Tamil Nadu: Snakes, Cocs, and Buses

So if you have been reading the blog then you know that I am in South India. We flew in to Chennai a few nights ago and since then it has been a whirlwind tour of Tamil Nadu (the eastern state of southern India).

I am traveling with four other people: Evan, Molly, Rebecca, and Abby. Rebecca had volunteered in Chennai a while ago and so knew a bunch of people there. It was really nice to have a place to stay. They picked us up at the airport (after our plane had been delayed for 2 1/2 hours) and took us tot eh house. The house was really cool because she was an old antiques collector and an artist so there were all these cool Indian paintings and wooden doors. But we were fairly exhausted so we went to sleep right away. We awoke to a hearty breakfast of dosas and then headed to a crocodile bank. The woman we were staying with was an animal activist as well so she knew all the people at the crocodile bank. We got hold all kinds of snakes (they were at the place too) including a huge 15 foot python. We also saw a lot of other snakes including a young king cobra at about 5 feet from us (one of the deadliest snakes which just so happens doesn't have an anti venom if bitten). It was funny, but not all that comforting, to here one of our friends and snake handlers say, "It is risky but I think it will be okay. If you are bitten, you are dead. Just call from your cell phone to your family because in 20 minutes you will be dead." We were behind a wall but this guy was a real snake enthusiast so he got as close as one can without being, well, dead. It was really cool.

We then went to Mamallapuram and saw some 7th century temples that had been carved form a single rock. The temples are actually UNESCO World Heritage Sites but nonetheless we were able to climb all over them. I love India sometimes.

At night, we had to catch the bus with one of the guys we knew to Pondicherry. This story really deserves its own blog entry but whatever. We were waiting on the side of the road for the bus to come. Now I have seen buses in the city packed full and people hanging out of the sides of them. I have even ridden those before. But those are in city streets with stop and go traffic so it seems bearable. But this one was different... The buses never really stopped so people could get on (same as the city so far) but I kid you not, these buses were PACKED full of people, far more than those in the city. People would rush up to the doors and push until they got one foot on. Finally, we had to do the same. Unfortunately, we had big backpacks too, not just our bodies which seemed to complicate this whole process. We ran up to the bus trying to squeeze on between armpits and legs and people. Somehow we made it but it was crazy. Even and Abby were literally hanging out of the bus. Evan was the last one on and looked as though he was hanging on for dear life. The bus was swerving all over the place and going like 50km or so so it was a crazy ride.Somehow, Evan and Abby and I all managed to get on the bus and eventually past the threshold of the doorway. Eventually they all found seats (as people got off the bus at different stops) but I stood the 2 and a half hours. Needless to say it was crazy.

We stayed with Vimahl (the same guy who said the cobra comment) in his house. The next morning we woke up at like 6 in the morning to go to a deserted beach. It was really beautiful. The only people who did walk by were Indian fisherman. We played in the water and with Vimahl's friends. We played a couple of games of something somewhat reminiscent of tackle football ( I will bring it back to the States, it was awesome!) and 'Indian wrestling' which was basically just guys wrestling each other. Later on in the day, we took a boat with a friend of Vimahl's who was a fisherman and went out on the water. It was kind of cool to be swimming in the deeper water of the Bay of Bengal. We came home, exhausted, and napped. In the evening, we went out to a jetty and watched the moon over the sea, a lighthouse, and a thunderstorm further inland. It was beautiful.

Today, I left the group so I could wander Pondicherry myself. It is a cool little town with a French colony heritage. I am writing this blog from an Internet cafe with real coffee (I miss that!), espresso, and baguettes.

We will leave for Kanyakumari tomorrow. It should be interesting because it is a pilgrimage spot. It should also have some cool views because it is the tip of the Indian subcontinent. I look forward to just relaxing in a restaurant by the sea.