Let it Pour

Chennai has continued its rainy streak of nearly 2 weeks in a row with rain every day (or night). Today was no exception. Despite an unrelenting downpour already occurring for over 40 minutes, I decided to head home. Already the roads were flooded, in most cases not seeing any part of the asphalt. In the back of an auto rickshaw, the open sides provided little protection, particularly when larger vehicles passed us (as most drivers here love to do). I covered as much of myself with my umbrella, turning it slightly like a shield in the direction of the passing traffic. The few manholes I saw had water bubbling out of them. Rainspout pipes gushed out the water. People huddled under the inadequate bus shelters or narrow overhangs of shops. Some donned “fashionable” plastic bags for hats or large plastic sheets over their entire bodies resembling a hunched over ghost. Others simply waded through the water. A few times my driver tried taking alternate routes, only to find them impassible. Needless to say, I was glad when I arrived back at my apartment, sandals soaked and pants damp, but otherwise surprisingly dry.

Note: These photos were taken the other day; there was no way I was going to bring out my camera in today's rain.

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