Before we leave Madurai, I wanted to share a few photos from the streets and villages around the city. It’s an ancient city, perhaps 2,500 years old, and has been the site of a major Hindu temple for (quite literally) millennia. In many ways, though, it feels like a village trying to be a city. The streets are filled with trash, the traffic is chaotic, and livestock wander the streets and empty lots. Tourists are coming in greater numbers, though the infrastructure is not yet fully developed to support them. A brand-new airport now welcomes international flights, but there appear to be only a small number of tourist-quality hotels and restaurants. Still, the people are friendly and the Aravind medical facilities world-class, so there is huge potential here.
David Kotz 