Walking around Ahmedabad

Today we spent the morning walking around the Riverfront Park, Ahmedabad.  The park is more of a dream than anything else, with a huge expanse of dirt where a slum was cleared out for development. The river was narrowed to build a river walk (completed) which is 6km long, with space above that will be sports complexes, gathering areas, and open spaces. Our guidebook suggested it would have paddle boats for rent, but that didn't look like reality yet.

Riverfront Park, Ahmedabad. 

My brother is meeting with someone, so the other three of us wandered around the park for anwhile before setting off to find the restaurant where we had agreed to meet John. We found it more easily than expected,  and they brought us thali plates practically before we had even sat down.

Thali plate - small portions of lots of different curries (all veg)

We have started to call the Teenlet, "Pig Pen," because he is so grimy (especially his sweatshirt), that I'm pretty sure he is emitting dirt every time he moves. He has showered here, but clearly not frequently enough, and his sweatshirt I haven't dared wash because it is his security blanket. My own clothes are feeling rather gross as well - I did do laundry,  but it took two days to dry so I haven't tried again, though the hotter and drier climate in Gujurat would probably dry it faster than it did in Jaipur (though we haven't been in the same place for two nights since Delhi, which makes it hard to allow it time enough to dry).

Saying goodbye at the train station, Ahmedabad

The end of the day finds the Teenlet and I on our own, on the Swarna J Raj Express train to New Delhi, having left Dad and John at the station in Ahmedabad. We are in 3AC this time, which is almost as nice as AC Chairs class, except with long benches which will turn into sleeping beds later. They aren't very comfortable,  but we get food and looks like we also get blankets and pillows at sleeping time. My fellow travelers have been helpful, though not very talkative (which is fine with me). I am traveling with an elderly gentleman who is reading a little book by his guru, a young woman who is playing a game on her phone, a man who hasn't looked away from his computer,  and another gentleman who keeps getting phone calls. Across the aisle is a family of 3, who have a baby who is just learning to stand. I do not envy those parents on this 13.5 hour journey. My own child has taken up his place on the top bunk and is happily eating all of the snacks we brought for the journey. He is looking forward to eating again - I think he has subsisted on naan and rice this whole trip.

Funny note: the Teenlet managed to surprise one of our seatmates. He came down from his loft (upper bunk) to eat dinner and was sitting there explaining to me exactly what it would take to derail the train, and why heavier trains take longer to brake (simple physics topics, basically). The guy sitting on the other side of him started staring at him with eyes wide... and soon after (when Teenlet had gone back up to his bunk), he asked me how old he is, surprised that he knew so much and could talk in those terms.

Another aside: homeschooling is not legal in India (according to the people I spoke with about it) and seems like a foreign concept. I was asked several times how it works, how can I teach him, etc.