Day 3: Chennai

View at 10,000' from IndiGo's Airbus A320

Chris, Andrew, and I flew south while Jes took the train north. I noticed on the way to the airport how much the natural landscape looks like some parts of the Australian bush: orange earth, flattish, dotted with round-weathered boulder piles, scrub

The airport environment was like stepping back into a Western setting, complete with modern shops. One exception was the many military men in green camo with automatic rifles milling about the various check points. It’s obvious security is taken serious here, and it leaves me wondering what threats there are out in the population we had been mingling with.

Motorized Rickshaw Taxi

After a pleasant hour on the Airbus, we descended into the coastal city of Chennai. “The Hyundai Capital” (of India I presume), according to the sign. We were greeted by Jes’ uncle Murugesan who is a labor contracting company manager. He graciously drove us around, which is no small feat with traffic so horrendous as Hyderabad. He escorted us to our accommodations, restaurants, a convenience store, the beach, Hindu temples, and a Christian basilica.

This trip is the first time in my life that I’ve felt cut off from the history, legacy, and influences of Christianity. The thought has risen into my conscious. It reinforces how different these cultures are from Western ones. I see religion as a byproduct of culture; or maybe it's the other way around. So when Murugesan brought us to a Christian landmark after visiting another Hindu temple, I had to reframe my thinking a little to accommodate some really surprisingly new information. Murugesan is a Hindu. I think it’s terrific he chose to show us things outside his belief system. Or perhaps he sees this particular piece of Christian history as part of his own Indian heritage?

A Christian Wedding at St. Thomas Basilica

It’s called the “National Shrine of St. Thomas Basilica” and has the distinction of being the burial place for one of Jesus Christ’s twelve apostles. Apparently St. Thomas came in 52 A.D. and died as a martyr in 72 A.D. The site has been honored ever since, and the basilica is built over his tomb. As we drove home I noticed a section of the streetscape dedicated to displaying quotes from the Bible in huge letters. The writing alternated between English and the local language of Tamil. Finally a giant sign read, “Jesus Loves You”, stacked three times high.

At the Hindu temple of Asta Lakshmi, we were re-dotted. Andrew and I had already wiped the first red smudge from our foreheads. Chris proudly continued to display his. As we descended a narrow concrete staircase, we happened upon another shrine with another keeper holding a dish of red powder who was adamant about applying it. I tried looking away as I passed, but the round, shirtless shrine keeper was too smart for that trick and forced me into compliance.

The Local Motorcycle Mechanic Shop

A man behind me in line at Asta Lakshmi asked where I was from and if I liked it here. Upon telling him, he asked, ‘do you trust us?’ This is the closest I’ve come to feeling unsafe on this trip, (being asked a question like that). But yes, I do trust them. I know these are good people. Just be respectful and don’t challenge. Also take lots of pictures of them because they seem to love it.

There are brown, short-haired, medium-sized, skinny stray dogs everywhere. Although I’m sure they’re mutts, they all seem to look like the same type of dog; like the one on the TV show called The Simpsons. They typically lay peacefully in the dirt or on the sidewalks, and I’ve mentioned them with affection a few times. Jes told me more than once to stay away from them and about the threat of rabies. If you're bitten by an animal suspected of rabies, you get to experience a painful succession of shots to the abdomen. That's if you’re lucky enough to reach medical attention in time. If you contract rabies, you get to die of dehydration, basically.

Little Cujo The Sand Puppy

We were on the beach, and these cute little dogs were lying about. As I passed close to a couple I thought, 'sure, a picture to show people.' I closed in on the happy, peaceful looking runts, placing the view finder to an eye. Bending at the knees and waist for that perfect camera angle, I was just about to press the shutter button when through the lens came blurred motion. This flash was accompanied by gnashing teeth and the meanest sounds from a creature of the most ill disposition. I leapt back. Now off balance, I did my best to scamper away while simultaneously thinking about those rabies shots. My fear was sensed, and this only encouraged the little Cujo. He pursued me vigorously until sure I looked sufficiently enough a fool not to try it again. Now when I see these dogs I think, “land mines!”

Later, as we passed through a maze of a dozen sand puppies spread out on the beach, one pooch sprung up and began to approach me. Although he had a friendly trot and appeared content, I screamed at Chris and Andrew to help me. This is how trust issues develop.

Andrew pointed out a “white guy” on the street, and we began relating to how the indigenous population must see us. Andrew exclaimed, ‘now I know why they stare; when I see a white guy, I want to stare too’. Exactly! I can’t help checking out any Caucasian that I come into contact with here. They’re just too rare in this environment for me not to be curious of them as well.

Holy Cow!

The last Hindu temple of the evening was located in a very poor part of the city. "Very poor” is very normal here. There were cows everywhere on the busy crowded streets. This also is very normal here, except I hadn’t seen many cows until now.

I was so fascinated by the interjection of livestock in this environment that I let Chris and Andrew go into the temple while I hiked through the slums inspecting the animals. There is no pasture or natural features for them. They appear to eat out of dumpsters and trash off of the asphalt. I understand people bring them food though, so they're sort of "kept" that way. There is nothing here for them to do but walk through the streets shitting and pissing and rummaging and looking very unengaged. This is with vehicles zipping past within inches of them constantly.

Probably the oddest sight was a group of completely hairless cows. I stood inquisitively in front of these animals a few times trying to absorb it all and just couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. I think I’m pretty open minded and value cultural diversity. But this? This I had a hard time with.

Jes has teased us, in a good-natured way, about being "terrible meat eaters". Well, after seeing the dumb lives of the cows here, I almost think they deserve to be eaten. It would be a better fate for them anyway. (Take that Jes!)

Family in a Taxi Rickshaw

Beautiful Hindu Girl in Beautiful Hindu Dress

Chris and Andrew with Local Sand Cricket Team

At da Beach

Wedding in India

Day 3: Chennai

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