday 
MOVING ON TO MADRAS 
I was up at 5:00 AM after a delightful night. I hurried over to the Red Shield to collect my bags and pay my bill and then to the train station. I got a seat in the air-conditioned coach car. It was very comfortable, leather upholstery, reclining seats, clean, an attached dining car. I rode all day and all night. 

02/20/68 Tuesday 
I rode all day, getting into Madras about 9:30 PM. There were no retiring rooms in the station, so I had to get on the phone and find a hotel. After several frustrating attempts to reach an Indian-style hotel, they would just hang up; I called the western-style Airlines Hotel and booked a room. They gave me a nice air-conditioned single room with attached bath for Rs. 18/-. I really appreciated the air-conditioning, as Madras was already quite hot and humid. 

02/21/68 Wednesday 
I spent the morning on Mount Road browsing through bookstores, looking for more books by Ayn Rand, to no avail. About noon, I went out to the sight of the International Trade Fair. It didn’t open until 2:00 PM so I had to sit and twiddle my thumbs for a couple of hours. When it did open the lines were so long that I was unable to see many of the important exhibits. I left about 5:00 PM and went back to Mount Road, got a haircut and a beard trim. I collected my bags at the hotel and went to the train station. I managed to get a sleeping berth reservation in first class and then realized I was down to my last Rupee. I approached a couple of affluent looking Sikhs in the dining room to see if they would change some dollars for me. Instead, they bought me a big dinner and told me to forget it. I forgot to mention that a fellow gave me a free taxi ride from the hotel to the station, too. There are kind, thoughtful Indians after all. I slept well on the train. 

02/22/68 Thursday 
BACK TO BANGALORE 
I got into Bangalore about 6:00 AM and went straight to Bryan’s. I got him out of bed, had coffee, breakfast and lots of good talk. I decided not to spend a day in Bangalore. I left on the 10:00 AM Pune Express and got into Haveri at 8:45 PM. Dinner was waiting and Paul met me at the station. After dinner I read my accumulated mail with great enjoyment. 

02/23/68 Friday 
HOME AGAIN 
I went back to the nothing farm and the nobody people in the nowhere town. 

02/24/68 Saturday 
This was a “village visit” day with Dr. Rao, and the last one I intend to submit myself to. I refuse to be merely “kept busy” by some half-ass Indian who is merely using me to boost his own status. It is going to be productive endeavors from now on, or nothing. 

02/26/68 Monday 
I used the morning making contacts for future poultry extension. I will be following them up in the coming days. I am going to see Dr. I. S. Hiermath tonight about his starting a poultry unit. 

02/29/68 Thursday 
Some Lombardi women came to the door this morning. They sang and danced for money. Parker and I both had our pictures taken with them. They were all in brightly colored costumes. 

03/01/68 Friday 
Bob and I went to Hubli yesterday to give our farewell to Bill and Maureen. They leave Delhi on the 19th and will travel extensively through Europe before returning to the States. 

03/22/68 Friday 
Carter came by on tour. He took Bob and I with him in the afternoon to visit the Poultry Extension Center in Belgaum. The fellow in charge of the Coop Society there is really sharp. It reflects his two years with George Honneberger very much. 

03/23/68 Saturday 
I got a big food package this morning that Mom had mailed on January 2nd. She hadn’t told me it was coming so it was a nice surprise. I stayed at home today with a bad sore throat and a cough. 

03/24/68 Sunday 
One of our neighbors, a young fellow who works at the Post Office, took Bob and me to the nearby Sidheswara Temple and explained to us some of its history. Later we played carom with him and some others across the street at the Post Office. In return we invited some of them over for tea. 

We were pretty sure that the sweeper girl had been doing some small-scale stealing from us and instructed David to give her her walking papers. Then we decided to give her just one more chance. 

03/29/68 Friday 
YOUR PRESENCE IS RESPECTFULLY REQUESTED 
On Tuesday morning I left by bus for Jog Falls. The ride was long and hot. I arrived about 3:00 PM. Bob had planned to come along but got sick at the last minute and decided against it. I got a room in the Bombay Bungalow on the falls side of the gorge. A few hours later three guys from India-42 showed up. They had also been given invitations to attend the dedication of the Sharavathy Hydroelectric Project the following day. 

The next morning we walked over to the Mysore Bungalow on the opposite side of the gorge and got transportation down to the generating plant where the ceremony was to take place. I saw George Thekaekara and had a short visit with him. The guest of honor for the occasion was the United States Ambassador to India, Chester Bowles. Presiding was the Mysore Chief Minister, Mr. Nijalingappa. After the speeches, as everyone was making their way out, Mrs. Bowles, Stef, came running up to me to ask if we were Americans and to introduce herself. I told her we were American Peace Corps Volunteers. She was then rushed off to her waiting car and I told her we would talk to her further at lunch. Back at the Mysore Bungalow we hung around the Embassy entourage until they offered us beers, engaged in conversation with us and finally invited us to join them for lunch. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bowles put us immediately at ease and made us feel as if we were old friends of theirs. They were very interested to hear of our working situations. Following the meal, Stef and Chet excused themselves for a nap and we continued chatting with some of the Embassy Attaché’s. 

Later that afternoon, the four of us PCV’s hiked down to the bottom of the falls, 900 feet, for some swimming. It was a good walk and my sore muscles were a constant reminder of it. (We took fifteen minutes going down and twenty-four minutes to hike back up.) It was fun but not nearly the adventure it had been the first time. 

That evening there was a very impressive fireworks display over the falls. 

Thursday morning we all headed back for our Peace Corps sites. I got back to Haveri about 4:30 PM, very hot and tired. There was lots of mail awaiting me, including Randee’s letter telling me she was pregnant, and my parcel of tea from Darjeeling. 

03/30/68 Saturday 
Bob and I played Careers for the second evening in a row. 

03/31/68 Sunday 
I awoke at 6:30 AM to let the sweeper in. David has been in the hospital since yesterday. Parker left for twelve days’ leave in Bangalore in the evening. 

04/01/68 Monday 
Still being alone in the house, I once again got up early to let in the sweeper girl. 

I spent the rest of the day preparing for my evening train ride to Bangalore. I went to see David in the hospital. He seemed to be feeling much better. I left on the mail train at 6:30 PM. 

04/02/68 Tuesday 
I arrived in Bangalore at about 7:00 AM, went to Larry’s and got him out of bed. Later I went to the Peace Corps office to collect travel money and advertise my tape recorder and guitar for sale. I did the same at the Regent Guest House. I left the items to be sold with Haroon, the manager. In the afternoon I went with Parker to see Dr. Zhivago. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the first time. In the evening, Larry and I saw How to Steal a Million. We then went to the Breeze for some beers and biriyani. I got smashed on two beers and went out like a light when I hit the sack back at Larry’s. 

04/03/68 Wednesday 
Ed arrived in the morning. He and Larry and I went out for breakfast and then did some shopping. We did a lot of looking but didn’t buy anything. We went again in the afternoon. I got some nice raw silk at the Handloom House and got fitted at the Ambassador Tailor for a sport coat. Ed and I went to see The Naked Runner. We met Larry at the Brindavan Hotel at 9:00 PM for dinner. 

04/04/68 Thursday 
Ed left for Kudige. Larry and I rode bikes out to Thekaekaras’ to vaccinate chicks. Merlyn and Phillip were there and helped us. Merlyn was, as always, gorgeous. We had a lot of fun kidding around with her. Phillip was, as usual, a teenager. They fed us and we went back to town. When we got back to Larry’s house, a girl he had gone out with once before came walking up. We made arrangements for her to come back with a friend at 10:00 PM to go out with Larry and me. We went off to see Alfie, a very good movie. We had dinner at the Breeze. Back at the pad, the girls never showed up. We got a good night’s sleep. 

04/05/68 Friday 
I sold my tape recorder in the morning to a real gaper. If his kids don’t have it broken by evening, he will be a very lucky man. 

In the afternoon I went shopping again. I bought some nice Terry-wool suiting and some cotton shirt material. I dropped the suiting off at the tailor’s to have a Nehru suit made. 

I went to the Bowring Institute in the evening. I met Hazel, Gwynn and the rest of the sick Anglo-Indian crowd. Parker was there playing Wist. Later we went to the 3-Aces. What a zoo! 

04/06/68 Saturday 
I ate dinner at the Italian Guest House. What a lovely young daughter! 

04/07/68 Sunday 
I got up early to catch the tour bus to Mysore. It never showed. 

We went to the circus in the afternoon. It wasn’t too bad, but wasn’t very good. We visited some of Larry’s poultry people afterwards, some Parsis, very sharp people. 

04/08/68 Monday 
I got up early again and, this time caught the bus to Mysore. I spent the day sightseeing. The sights were okay, but I met a very nice French girl, Barbara, who had worked as an interpreter at the UNCTAD Conference in New Delhi. By the end of the day we had become quite at ease with each other. We sat and talked and sipped tall lime sodas at the luxury hotel at Brindavan Gardens. Holding hands, we took a walk around the gardens, returned to the hotel for another drink and to watch the gardens illuminated after dark. The long hot ride back to Bangalore was tiring. Barbara and I parted, and I knew I would probably never see her again. 

04/09/68 Tuesday 
I went shopping in the morning. I bought some pretty raw silk dress material for Mom, Happy and Sherry. 

I learned of the death of John Anderson’s father when I got back to Larry’s. By three o’clock John was in Bangalore at the Peace Corps office. He decided not to return to the States. 

Larry and I “bird-dogged” Parker while he was at Cheryl’s in the evening. I don’t think he appreciated it. 

04/11/68 Thursday 
Mike and Ed arrived at Larry’s in the morning. Hanson, Alexander and Stefanacci also appeared in town at various times throughout the day. I picked up my raw-silk sport-coat at the tailor’s. It was really beautiful. He did an excellent job. 

At 7:00 PM we went to a Ravi Shankar concert. It was very good. 

We went to the 3-Aces after the concert for dinner. The food was very good. Parker, Ed and I went over to Carter’s after dinner for the last of his party. We caught some good sounds on his stereo. He took us home about 1:30 AM. It was a wild ride through the streets of Bangalore. 

04/12/68 Friday 
I took my guitar to the Menochers’. She will try to sell it for me. While I was there I took a look at their chickens. I went to see For a Few Dollars More in the afternoon. It was the second best western I have ever seen. I ate at Kwality after the show. It was a “pukka” meal, Chicken Kiev. I got back to Larry’s pad and went to bed early. 

04/13/68 Saturday 
John and Tom came in to Bangalore from their farm. Larry and I had intended to go with them to a midnight church service for Easter, but we were just too tired when it came time to go. Larry and I did attend the Saturday night barbeque at the Regents earlier in the evening. 

04/14/68 Sunday Easter 
We had planned on going to church, but at the last minute decided to go to Hessaraghatta with John and Tom instead. We had a late breakfast at Doc Derman’s, and then rode out to Hessaraghatta with them. The Hessaraghatta boys have moved into a converted chicken house, a real zoo! USIS movies were the evening entertainment. The Georges and Gene popped in. The girls were looking gorgeous. Gene was full of spunk. 

04/15/68 Monday 
It was back to Bangalore in the morning by bus. Gene was already in with Larry. We went to the 3 Aces in the evening. We had a good dinner and drinks. Gene got up and joined the floorshow. He and I met some girls on Brigade Road as we were walking home. 

04/16/68 Tuesday 
The ten o’clock train out of Bangalore carried me back to Haveri and all my waiting mail, a letter from Alice, even. 

04/17/68 Wednesday 
I greeted everyone at the farm. I went to see Kaust. He still hadn’t started construction on his chicken house and had not yet placed an order for birds. I’m through with him! 

04/19/68 Friday 
There was heavy wind and rain in the evening. 

04/20/68 Saturday 
Once again there was a rainstorm. 

04/21/68 Sunday 
A telegram came in the morning from Bangalore telling Parker and me to report down there for a meeting with the Animal Husbandry Department on the following day. 

I decided to apply for the Teacher Corps. 

We took the night train to Bangalore. 

04/22/68 Monday 
We arrived in Bangalore and I went straight to Bryan’s. Dan was already there. The three of us met Gene and Ed at Koshy’s for dinner. Dan, Bryan and I returned to Bry’s and sat up very late, talking. 

04/23/68 Tuesday 
We rode out to Hessaraghatta in Carter’s van to attend the meeting, which turned out to be a big nothing. Back at McF’s, we three sat up till past 2:00 AM talking again. 

04/24/68 Wednesday 
I slept in until about 10:00 AM. I found out from the doc that I have pinworms. So, I took some pills that were supposed to kill them all. 

Gene and I went out on the town. I slept at Larry’s sans mattress on the hard cement floor. The mosquitoes ate me alive. I hardly slept a wink all night. 

04/25/68 Thursday 
I got my Nehru suit from the tailor and it looks nice. 

McF, Dan and I went to the Congress Exhibition in the evening. We had fried and barbequed chicken at Helen Clarke’s booth. It was delicious. 

04/26/68 Friday 
Dan and I got up at 5:00 AM to catch the tour bus for Belur and Halebeedu. On the way the bus hit and killed a cow. It is only a wonder it doesn’t happen more often. It was a long, tiring day, but well worth it. All of the sights we saw were very impressive, the Jain statue at Sravanabelgoto, the Jain and Hindu temples at Halebeedu and the Hindu temple at Belur. All were rich with sculpture. We arrived back in Bangalore at 10:30 PM. We went to the 3 Aces for dinner and the cabaret. 

04/27/68 Saturday 
There was a going away party for the Slattery’s at Lenny Robinson’s in the evening. We had a good time, dancing and drinking. There were some very attractive young ladies present. 

04/28/68 Sunday 
I began reading Michener’s Hawaii. 

04/29/68 Monday 
I went with Ed to Kudige, arriving at 5:30 PM. 

04/30/68 Tuesday 
I stayed at Ed’s house and read while he went to his farm. 

05/01/68 Wednesday 
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER WEDDING 
In the evening we went by bus to a wedding feast. Coorg is famous for its weddings. The dancing of the men was wild. It was the high point of the festivities for me. There was some drinking, but I wasn’t in the mood. We got back to Kudige about 2:00 AM. 

05/02/68 Thursday 
We didn’t make it up in time to catch the bus to attend the actual marriage ceremony and we missed it. I headed back to Bangalore, arriving about 7:00 PM. 

05/03 68 Friday 
I went to George’s in the evening for the celebration of Marion and his 25th wedding anniversary. Most of our group was there and we all had a good time. 

05/04/68 Saturday 
I headed back to Haveri on the night train. 

05/05/68 Sunday 
My train arrived three hours late in Haveri at 9:30 AM. I found much mail waiting. My shirts were back from the tailor but he had screwed them up terribly. None fit! When he came in the afternoon I sent them all back to him for alterations. 

05/06/68 Monday 
I went to the farm and gave Madival his battery eliminator, to his happiness. 

05/09/68 Thursday 
I attended the poultry assistant, Wadenpur’s, wedding. It was very colorful and even enjoyable. However, the food was terrible. 

05/12/68 Sunday 
I went to Hubli in the afternoon and checked into the Woodlands Hotel. I saw Onion Street in the late evening, a true story. 

I spent some time sitting by a well in a vacant field under a full moon on a clear night gazing at the sky. 

05/13/68 Monday 
I went to Dharwar to clear my Police papers for the Ceylon trip. It took the entire morning and part of the afternoon. Then, it was back to Hubli for clearance from the Income Tax office. It was amusing to watch the Income Tax man completely reverse his position. He went from telling me it was impossible to get clearance without first presenting my passport, to parroting my argument as if it was his original statement and giving me what I wanted in the first place, and all without losing face. 

I made a mad dash to the hotel, took an auto rickshaw to the train station, and then had an hour’s wait before the train left for Haveri. I got back home in plenty of time for dinner. 

05/14/68 Tuesday 
I packed for my trip north and left for Hubli in the afternoon. I caught a train out of Hubli headed for Guntakal at 11:00 PM. I managed to secure a luggage rack in second class on which to sleep. From about 3:00 AM on I was kept awake by a very rude bunch of celebratory Indians on the way to a wedding. 

05/15/68 Wednesday 
I got into Guntakal about 8:00 AM. I spent the whole day sitting in the first class waiting room in a hard wooden chair trying to sleep. I tried to get a retiring room but none were vacant. Bryan’s train from Bangalore arrived about 6:00 PM and together we caught the Bombay Express, which originated in Madras, at 7:00 PM. We could only get one sleeping berth in second class, so Bryan took the first four-hour shift and I took the second. 

05/16/68 Thursday 
The train arrived in Pune about 7:00 AM. Dan and Ken were waiting for us there. We had breakfast. Ken and I knocked around Pune’s Cantonment while Dan and Bryan went to get luxury bus reservations to Aurangabad. We departed for Aurangabad by 3:00 PM, arriving there at 9:00 PM. It was a fair trip with lots of RF'ing (rat fucking?) by us along the way. We got an acceptable room in a vegetarian hotel. We arranged to rent a taxi for the following two days of sightseeing at Ajanta and Ellora. 

05/17/68 Friday 
AJANTA AND ELLORA 
We were up early and off in our taxi for the Ajanta Caves, about a two-hour drive. I enjoyed the caves immensely. There are some really beautiful frescoes. Dan took lots of flash pictures. We flirted with East African-Indian girls in the restaurant. Then we went up to the viewpoint where we RF’d and BA’d (rat fucked and bad assed?) 

We went back to Aurangabad, picked up a case of Coke and went out to dinner. We saw the East African-Indian girls again. We got nowhere with them. There was good conversation at dinner. Then Dan and Bryan went back to the hotel. Ken and I tried to find some nightlife. 

05/18/68 Saturday 
We were up early and off in our taxi for the Ellora Caves. Our first stop, and most enjoyable, was Dalautabad Fort. It is a gigantic fortress and was virtually impenetrable in it’s day, back in about the 9th century, AD. We spent lots of time climbing up walls, sitting on cannons and looking out over the vast, bleak desert. We climbed through pitch-dark inner passages led by a guide with a kerosene torch. Finally we made it to the top and I made the climactic ascent by shinnying up a twenty-five foot pole perched there. Back to the taxi and on to Ellora, briefly stopping at Aurangzeb’s (unimpressive) tomb on the way. We encountered some fine rock carving there; cave sixteen being, by far, the best. Towards the end we grew very tired and actually skipped quite a few of the caves. We made another brief stop at the Taj Mahal II, or, more correctly, Bibi-Ka-Maqbara. It was then back to the hotel to clean up and pack. We went to the bus station for dinner and caught the Bombay Luxury Bus at 9:00 PM. It was an all night, no sleep ride. 

05/19/68 Sunday 
The bus dropped us at Bombay Central Station and we taxied to Victoria Terminus where we showered and ate. Then by horse-coach we proceeded to the Grand Hotel. Many others were arriving also for the ten-day Completion of Service Conference. After lunch, a big bunch of us went out to Juhn Beach to go swimming. The beach and the water were filthy, but we managed to have a good time in spite of it. 

05/20/68 Monday – 05/27/68 Monday 
COMPLETION OF SERVICE CONFERENCE 
There were meetings with Dr. Voos from Peace Corps Washington all day. During the week, however, several evenings were spent in the jolly companionship of my fellows at an establishment known fondly to us only as, Number 95 Falkland Road. It also had a Chinese name, 95 Loc Jon. At #95 such names as Mylie, Kanta, Rupa and Lillie took on special meaning, Lillie to more than one of us and to some of us more than once. Greek, Spanish, and American sailors shared the scene, but it was the Indian, Nepali and Tibetan lasses who drew us there. 

Bonnie and Clyde was a very violent movie. Dinner at Cal Frickes, from near Grant’s Pass, Oregon, was a real treat. There was a party at Ben Moore’s one night and movies, Help and What’s New Pussycat, the next night. Our crowd had a rocking time at Bombelli’s. 

The days’ activities included medical exams, the salts (?), a fifteen second dental exam and many taxi trips. A party at Juhn Beach included fun with India guys and girls, and a swinging Bombay crowd afterwards. There were songs and games on the beach. A girl named Bertha wanted to marry an American and had her sites set on Gene Hazzard, among others. 

05/28/68 Tuesday 
Stef, Parker, Mike, Bryan, Larry, French and I boarded the boat for Goa at 10:00 AM. It was smooth sailing all day and night, relaxing. We went cabin class and it was very nice. Many games of poker were played. I came out even, of course. 

05/29/68 Wednesday 
IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT (AGAIN) 
We arrived at Panjim about 10:00 AM and made straight for Calangute. Larry, Bryan, Ken and I got rooms at Lobo’s Royal Hotel where some of us had stayed before. The other three got in at the Tourist Hotel. We swam, sunbathed, walked and gawked. In the early evening on the beach we “helloed” three cuties. The second time by us they stopped. It was love at first sight for me. Her name was Sheila, only sixteen years old and very pretty. She and I took a long walk on the beach. Ken and Larry teamed up with the other two. When we stopped at a stand on the beach for Cokes she wore my rain hat. They took us to their pad to meet the family. Sheila and I took off to get the key. This involved another long walk on a pitch-dark path, holding hands. I was instantly back in high school with my heart pumping, breathing hard, very little talking. When we got back to the others we talked. We parted but made plans for me to see her in Bombay. We promised to write. 

05/30/68 Thursday 
More fun and frolic on the beach ensued, but I was missing Sheila. John Anderson arrived and checked in at the Royal. We made a trip to Mapusa and walked around in the bazaar. Back on the beach attempts were made to woo Millie, the strong-armed servant girl who uncapped beer bottles with her teeth, but all in vain. Bryan was putting down about eight big Indian beers a day. Larry was shacking up with Diane, a Peace Corps chick from Andra Pradesh. There were many holiday crowds on the beach, especially in the evenings when everyone was out to see and be seen. There were dances at the Royal with the shittiest band in the world. 

05/31/68 Friday 
Larry and I met some girls in very brief bikinis, but they turned out to be fourteen and fifteen respectively. Ken, Mike, Paul and Bob departed. From then on it was all a drunken blur: Mona from Hong Kong, the Sukiyaki Restaurant, American Pancakes? Hamburgers? And, hot dogs? The Sea Captain and his famous Roast Suckling Pig Dinner that never was. Me, very drunk on free Finie. The spins. Flashing. 

06/01/68 Saturday 
John, Bryan and I made ready to leave. Larry stayed. John got away. Bryan and I got as far as Panjim and turned back. There were hippies on the ferry. McF and I succeeded in getting a room at the Tourist Hotel, much plush compared to Lobo’s. Lobo this time was always drunk. Before not like this. This time not good. 

06/02/68 Sunday 
Larry and I decided to visit the Retreat House on the cliff at the beach’s end. There was a river to ford at its mouth at high tide. I took the plunge. Many cuts and much bleeding were followed by success. The view from the top was fantastic. We enjoyed a freshly caught lobster dinner in the evening at an oceanside shack on the beach. Larry and his bird moved into the Tourist Hotel. Everyone was getting nicely tanned. Larry and I met some more congenial hippie girls, nice talking, and nice beaver. 

06/03/68 Monday 
Evans, McF and I took off by luxury bus for Haveri. We traveled all day reaching Haveri at 11:30 PM. We hired a tonga to my house. Dinner was not ready. We went to bed hungry. Parker was pissed because of a telegram foul-up. 

06/04/68 Tuesday 
I gave Bryan the Golden Circle Tour of Haveri, starting with the Sidheswara Temple and all around the town. The circus was in town. Magavi took us to a garden spot for a very nice picnic lunch. Larry and Bryan left on the Mail. 

06/05/68 Wednesday 
I got news of RFK’s death. I was shocked, stunned and sickened. 

06/11/68 Tuesday 
I took off to Bangalore on the Mail. 

06/13/68 Thursday 
I was involved in making plans with a travel agent all day in Bangalore. 

06/14/68 Friday 
I traveled back to Haveri by night train. 

06/18/68 Tuesday 
I was off to Hubli-Dharwar for my Police Clearance to exit India. I got back to Haveri by suppertime. 

06/30/68 Sunday 
By now, I was just waiting it out. I got all caught up on my letter writing. On Saturday the 29th, there was a farewell party given for Bob and me at the poultry farm. It was a typical government party with sickening speeches. I was glad to have it over with. Bob left for Bangalore Sunday morning for medical work. I won’t see him again until Delhi. 

07/01/68 Monday 
I was very much tensed up for my Bombay trip. I received payment for many of the things I had been selling. I departed Haveri by the Pune Express at 9:00 PM. 

07/02/68 Tuesday 
I spent all day on the train, arriving in Bombay about 9:00 PM. I checked into the Ritz. It was nice, but not very. I ate dinner, had a hot bath and went to bed. 

07/03/68 Wednesday 
I was up at 7:30 AM and ate breakfast at 10:00 AM. I went to the Indian Airlines office to see about changing flight plans to exclude Goa. I had a photo made for my Japan visa. I sent a telegram to try and contact Sheila. 

In the afternoon I removed my beard of six and a half months in a momentous decision and a courageous act. I felt like a new man, however. I was glad to have it off. I stayed in, both in the afternoon and the evening. 

07/04/68 Thursday 
At 9:30 AM I got a phone call from a friend of Sheila. I was to meet her at her residence in the afternoon. 

I went to Sheila’s house at about 5:00 PM. She looked great dressed in stretch pants and a white blouse, her hair down straight over her shoulders. We talked and walked around her neighborhood in the rain. She introduced me to some of her girlfriends. Maggie was there and looking good, as well. I noticed that Sheila seemed very much her age today, sixteen. I think I might actually be starting to prefer women to girls. She’s too young and empty headed. She will call me tomorrow. 

07/05/68 Friday 
I stayed up all night after enjoying a late dinner and the cabaret at the hotel. I tried to go to bed but just wasn’t ready. I taxied over to #95 to see Lilly and then went on out to the airport to meet Dave. His plane was an hour late. Then, customs took their sweet time but we did have a great meeting and haven’t stopped chatting since. We got a taxi back to the hotel and got Dave checked in. Later, we had breakfast and then took some stuff over to American Express to have them pack it for mailing. From there we went to the Japan Consulate where I obtained my visa. 

Dave and I went on up to Malabar Hill to see the hanging gardens and a panoramic view of Bombay. We both napped in the afternoon until dinnertime. I introduced Dave to the Taj Mahal Hotel where we enjoyed a late steak dinner while listening to Indian classical music and watching classical dancing. 

We went back to the Ritz to shed our jackets and ties and then for an excursion through the cages. Dave got to see his first rat in India. We returned to the hotel and talked until about 3:00 AM. 

07/06/68 Saturday 
We endured a long, tedious, two hour ordeal at the Post Office trying to mail home thirteen rolls of film. In the evening we saw the cabaret in our hotel and then turned in early. 

07/07/68 Sunday 
We flew from Bombay to Cochin in the afternoon. The view as we landed was beautiful. From the plane windows we could see a lush carpet of palm trees flecked here and there by a clearing surrounding a temple. We checked in at the Sea Lord Hotel. I couldn’t get over how much nicer the hotel looked to me this time than when I had been there before as part of a Peace Corps group. And, somehow the service seemed much better now that I was considered an American tourist rather than a Peace Corps Volunteer. 

After checking in and catching our breath, we went up to the roof terrace for some pre-dinner cocktails. We enjoyed a late dinner followed by a fair cabaret act, including a semi-stripper. 

07/08/68 Monday 
After breakfast we were off on our chartered motor launch for sightseeing in the Kerala Backwaters. It was raining slightly, but not enough to spoil our trip. We stayed out four hours and saw a lot of typical Kerala scenes, fishing boats, Chinese fishing nets, a coir factory, narrow canals, millions of palm trees, rice paddies and the friendly people waving all along the way. 

In the evening we went to see a Tony Curtis movie. We ran into Sasi and invited him to join us. 

07/09/68 Tuesday 
We went to Kuruppampady by bus, making good connections. When we got there we took our things to Rajan’s house. It was fun for me to show Dave all these places, having him see at last all the things I had tried for so long to describe in my letters home. The weather was beautiful. Rajan’s parents welcomed us, as he wasn’t home from college, yet. After tea we walked back to the main road and into Kuruppampady. We stopped at a little teashop and saw Amini, who seemed very happy to see me. Further on we ran into John, another one of my old friends. There was more tea. Rajan came by on the bus, spotted us and walked back to join us. It was a very happy meeting, indeed. He went on to his house to eat and arranged to meet us later. 

Dave and I proceeded up the hill that commands a view of the countryside surrounding Kuruppampady. We snapped a lot of pictures of the magnificently lush green views. We walked back down the hill. On the road again, Sasi joined us, having just arrived by bus from Muvattapuzha. We walked with him along the canal to the Iringole forest. Yes, a few fair young maidens were bathing. We hoped to see monkeys in the forest but, alas, we saw none. The next stop was at the Poultry Farm, which had much improved since my departure, with the help of a very sharp new officer. Everything looked very good. At the farm we were joined by Rajan. With him we returned to the road and watched for Ramakrishnan. Dave and I went to his house, but he was not there. So, we went on back to Rajan’s, stopping at Gopalakrishnan’s for greetings to his mother, and more tea. Once at Rajan’s, we sat and talked and made ourselves comfortable. We sat out on the porch looking up at coconut palms silhouetted by a full moon above, the glistening rice paddies below. The crickets and frogs and birds and bugs sang a serenade that drowned out all other sensations. The twangy sounds of the Sitar and Tabla droned softly over a radio in the background. 

Then it was time to eat. We were served a typical Kerala meal, rice and chicken curry, banana curry, lime pickle and papadams. We ate Kerala-style, with our hands from broad banana leaves as plates. I was surprised to see Dave dig in like he did. I think he ate more than I did, and enjoyed it more, especially eating with his hand. After dinner we enjoyed more talk, more sitting on the porch and went to bed early. Dave slept on Rajan’s cot. I slept on a bamboo mat and blanket on the floor. The mosquitoes made themselves known, but by morning we each had gotten what seemed like a sufficient amount of sleep. 

07/10/68 Wednesday 
We said our goodbyes in the morning. It was sad parting with Rajan as we boarded the bus for Alwaye. I was disappointed that I hadn’t been able to see Ramakrishnan. 

We took the bus to Alwaye and got a taxi to the Mathuni’s. They seemed pleased to see us. Mr. Mathuni took us for a tour of the Settlement grounds. We had a very nice lunch, complemented by the presence of their beautiful and provocative seventeen-year-old daughter, Jean. It was an uneasy parting. Later, I guessed I should have given them a token presentation of some kind. I hope I didn’t offend them. 

By 2:30 PM we were on a bus for Cochin. Back at the Sea Lord, we rested and then did a little shopping. Dave bought some Bata sandals like mine, and some lighter fluid. We then went into the old bazaar and shopped for a coconut machete for Bryan. We ate dinner at the hotel and then enjoyed the cabaret. I had the dubious honor of being turned down when I asked the cabaret dancer for a dance before her act went on. We packed up and got everything ready for a quick departure in the morning. 

07/11/68 Thursday 
We flew to Bangalore where Larry met us at the airport. We stayed at the Brindavan Hotel. I cancelled our reservations at the West End. They tried to charge us a cancellation penalty. Telegrams met me in both Haveri and Belgaum, but I ignored them and undiplomatically skipped the country. 

Dave met more of the guys from India-33 at various times throughout the day and at a dinner party in Banswadi at the Thekaekaras’ in the evening. George was his usual jolly self. Mrs. G was sweet and the girls were lovely. Afterwards, some of us went to the 3-Aces. Back in our hotel, Dave and I enjoyed some Johnny Walker Black Label and then turned in. 

07/12/68 Friday 
Dave and I rode the whole day by first-class train to Haveri. It was a long, but not too uncomfortable ride. We got into Haveri about 9:15 PM and found dinner waiting, possibly the toughest fried chicken I have ever eaten. Dave got a real taste of Peace Corps Volunteer conditions when he had to sleep on my Peace Corps issue cot, sheet metal and no springs. 

07/13/68 Saturday 
I showed Dave the nearby Sidheswara Temple. Then we walked the mile to the Poultry Farm. I introduced him to the staff and showed him around. It was clouding up to rain so we cycled back to my house. Later in the afternoon, we took a walk through the bazaar. Dave got a good look at the heart of Haveri. By nine, we were at the train station accompanied by friends from the poultry farm. We said our “goodbye’s” and soon we were on our way again. 

07/14/68 Sunday 
We got into Belgaum about 4:00 AM and moved right into the retiring room, which had been kept for us. We slept till about 7:30 AM and then proceeded to make connections to the airport. We just missed the Indian Airlines Bus so ended up taking a motor rickshaw the full eight miles out to the aerodrome. On the way we hit a bicyclist and totaled out his bike. Luckily, he wasn’t hurt. 

When we arrived at Bombay Airport my friends Sheila and Maggie were there to meet us. They took us by taxi back to their boarding house for a relaxing four or five hours. We had a nice Indian lunch with the girls and then went for a walk. At 4:00 PM we started back to the airport where I said my last, reluctant farewell to Sheila. 

Our flight to Delhi was short and pleasant by Caravelle Jet. It was raining in Delhi when we landed. We made straight for the India International Centre, a very nice, modern, attractive hostel. Others from the group were starting to arrive. We ate a late dinner, cleaned up and went to bed. 

07/15/68 Monday 
TAJ MAHAL: THIRD VISIT 
Dave and I arose early and took the Taj Express to Agra. It was raining slightly but we did enjoy the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal, anyway. We ate lunch at the Lauries Hotel and sat around in the air-conditioned lounge in the afternoon. We met a nice fellow from Boston, a young Philadelphia college professor. We traveled back to Delhi again on the Taj Express. We were tired and went right to bed. 

07/16/68 Tuesday 
Meetings were conducted to wind up our termination process. We didn’t do much else all day. In the evening we went to The Cellar, a new discothèque. It was a very rocking place, lots of hippies and pseudo-hippies. There were no girls for us to dance with though, as they were all there with guys. 

07/17/68 Wednesday 
I turned my trunk over to the Peace Corps in the morning for shipping. Dave and I went shopping and then we went out to the American Embassy for lunch, where we ran into John and Gene. I stuffed myself with a cheeseburger, fries, chili, ice cream, Pepsi and cold milk. 

In the evening, a big crowd of us returned to The Cellar. This time we brought girls to dance with and had lots of fun. 

07/18/68 Thursday 
We got out to the airport early to catch our Indian Airlines Calcutta flight. Bryan, Dan, John, JoAnn and Ruth were all there to catch their flight to Bangkok. Our flight left on time and we got into Calcutta about 10:00 AM. We stayed at the Oberoi Grand, very large and very nice. We didn’t do much sightseeing. We went to Isaiah’s Bar in the evening, picked up some girls from Assam and took them dancing. Matilda was my date. Mary was Dave’s. 

07/19/68 Friday 
BANGKOK 
This was my last morning in India! We departed Calcutta’s Dum Dum Airport at 8:30 AM by Scandinavian Airlines and I heaved a sigh of joy. 

Two hours later we were in Bangkok. Again we were in a very nice hotel, The Royal. Bryan called about 3:30 PM. We met him and Dan at 4:00 PM at the Taiwan Embassy, where we were all getting our visas for Taiwan. The visas would be ready in an hour so in the meantime, I walked a block up the street and had my first professional massage. It was good, but I expect Tokyo to be better. 

The guys met me after my massage and we went over to see John at their hotel, the Petch Nakorn. Their hotel was occupied mainly by GI’s on R & R from Viet Nam and had a very permissive attitude. John still had his girlfriend from the night before with him. We all walked up to the GI Bar where John had picked up his girl, about one mile up the road. It was pretty dead, but they did dig up some girls to sit with us, none that appealed to me, though. 

After awhile, we went across the street to a higher-class place called The San Francisco Bar. I no more than got in the door than I saw the chick I knew I would be spending the night with. She was sitting across the room by herself at a table. She had beautiful Thai features, creamy, smooth, flawless skin, long straight black hair hanging down to her small breasts, petite, and wearing an orange poorboy and red stretch pants. She got my invitation and in another minute was sitting by my side. She spoke no English, but words weren’t real important. It wasn’t much longer before Dave had a little doll picked out and sitting by his side, too. Dan and Bryan couldn’t find anybody they liked, so ended up empty-handed. My girl’s name was Dang, (pronounced “dahng.”) Dave’s was Julie. We sat in the bar with the girls drinking and listening to the very good rock band for about an hour. 

Then we took our dates to see a Walt Disney movie, Follow Me, Boys. It was so much fun being out with such cute girls, almost like a real date. After the show we took them back to our hotel room. Dave’s girl started getting bitchy, complaining she didn’t want to share a room with Dang and me. I worried that Dave wouldn’t have a good time because of her attitude. Dang was very sweet, loving and sexy. She was undoubtedly the finest female I had ever slept with. 

07/20/68 Saturday 
We spent the morning recovering after we sent the girls home. In the afternoon, we took the tour to see the Emerald Buddha, the Reclining Buddha and the Marble Palace. The temples were remarkable. We ended up the tour with a visit to a department store. Dave and I were waited on by a couple of extremely cute girls, for Dave, Pam, a Vietnamese from Hanoi, and for me, Dang (not the same one), a Thai girl. We bought some Thai silk dress material for Mom and Sharon. As we left we had some photos snapped of the four of us out in front of the store. 

From there we proceeded with our guide to Lumbini Stadium where we would view a Thai Kickboxing match. We got there early so we went into a sidewalk café and had some cokes. I tried some Thai food and liked it. It was much like Indian food, but the rice was better and the spices different. We had ringside seats for the fight, and what a brutal show it was. They kicked, elbowed and butted. It seemed like the only rule was “everything goes.” I stayed for three events and then left to clean up at the hotel then to go and meet Dang, (the first one.) Dave stayed on for the main event, which was to be about the fifth bout. 

I had told Dang I would meet her at San Francisco at eight o’clock. When I got there at 8:30 PM, she was waiting for me. After about a half hour there, we went over to the Petch Nakorn Hotel where I got a single room and spent a very pleasurable night. If possible, it was even better than the night before and we didn’t have to worry about being seen by the couple in the next bed. 

07/21/68 Sunday 
I had to meet Dave at the Royal at 7:00 AM for our Floating Market tour. I sent Dang home early with definite regrets. 

The tour was interesting. A Peace Corps couple that had just terminated from India 32, Ruth and Larry something accompanied us. Also with us were four guys on their way home from a year in Thailand in the Air Force. The tour took us by motor launch along some canals much like the ones we went on in Kerala, except these were much more developed and commercialized. The number of tourists was staggering. At the terminus of the floating market there was a regular traffic jam, complete with cop directing traffic while standing atop a boat. 

We were back at the hotel for lunch. Bryan and John dropped by about 4:00 PM. We all headed over toward their hotel but stopped off at Dave’s and my favorite department store. 

Pam was free and waited on Dave and me. If she was cute yesterday, she was double cute today. Dang was busy waiting on a customer the whole time, so all I got from her were a couple of melting smiles. Pam kept us entertained with cute chatter and flirting. We asked her if she and Dang would like to go out to a movie and dinner with us that night. She said if we’d have been an hour earlier she would have said, “Yes” but she already had a date. Ces’t la vive! 

We continued on to the Petch Nakorn and then on to some serious barhopping. The bars were all about alike. Dave got pleasantly tipsy and really seemed to be enjoying himself. We wound up in a massage parlor next to the GI Bar. Dave decided “pro-massage.” He got an hour’s worth of pure pleasure. Bryan screwed me over again by bird-dogging the girl I had picked out. So I ended up doing nothing. We went across to the San Francisco after Dave’s massage for some cokes. Before long Dave and I returned to our hotel and went to bed. 

07/22/68 Monday 
SINGAPORE, THE RAFFLES, CAMERAS 
The flight to Singapore by Thai International was a short hop. Tremendous service was provided on the plane, the best air meal yet. The Raffles is elegant. We looked at cameras and will probably buy tomorrow. 

Dave is feeling pretty sick, running a fever. I have a stomachache and loose stools, but that’s normal. We are spending tonight “in.” We’ll get busy doing things from tomorrow morning on. 

07/23/68 Tuesday 
Today was the big day we had been waiting for. We bought our new cameras and equipment, Minolta SRT-101’s with f1.4, wide-angle and telephoto lenses. Dave spent a little over $270.00 apiece, on us. He started off with a big zoom lens, but later we found that it couldn’t be coupled to the Minolta through-the-lens metering so he traded it for a telephoto like mine. 

He is still feeling quite bad, stomach cramps and diarrhea. I have the same thing but milder symptoms, and no fever. Again we did nothing in the evening, retired early. I’m afraid we are letting Singapore slip away due to not feeling well, but I guess it can’t be helped. 

07/24/68 Wednesday 
It was raining when I awoke at 6:00 AM. Dave got up about 7:30 AM, still feeling pretty lousy. We went out together to the camera shop, and then to the doctor’s office. Dave got a shot and was given some pills. He seems to be feeling a little better tonight. 

In the afternoon we went to American Express, then walked around snapping pictures in Raffles Square. There were lots of pretty girls and many interesting people. We had lots of fun taking pictures with our new cameras. 

After dinner I decided to go check out a few bars even though Dave didn’t feel like going out. The taxi driver talked me into going out to a private house with “pretty, young Chinese girls.” I ended up bargaining to spend one hour with this girl, which was to include a massage and anything else I could squeeze in. After a half hour I had squeezed it in once and had a very mediocre massage and she said it was time to go. I argued, but saw I was getting screwed, or not screwed, depending on how you look at it. 

07/25/68 Thursday 
Dave and I went out to Tiger Balm Gardens in the morning. It really is hideous, but entertaining. From there we went to the beautifully groomed Botanic Gardens,. It is too bad more of the flowers weren’t in bloom. There were lots of monkeys who were only too glad to pose for pictures. The next stop was Chinatown. We wondered through the streets snapping pictures. The vast array of strange foods and goods on display was fascinating. We went over to Raffles Square to get some minor camera accessories and ran into Dan and Bryan, just arrived from Cambodia. Later they joined us on our Raffles Hotel balcony for several pitchers of Singapore Slings. Well lubricated, we all went for dinner and a folk-dancing show. 

After diner Dave returned to the hotel and Bryan, Dan and I went barhopping. But there wasn’t much to hop. Singapore’s nightlife seemed to be dead. 

07/26/68 Friday 
HONG KONG 
We were up early to depart Singapore by Cathay Pacific for Hong Kong, a three-hour flight. The flight provided beautiful Chinese Stewardesses and excellent service. We checked into the August Moon Hotel, a very nice, smaller hotel in Kowloon. After getting settled-in, we went straight for the tailoring district. The hotel travel bureau had given a high recommendation to one in particular, The President Tailors. We liked the materials and the apparent quality of the shop so much that we gave them a big order, two suits and thirteen shirts for me, and three suits and six shirts for Dave. We were even able to come in for our first fitting at 8:30 PM. 

We were both still having a little stomach trouble, so after a delicious Chinese dinner at the Kingfisher Restaurant and a peek in at one of the girlie bars we went back to the hotel and turned in. 

07/27/68 Saturday 
We spent the morning and early afternoon on a bus tour of Kowloon and the New Territories. The whole trip was interesting. We were able to go right up to the Red Chinese border. We took some good telephoto shots there. At that stop, we met a cute Austrian girl who was very friendly and took her out to lunch after the tour. We both had lost our stomach trouble by now and were feeling good again. 

We had our second fitting at the President Tailors in the afternoon. The clothes were shaping up beautifully. 

We ate dinner at the hotel and then met Analise, our Austrian girl friend and went to a rock nightclub. 

07/28/68 Sunday 
We took the morning tour of Victoria and Hong Kong Island. The weather was beautiful, sunny and clear. Honk Kong’s modern skyscrapers, bustling harbor, and green mountain peaks impressed us very much. The fishing village of Aberdeen was especially interesting. There were hundreds of small boats, junks and sampans, and thousands of people crowded together there and living on the boats. 

We picked up our new clothes at the tailor’s in the afternoon. They had done a very satisfactory job. Bryan called from some bar just as we got back to the hotel to say he and Dan had just arrived. 

Dave and I took the Sunset Tour aboard a luxury junk around Hong Kong Harbor and to the Floating Chinese Restaurant at Aberdeen. Dan and Bryan met us there. There was a very nice middle-aged couple from Seattle on our boat, Mr. And Mrs. Kolvy. There was also a Malayalee businessman who had just been on a lecture tour of the United States. 

The dinner consisted of seven courses. After the first two courses I was so full that I couldn’t enjoy the rest. After a pleasant ride back to Kowloon, Dave, Bryan, Dan and I did a little barhopping, ending up at The Cellar in the Ambassador Hotel. Dave and I couldn’t keep up, so we gave up after a couple of drinks and went back to our hotel. 

07/29/68 Monday 
MANILA 
We didn’t do much in the morning but get ready to leave. We flew Philippine Airlines to Manila, arriving at about 2:30 PM. Our hotel was really nice, The Filipinas. We had TV in our room. After a relaxing massage in our room, we watched Good Neighbor Sam, went down to the hotel restaurant for a Sukiyaki dinner, and came back up and went to bed. 

07/30/68 Tuesday 
Pagsanjan Falls 
Today we took one of the most exciting tours of the entire trip. We went by air-conditioned coach about fifty miles out from Manila to Pagsanjan Falls. When the bus started from the hotel it was completely full, mostly with people from the Sultan Tour that had originated in San Francisco, They couldn’t open their mouths without bitching. Anyway, they all got off even before the bus had left the hotel leaving just Dave and I and a young Texas couple. 

It was about a two and a half hour drive out to the falls, through some very pretty countryside. When we got there we were taken to a nice tourist lodge cum restaurant where we were given a delicious and plentiful chicken dinner. After dinner we donned our swimsuits and boarded canoes, two to each plus two boatmen. The trip up the river to the falls took about an hour and was effortless, at least if you weren’t a boatman. The boatmen lifted the boat, pushed it, paddled it and slid it up the many rapids until we reached our destination. At the top we went for a refreshing swim and a raft ride out under the falls. 

Coming back down was the best part though, as we shot through the narrow and rocky rapids that we had so painstakingly climbed up, or should I say, been carried up? When we got back down to the lodge we were very tired, it’s hard work being carried up a river, and sunburned. The scenery along the gorge leading to the falls was splendid, rocky cliffs overhung by huge branches and limbs high above, dense coconut palms, jungle undergrowth, houses on stilts, tiny children along the banks and women washing their clothes on rocks along the banks. 

Again, we stayed in and watched TV. 

07/31/68 Wednesday 
Today we took the city tour of Manila. The highlight was a visit to the American Cemetery and War Memorial, a beautifully kept park where tribute is paid to those who lost their lives in the Pacific theater of WWII. 

TAIPEI 
In the afternoon we flew by Japan Air Lines to Taipei. I was disappointed that the stewardesses didn’t wear Kimonos. The weather was hot and hazy when we hit Taiwan at 3:00 PM, but at least there was no rain. The Ambassador Hotel, which we were staying in there, was by far the finest hotel we had stayed in yet. We got two separate rooms across the hall from each other to accommodate our plans for the evening. We did some bar hopping after dinner and wound up with a couple of Chinese bar girls, Anna with me, and Rose with Dave. My girl was nice but somehow it just didn’t pack it. I just wasn’t in the mood. 

08/01/68 Thursday 
Violet 
Anna left early, though Rose remained with Dave till around 10:00 AM. We ate a late breakfast in the hotel coffee shop. 

At 1:30 PM we were met by a cheerful, pretty little Chinese girl named Violet Lee in the hotel lobby. She was to be our guide for our afternoon bus tour to Wulai, a town in the hills outside of Taipei with beautiful waterfalls. Violet really made the trip for us, always smiling and chuckling at things Dave and I would say. She said since we didn’t have any sisters she wanted us to let her be our sister. At Wulai we rode in little hand pushcarts up to the waterfall viewpoint. It was a beautiful ride with spectacular views down the valley. Coming back down was fun and fast. We stopped halfway down to see a performance of Aboriginal Dances. It seemed a little phony since it was staged for the benefit of the tourists, but we enjoyed it. Dave and I were among those in the audience who were pulled up onto the stage by the dancers to join them in a mock wedding ceremony. A very pretty little seventeen-year-old girl was my partner, Didi. About this time, there was a cloudburst, and boy did it rain. We made our way on down the hill to the bus, slightly drenched. 

On the ride back to the hotel I sat with violet. She suggested that she and her girlfriend would be available that evening if Dave and I wanted to take them out to dinner and dancing. Dave and I caught the ball and made a date for 8:00 PM. 

Back at the hotel we showered, shaved and changed and met the girls downstairs in the Cave Bar at exactly eight o’clock. Violet came directly to sit with me and Dave was joined by her friend, Sheri, also a very attractive and personable Chinese girl. After a drink we moved on to a Chinese restaurant, chosen by the girls. It was some of the best Chinese food we had ever eaten. Violet was so cute, going on about how hungry she was and how much she was going to eat. 

After dinner we went to a big nightclub where we sat and talked and danced till midnight and beyond. I really enjoyed dancing with Violet and she really looked cool dancing the fast ones. She became very romantic on the slow ones. Dave and Sheri were getting on fine, also. When it came time to go home, the two couples separated. 

I took Violet by cab to her house and Dave escorted Sheri to hers. The situation in the cab was very cozy and Violet was very affectionate. 

08/02/68 Friday 
We were up early and down to the coffee shop where Violet met us for breakfast. She wanted very much for us to try and stay another day. I wish we could have, for of all the girls I had met on the trip, or in the past two years for that matter, she hit me the hardest. At 8:00 AM she had to be at work but didn’t want to leave us. She asked us to walk over to the office with her where we could meet Sheri who was to be our guide on the morning tour. Violet had to fly out to Taroko Gorge for the day so couldn’t be with us. The morning tour was fairly uneventful.

TOKYO 
We flew in the afternoon via JAL to Tokyo. We had one stop in Osaka for about a half hour. We got into Tokyo about 9:00 PM. Our hotel, the Ginza Tokyu, was very nice. 

08/03/68 Saturday 
We spent the morning looking around in the hotel shopping arcade. I got a haircut. All the electronic gadgets on display fascinated us. 

In the afternoon we took a walk down the Ginza. We did some shopping in some of the big department stores there. They were really something, about the same as their American counterparts, but even more attractive and about ten times as crowded. We had a good lunch in the restaurant atop one of the stores. We stayed in, in the evening. 

08/04/68 Sunday 
We took an all day bus tour to Hakone Lake. We got a late start. The bus was full. We got a good look at Tokyo on the way out of town. We were very impressed at how well organized and well kept the city was, so modern and clean. We drove out along one of the new expressways. The first item of interest was the resort town of Kamakura. At Kamakura there was a big Buddhist temple. Also, we passed miles of beaches covered with what seemed like millions of bathers. I’ve never seen such crowded beaches in my life. From there we drove up into the mountains, enjoying more beautiful scenery. 

We rode the Bullet Train back to Tokyo. 

08/05/68 Monday 
I went to see a doctor and got some antibiotics for what I picked up from Anna in Taipei. Dave got his telephoto lens repaired. After lunch we went over to SAS and got some Thai International flight bags. In the evening we took the JTB Silver Night Tour. We visited the Mikado, Queen Bee and Imperial Night Clubs. The Mikado was best, then the Queen Bee and last was the Imperial. There was really a fab show at the Mikado complete with beautiful young hostesses. The Queen Bee wasn’t too hot on any level. The show at the Imperial was good but the atmosphere was lousy. Dave made some contacts with a couple of pretty schoolteachers from Ohio. 

08/06/68 Tuesday 
We took the all-day tour of Tokyo, good but not terrific. We were bushed by five o’clock when it was over. In the evening we went to a Turkish bath out in Shibuya where we got a good bath, a terrible massage and mediocre special services at a very high price. 

08/07/68 Wednesday 
We took the JTB Village Life and Crafts tour. It was very pleasant and we had nice companions. The countryside was beautiful and the stops at working Japanese farms were interesting. We were very tired. 

We got ready in the evening for tomorrow’s big flight and the fantastic reunion with the rest of the family in Honolulu. 

END OF DIARY