Chennai, India

Sunday, March 6, 2011

We arrived in Chennai, India this morning at 8:00 AM at the commercial port which is different than the port we arrived at when we came in 1997. It is a very busy port and there are hundreds of Ford cars made in India parked just outside of where we are docked ready to be shipped to Asia and Europe. Yesterday the crew put plastic over all the furniture on the outside decks and we aren’t allowed to eat out there during our stay here. They also lined the steps of the ship leading out and into the ship’s hallways. There is black soot everywhere outside which I just found out is charcoal and we aren’t allowed to walk to the gate for safety reasons. There are shuttle buses to take us from the ship to the gate where there are taxis, rickshaws, and tuk tuks (motorized three wheelers) waiting to take us wherever it might be that we want to go.

Dave and I and about 70 others from the ship arrived in this port without visas. We were told we would probably be able to obtain them once immigration came on board and they would be bribed with cases of cigarettes and booze, etc. We have plans and paid tickets to travel to the Taj Mahal and other places while we are here so we were really hoping not to have to stay on the ship our whole time in India. While waiting in line for our visas we talked with a student that told us her father is Indian and has lived in the US for 23 years. He is one of 21 children born to his mother. Not all survived. He hasn’t been to India or had any contact with his family since he left. He thinks his daughter is crazy to be excited about India. He said the only reason you would want to go to India would be to get sick or die. He was an untouchable and he hates India. Untouchables are the lowest class and are treated lower than a dog would so I guess I understand his sentiment. The girl told us she has a friend that is going with her to Pondicherry to help her look for her grandma that is now about 86 years old. I don’t think she even knows if she is still alive or where to look for her other than this city. She told us she has written on the Semester Sea site blog under current voyage telling about this. I haven’t had a chance to look at this yet but will do so as soon as I can. She also said she will be posting on the blog again after she returns to the ship to let us all know if she found her grandma. I can’t wait to hear her news. After a few hours we were finally called to pick up our visas and passports after most of the rest of the passengers had already passed through immigration. Thank goodness they came through and we can be off and running.

At 1:00 PM we left the ship for a city orientation of Chennai which is the 4th largest city in India. I think Chennai which was called Madras when we were here last time has made some improvements. It didn’t shock me nearly as much as it did 13 years ago. Maybe it is because we saw Ghana before this and that country has a shock value all of its own. I saw a few cows roaming around but not nearly as many as I remembered last time. We first stopped at Fort George which contains St. Mary’s Anglican Church and a museum which reflects the days of British India. We drove past the longest beach in India where women were walking around in their beautiful saris. No bathing suits here. They are very modest. They don’t even go swimming – don’t get in the water past their ankles. And it is so hot here. How can they not want to cool off in the water. We also stopped at St. Thome Catherdral where the apostle Thomas is buried. Next we stopped at a Hindu Temple called Kapaleeshwar Temple. We had to check our shoes outside the temple in order to enter. Dave had visited this temple when we were here last time and didn’t care to go in again so he carried my shoes around with him while I went inside. I walked around in my stockings looking at the different shrines. It turns out you have to be Hindu to enter the important shrines so I didn’t see too much. But I did see the “holy” cows in their dirty pen located in the middle of the temple. Hard to believe! Some of our group didn’t want to take their shoes off and go inside so they managed to find some fun shops. Tomorrow I think quite a few of us will head back there to do some shopping before we have to leave for the airport for our flight to New Dehli. I remembered from last time here people moving their heads from side to side. I asked our guide what that movement meant and he said that means they are happy or glad.

It is now Monday afternoon and we just came back from Spencer Mall. All 15 of us went, six in a cab and the others in tuk tuks. Had fun doing some shopping. Then went to the Taj Hotel for lunch. Linda is the only one that had an Indian dish which was chicken with curry and it was delicious. The rest of us had hamburgers, chicken burgers or pizza so we weren’t very adventuresome. I didn’t take a shower this morning because we get so hot and sweaty and dirty every time we go out. We are leaving for the airport at 5:00 PM so I planned to take a shower when we came back from shopping. Had my clothes off and I turned on the water and found it had been turned off. I guess there is a broken pipe down the hall from us and supposedly we will have water at 4:00 PM. Sure hope they get it fixed before it is time for us to leave. Yea! I just had a call from Carol that the water is back on. Gotta go!