Today dawned hot and clear, again! No lie-in as we had to
get going early so that the Littlehampton team could visit the temple with us
before flying home (they have to be home for Sunday evening, so are having to
shorten and squish the last bit into 24 hectic hours!)
We went to school for breakfast as it is on the way to the
temple and near to the wonderful ladies who have been feeding us so well all
week. It was strange to get to the school and not be greeted by swarms of
smiling children all wanting to ‘high-5’ us, but it did mean we were less
distracted in getting to the breakfast!
The journey to the temple took about 45 minutes, through
lovely rural India, and it was potentially a great chance to see a bit more of
village life – but the heat and the pace of the week caught up with most of the
team and it turned into a bus of predominantly snoozing team members!
The temple is massive, and was full of Hindu worshippers. It
was very busy, and lots of chanting etc going on. We got fast-tracked through
the queues which was nice – probably easier for the temple authorities than
having a load of lost of Brits wandering into the wrong places and going the
wrong ways! After the TLA team had whizzed off early to go to Rajahmundry
airport for the flight to Hyderabad, Helen had to do her first spontaneous TV
interview of the day when a TV reporter spotted our team and wanted to know
what we were all about. After that, and a few more photos, it was back to the
bus via painfully hot ground made worse by the fact that we didn’t have shoes
on as the temple is shoes off, and its safer to leave them on the bus.
Now just the Windlesham and SJA cohorts and Helen, we next popped
up the road and saw an Indian elephant – most of the team had a quick go at
feeding him and some gave him coins which he accepts in his trunk and then
passes to his keeper – great show of the dexterity of an elephants trunk.
Back to Janaki’s home for a delicious lunch – the food just
kept coming: rice, spiced potato, carrot salad, curried chicken, omelets,
chapattis, poppadums, little puffed up crispy things. We all had more than our
fill. And then whilst some of us took up the delicious challenge of eating
custard fruit, Janaki told us her story of how she started her work following a
miraculous healing from an incurable illness and her conversion from Hinduism
to Christianity.
When everyone was done we travelled back to the hotel, and
had a bit of time trying on the saris that had arrived this morning, before
going out for tuc-tuc rides. That was great fun, and a brilliant way to see
around the city and experience one of the most common forms of Indian
transport.
So the day ends with the TLA team in Hyderabad having a
quick look round before flying home tonight, and the Windlesham and SJAers
packing and journaling in Tadepallegudum, before a slowish morning tomorrow and
then flying to Hyderabad in the afternoon. We will then have a day of
sightseeing on Monday before flying home.
Love to all our families and friends, and hopefully will
post the next blog from Hyderabad.
PS from Helen at the internet cafe trying to post the blog: 'computer refusing to upload photos today, so it's just words this time - sorry!
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