Arivand Volunteer Trip

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Arivand Volunteer Trip
In 2004 I traveled to Arivand Eye Care in Madurai Tamil Nadu India to volunteer in their training center for three weeks. It was a transformative trip and the attached pictures capture my memories of the trip. There are 221 photos in this gallery.
10 017 14A
10 017 14A
Left for Cape Comorin next morning at 4 am on a 5-hour train ride. Pictures 151 through 186 are pictures of this Sunday trip. This is wide view of the scenery from the train
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10 018 15A
Workers piling rock. I hung out of the train for several hours after sleeping in my bunk in the sleeper. $45 dollars for a round trip on a beautiful railroad system. I loved it!
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10 021 18A
Every pile of rock on every road or railroad was perfectly formed as the one below. Beautiful workmanship. And my train ahead. I was in an airconditioned sleeper. Car ahead was not. Frank was on this car.
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10 022 19A
A village along the railroad tracks
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10 023 20A
Scenery along the train tracks as we go south
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10 024 21A
Crops of peppers along the tracks
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10 025 22A
Grass lands along the trip south
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10 026 23A
An all too typical train station. All tracks and trains are maintained beautifully. Indian national railroad is the largest employer in the world.
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11 011 8
Everywhere you look there is a pickup game of Cricket. This was in a railroad town next to the station.
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11 013 10
The first water I saw in south India. Beautiful setting for villagers
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11 014 11
Second picture of the river scene
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11 018 15
Mountain range dividing Kerala from Tamil Nādu
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11 022 19
Palm orchard with mountains in the background
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11 021 18
Village with mountains in background
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11 019 16
Palms with mountain in background
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11 023 20
Lady worker in a field, probably rice patty
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11 024 21
Worker in the field using hoe that would date back centuries
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11 025 22
Palms and mountains. The scenery was spectacular
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12 004 1
Wind farm at the foot of the mountain range.
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12 006 3
Old ruins at the foot of the mountains in south India
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12 008 5
I was invited by a friend’s sister, Alice David, to Nargarcoil, just north of Cape Comorin. Her brother-in-law, George picked me up at the train station while Alice waited outside.
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12 009 6
Scenery from car as Alice and George took me on a tour of the south tip of India. I cannot say too much about how gracious they were and what a treat their tour was.
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12 010 7
A turn of the century fort constructed by the British, the Round Fort. Build to protect British interests in south India. It was running about 110 degrees F and boy was it hot.
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12 011 8
My first view of the ocean from the fort
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12 012 9
The beaches were void of people. Not expected in a European culture.
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12 016 13
A view of Cape Comorin from the Rock Memorial
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12 014 11
Fishing fleet in on Sunday. Thousands of boats all the same. Very interesting.
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12 019 16
A view where the three oceans meet. A spiritual place for many on earth.
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12 021 18
The Rock Memorial dedicated to Swami Vivekandanda. He was known as the wanderer as he wandered all of India getting in touch with the poor and then traveled around the world introducing India and its spirituality to the world. The Swami taught that "Service to humanity is service to divinity".
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12 026 23
My friend Alice David that invited me to visit and experience the south tip of India.
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