Temple Marathon!!!!!

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Well it has been so long since I last wrote I bearly know where to begin.

As I mentioned in my last blog we hired a driver to take us to the southern tip of India. Raman our driver has been phenominal. We have visited every temple and point of interest along the way which has been numerous. In Pondicherry we visited the temple and were each blessed by the Puja man and an elephant. Alex loves being blessed by elephants! While in Pondicherry we went to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, it was breathtaking and beautiful with flowers and plants. The love that filled this space felt so nuturing and filling to be in. I could have curled up and spent a week or so there. So very peaceful as they ask everyone to be silent upon entering. This is a place where I am sure great healing and inspiration that changes lives comes from. I feel so lucky and blessed to be on this journey through India. We walked along the Bay of Bengal watching the waves crash on the rocks. As we headed to the car I was swarmed be some street kids asking for money for food, it is realy hard seeing kids 3&4 asking for money for food. It broke my heart it is not right. I gave what I had and still it felt like a small kiss on a gaping wound. I sat in the car and cried as we drove off.

While sadness lies in my heart for the street kids and yes you see them everywhere and at first I naively thought their mother must just be around the corner right but the longer I watch I see that is not the case. I know this sounds sad and depressing and it is and I have just as many great stories and pictures to share about the kids of India. First off right now the schools are all out on their end of the year field trips as school ends for them at the end of March at which time they take a two month break. So at the various temples and muesums we have see many classes. The kids are full of questions and speak some english and very curious in general. We smile and wave and they are now our new friends. When we were in Thanjour we kept running into this same class and were disruptive as they were far more interested in us than the artifacts of days gone by. What was great though was they were so wise and knew the history already so anything we were pondering over they explained to us. A class full of future guides. As with any encounter it ended with a picture session at the end. Having a digital camera is great because instantly the moment can be share with them and they loved seeing themselves.

So I am not going to go into too many details about everywhere we stopped but the jist is Chennai-Mamallapuram-Pondicherry-Chidambaram-Kumbakonam-Thanjour-Tiruchirappalli(Trichy)-Rameswaram-Dhanushkodi-Madurai. If you have the chance to check it out on a map you will see it is a lot of distance covered. We wove through cities, small villages and lush countryside. Along the way we saw many feats of the amazing that were a part of daily life here. For example Water being carried on the heads of women with 2 large containers being carried in each arm. Large bundles of firewood carried in the arms or on top of the head. Ox and carts carrying hay or bricks or wood going down the main road. The women here work so hard in the field and contruction with cement all dressed in a beautiful saree doing the work of two men. Makes on understand just how priviledged and spoiled I am.

In Rameswaram we had an extra special treat. We bathed in the ocean and then proceed to the temple and experienced the 22 baths all containing sacred water to cleanse the spirit and bring blessings to ones life. It was a rich experience to take in. At Dhanushkodi we saw the lands end and Sri Lanka in the distance, the water was so beautful I wished I had brought my swimsuit even though it would have been inappropriate to wear as the women bathe fully dressed in sarees. So I walked along the waters edge and got soaked and sandy up to my knees. Great fun!

The traffic and abundance of people that I found overwhelming in my first few days seems normal now and not so crazy even though by our standards its off the charts. Yes and the traffic I though long and hard of how I could explain it for one to even begin to comprehend how busy it is here. So imagine the Tour De France bike race with its say 100 entrants and then add about 20 cars, 30 rickshaws, 25 motorcylces, 20 scooters and another 50-100 people and that is our side of the street well kind of we spill over to the otherside and they spill into ours on then imagine the two lanes attempting to flow in opposite directions with some turning right and left. While others are in a hurry speeding quickly and everyone is honking horns as a form of communicating what they are doing like turning, passing, please move over, hurry up or I am beside you take note. I will do my best to get a picture and still I think it is one of those things one must experience to understand. The drivers are skilled with quick reflexes and eyes on all sides. Crazy but I love it when we are driving. I have so much respect for the skill these drivers have. Raman our driver is exceptional and we are really lucky to be in such great hands.

Well I want to write more but I must get going so this blog is to be continued. Mother India is wrapping her loving arms around us and has sent many blessings our way which I give eternal thanks for.
Love
Jeannie & Alex

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