A Day of Catching up on Errands

Things have been building up in my pack for a while. I keep going into shops with no particular intention of buying anything. And then I do. It has been making things fill up in my pack. In addition, I have been getting a book here and there. I have had no way to get rid of them because I keep finding guest houses that only take books in and don't exchange them. I won't leave them with anyone who doesn't keep the exchange going on. So I have been keeping them.

First up was to send stuff to people. So I headed to the post office early and then spent a few minutes getting three packages trussed up for sending. There was a guy sitting on the street. When I went in to the post office, they called him in and had me go out with him to his station just outside the gate. We sat under a tree and I filled out customs paperwork while he first wrapped my packages in newspaper and then wrapped them in some kind of cloth, which he stitched closed. It was amazingly intricate work and he did it all in a few minutes. Then for the half hour or so of work that he put into it, he charged me only about 3 and half dollars.

I headed back into the post office and sent my packages, one to Canada, one to New Zealand and one to Korea. The three cost me about 35 dollars. A far cry from when I sent one package in Australia for about the same.

Last night I found a few used book places on the street near where I am staying. And they are literally on the street. The are sitting on the sidewalk near one of the fountains in the tourist area. They are covered by tarps against any rain or other such weather. I assume they get battened down every night against theft.

After sending my packages, I went to my hotel and picked up my books and headed to the used book shops on the street. I found one that had some books that I thought to be interesting. I was able to trade four books straight across for two. Much better than the predators in Thailand who would have wanted the four books and still would have charged more for one book in return.

Next I headed to a photo printing shop and printed out a bunch of photos of the temple celebrations in Assam, so that I could send them to the family as some kind of a thank you.

Having completed all of that, I went out for a walk and saw the Gate of India in daylight.

Another building across from the Gate is quite impressive for its colonial architecture.

And on the way back to the hotel the museum is located in a very impressive building with a huge dome. It looks like a planetarium, but I doubt that it is.