Walk With Me, Tyler E. BurgessIt is so smoggy here the air quality is horrible and you can see it in the photos. My guide coughed often from it and my eyes are still stinging and red. But I saw some beautiful sights.
Carved from white marble from a local quarry.
Bread making machine. All people can eat for free here every single day and medical prescriptions are half-price at the pharmacy. It’s funded by the government, but all workers are volunteers.
It was so fun to spend a day walking in the great city of Chennai. It’s relatively free of garbage, traffic is busy, but I stay on the side streets, and find it manageable for a pedestrian. Since it’s Sunday there was Mass at Santhome Cathedral, which I attended. It was in English at noon. Thomas, one of the 12 apostles of Jesse Christ, brought Christianity here from 52 AD to 72 AD. Most likely, he was killed by jealous Hindu priests of Kali on December 21 AD 72. By a spear in his back.
Photos of my walk through Chennai today.
Ambushed by school kids at the Government Museums today.
As my son remarked when we saw similar situations in the Philippine Island last December. These are photos in India.
In 2014 while on a boat tour of the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador, one ship mate was Amilya who lived in Edinburgh, Scotland at the time. She told us she was Sri Lankan and her father was a general there. A couple of years later I had lunch with her while visiting Scotland. We remained FB friends over the years. She return Sri Lanka three years ago to help care for her father whose health was declining. He just died in December.
We had lunch together in January while I was in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. She is a delightful person and plans to return to her life in Scotland soon.
Here is a video of her father’s funeral. She is the one giving the eulogy. I found the whole funeral fascinating and a great tribute to a great man.
I spent six nights in Kochi and enjoyed walking through the town. The traffic seems fast and chaotic after Sri Lanka. The sidewalks are not made for walking, with so many holes and motorcycles parked on them. But there are quiet side streets and it’s fun to discover them. Here are a few photos from my wanderings.
The stone monument is a memorial to soldiers killed in World War I. The church is St.Francis Catholic Church. Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama sailed here and died of malaria and was buried here. Eventually his body was removed to Lisbon, Portugal.
One evening I attended the Kerala Kathakali dance. It was first performed in the 1600’s and is mime of a story. The costumes and makeup are elaborate. The story misogynistic and crude by today’s standards.
From Sri Lanka I have flown to India. My bicycle is in storage at a hotel in Chennai (Madras) as I had second thoughts about cycling in India. I have spent a few days relaxing and walking in Kochi. The traffic here is much faster than Sri Lanka and even 13-year olds ride the ubiquitous motorcycles. So I am happy strolling around the bazaars, visiting museums and greeting astonished children who smile and say hello to a white woman in their neighborhood.
