Accommodation

When we arrived in Pune our first stop was Nikam House Ladies Hostel where we would stay for the following 6 nights. The hostel was pretty basic but it was cheap, clean and near to work. We ate in the hostel on our first night and got our first taste of real India - a little spicy for me but good all the same! The daughter of the owner spoke good English and we often spoke in the evenings. She explained that a foreigner had not stayed at the hostel for 4 years and that they were all surprised to see us there!

As the initial culture shock started to die down we felt more comfortable in the hostel but we knew it would be better to find somewhere nicer and more permanent soon So our hunt for a new place started the following weekend. We met Susan (another volunteer) at the German Bakery in Koregan Park - the main hangout for backpackers in Pune. From here we tried to ring some agents but got nowhere. Some locals then offered to help and took us round some places nearby. The rooms varied quite a lot but we finally found a 2 BHK (2 bedrooms, hallway, kitchen) that had just been refurbished. It was quite expensive at 17,000 Rs. a month but being able to cook for ourselves was quite important! So after work on Monday we moved in to our new home!

The night before we left the hostel we were invited to have dinner with the family who owned the hostel. The daughter showed us around their house, introduced us to the family and explained a few things about Indian culture. Her mother was very inquisitive and kept asking us questions about the UK and how things differed in India. We had our first Indian sweets which were very nice - lots of syrup!