A downpour greeted us just as we were getting ready to head out for our weekend excursion. No matter, Stepehn came by to fetch us and soon the skies cleared. After fighting our way through traffic, we headed South, fewer people, less trash, less traffic. Cows ambled on the roads, with roosters as companions. The two hour drive to our first stop was an almost idyllic reprieve from planning and teaching.
We visited 4 Hindu temples, with Stephen as our guide. These temples are enormous, and date back to the 800s. There are very specific rituals to be followed, including walking toward the most sacred part of the temple in a counter clockwise direction. Interestingly, the grounds are cared for by priest caretakers, are immaculate. The first places we have been to without any trash. One temple hosted a friendly elephant, who gladly accepted donations with his trunk. Another temple showcases over a thousand lingams(do yo know what those are?). Stephen entertained us with several Hindu myths includng the one about how Ganesh came to have an elephant head and human body.
After lunch at a lovely old hotel we had a fun time at the silk factory, I' ll leave to your imagination what everyone purchased, but suffice to say that all left with a bag in tow(some bigger than others)!
Finally, after 3 hours of crazy traffic, with more cows and roosters we arrive in Pondicherry. For some reason, I thought it was a small seaside town, but as Phil reminded me, nothing in India is small. There is a seaside, though, and it is lovely at night. Our hotel is old and classic, and on a block that resembles Times Square!. At almost 11pm, the horns are still blaring. We enjoyed our first cocktails in the hotel bar before dinner, a special treat, since life in Chennai, is essentially "dry". It was a great time to unwind and reflect on the events and impressions so far, and think about the week ahead.
Tomorrow morning brings the luxury of no alarm, a leisurely breakfast and then a visit to the seaside ruins and rock carvings. We will be back in our guesthouse in Chennai tomorrow evening.
Love to all of you from Pondicherry,
Barbara
We visited 4 Hindu temples, with Stephen as our guide. These temples are enormous, and date back to the 800s. There are very specific rituals to be followed, including walking toward the most sacred part of the temple in a counter clockwise direction. Interestingly, the grounds are cared for by priest caretakers, are immaculate. The first places we have been to without any trash. One temple hosted a friendly elephant, who gladly accepted donations with his trunk. Another temple showcases over a thousand lingams(do yo know what those are?). Stephen entertained us with several Hindu myths includng the one about how Ganesh came to have an elephant head and human body.
After lunch at a lovely old hotel we had a fun time at the silk factory, I' ll leave to your imagination what everyone purchased, but suffice to say that all left with a bag in tow(some bigger than others)!
Finally, after 3 hours of crazy traffic, with more cows and roosters we arrive in Pondicherry. For some reason, I thought it was a small seaside town, but as Phil reminded me, nothing in India is small. There is a seaside, though, and it is lovely at night. Our hotel is old and classic, and on a block that resembles Times Square!. At almost 11pm, the horns are still blaring. We enjoyed our first cocktails in the hotel bar before dinner, a special treat, since life in Chennai, is essentially "dry". It was a great time to unwind and reflect on the events and impressions so far, and think about the week ahead.
Tomorrow morning brings the luxury of no alarm, a leisurely breakfast and then a visit to the seaside ruins and rock carvings. We will be back in our guesthouse in Chennai tomorrow evening.
Love to all of you from Pondicherry,
Barbara
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