Saturday morning was cool and rainy so our plans changed slightly. We all met up at the Rotary House of Chandigarh feeling well rested after a good night's sleep and a shower. Rachel and Ceci visited the BVB School for an hour before joining us as Tamanna had Saturday school. Upon our arrival we were warmly welcomed by our Rotary hosts including Past District Governor Mr. Madhukar Malhotra who has very kindly arranged the schedule and itinerary for our trip.
We visited a blood bank that the Rotary Club of Chandigarh helps support and were impressed by the high standards and efficiency of the program. We joined the staff in a cup of tea and learned more about the blood screening and collection/distribution process.
Chandigarh Museum of History was next on our agenda and we learned much about the region of Punjab (of which Chandigarh is the capital). We were somewhat surprised to learn that the mountain range we can clearly see from the streets is actually part of the Himalayas! We're only a 45 minute drive away from the mountains and approximately 100 KM from the Pakistani border. The city itself dates to 1950 and is a well planned city by famous planner Le Corbusier with a grid and district system. Streets and boulevards are tree-lined and the houses are beautifully aligned in districts with lots of parks and green space. It was voted the cleanest city in India and we can see why.
A member of the RC Chandigarh owns a restaurant and invited us for a buffet lunch of traditional Indian dishes. Everyone eagerly sampled a variety of spicy and non-spicy dishes and desserts. At that point the girls headed off with their host sisters and the rest of us spent time with our Rotary host families shopping and relaxing. Tomorrow is NID day and is predicted to be sunnier and slightly warmer. Keep checking back!
Photo 1: Rotary House
Photo 2: The girls with their host sisters
Photo 3: At Polio HQ in Delhi
We visited a blood bank that the Rotary Club of Chandigarh helps support and were impressed by the high standards and efficiency of the program. We joined the staff in a cup of tea and learned more about the blood screening and collection/distribution process.
Chandigarh Museum of History was next on our agenda and we learned much about the region of Punjab (of which Chandigarh is the capital). We were somewhat surprised to learn that the mountain range we can clearly see from the streets is actually part of the Himalayas! We're only a 45 minute drive away from the mountains and approximately 100 KM from the Pakistani border. The city itself dates to 1950 and is a well planned city by famous planner Le Corbusier with a grid and district system. Streets and boulevards are tree-lined and the houses are beautifully aligned in districts with lots of parks and green space. It was voted the cleanest city in India and we can see why.
A member of the RC Chandigarh owns a restaurant and invited us for a buffet lunch of traditional Indian dishes. Everyone eagerly sampled a variety of spicy and non-spicy dishes and desserts. At that point the girls headed off with their host sisters and the rest of us spent time with our Rotary host families shopping and relaxing. Tomorrow is NID day and is predicted to be sunnier and slightly warmer. Keep checking back!
Photo 1: Rotary House
Photo 2: The girls with their host sisters
Photo 3: At Polio HQ in Delhi
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