Today our team was met by two vehicles at 9 am and we were American tourists until our return to our hotel at 5 pm. For those of you who are following our daily itinerary and expect to hear about the Tomb of St. Thomas, well, we didn't go there yet, but we had an incredible day! Rev. David was in meetings today so two women from the CMC acted as our guides. We drove 50+ kms south of Chennai.

Within the crocodile bank was a second attraction where we watched four brave snake handlers educate us about Cobras, Kraits, Pythons and Scorpions. We had front-row views of them weighing and measuring snakes and taking venom from the Kraits - which produce enough to milk every five minutes. Cobras, on the other hand, will only produce enough venom for collection once a day. Their 100 or so snakes are kept in clay jars during the day and let loose in the pit at night when they are fed rats and frogs. They are returned to their jars each morning. Snakes are kept for venom production for one month at a time and then are returned to the wild. Venom is used for medicinal purposes; venom products were available for sale, though I don't think anyone among us made any purchases.

Mamallapuram was our next stop. A tourist area with rows and rows of shops, a beautiful beach, a lighthouse and some amazing monuments carved from sandstone. Some noticed the intense smells - some good and some not so much - in this little villa. As an area that is popular with tourists we see many beggars here. Some offered beaded necklaces, picture postcards, carved marble elephants; some carrying infants and asking for money for food. We have been told by our guides that it is illegal to give to beggars and that if you buy from these people who approach you they will continue to follow you until you leave, asking for more. The poverty is gut-wrenching. In our few days here we have seen hundreds of people living on the streets and dozens of thatched shelters that are 'home' for families.

But I digress... the shops on the way to the beach are maybe 10' x 12' and selling cooked fish, long skinny cucumbers, seashells, ice cream, Coca-Cola, leather sandals, carve Hindu gods, as well as cheap plastic American toys in cellophane packaging. It is a beautiful day to be at the beach; the breeze is refreshing amidst the stifling heat and humidity. Scores of families are spending the afternoon there - though no one is in a swimsuit. Women are dressed in Saris or Sal Wars while men are in slacks and button-up shirts. Young children are stripped to their undies and running from the waves as you would see on any California beach. Some of our group roll up their pantlegs and venture into the water to experience the warmth of the Bay of Bengal for themselves.

Lunch was enjoyed inside a lovely nearby resort, whose entrance was watched by private uniformed guards (as are the majority of large businesses in Chennai including our hotel). Guards keep the most desperate people from entering and bothering paying customers.

The final stop was amazing and left us with many memories and great photos. We climbed up and down the rocky terrain to see several national monuments carved from sandstone. Goats and wild skinny dogs wandered about as crowds of Indian nationals were posing for pictures in front of large works of art. At one point a young Indian woman touched Amy's arm and asked her to be in a photo. Before we knew it, about six of our group was posing in a "family photo" with six or so of them. It was a great international bonding moment with laughter all around.

Fifteen Americans are truly a rare sight in these parts -- In all of our travels today we saw less than ten other Caucasian people and most traveled in twos. The Nationals are curious about us, sometimes making full eye contact, responding in kind to a "hello" or "hi" and then twittering to their friend because they spoke to a white person.

It was interesting to note that, amidst Hindu statues and temples we spotted a couple of vendor carts and a three-wheeled taxi that had "Jesus Loves" or "Jesus Saves" on them. At one point a van with a megaphone system drove by with a person loudly repeating "Jesus Loves You".
After a long and strenuous day of learning and experiencing more of the Indian culture we were happy to return to our 'western style' hotel and a step closer to our comfort zones. We are looking forward to tomorrow's worship service at the Media Centre. Please keep the Team in your prayers. Several are fighting with bouts of 'Delhi Belly' as our bodies adjust to the food and travel.