We found our way to the Christa Prema Seva Ashram and have spent the night in the comfort of a friendly Christian community. The place is run by an elderly sister who is a little strange but very nice. They have a very Indian form of worship - flowers, incense etc - which other EEPS from USPG hadn't liked at all (she told us). I don't know what to make of that, since part of our 'training' was to embrace the style of worship in whichever country you were sent to.
Pune isn't really that interesting, we've seen the museums, two temples and the Empress Botanical Gardens. Two of the museums were pretty appalling with nothing of interest at all. The Tribal Museum was just an unlooked-after collection of artefacts and the other was a jumble of bits and pieces with no real theme. The 'good' museum - The Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum - has a fantastic collection of Indian antiques from ornate vases to simple wooden combs. Now that was interesting.1
Things seem to be built here and then ignored, left as if they're going to stay as new without anyone looking after them. The Empress Botanical Gardens are unswept/watered/cleaned and could be so much better if anyone cared. They do have the biggest banyan tree ever though. Places like this are where secret lovers go to be alone, where they can kiss and hug without India frowning at them. one of the attendants asked if there were any girls2 with us! No, just us I'm afraid!