Last day

Didn’t have to wake up early today, in fact I got to take as much time as I wanted.  I had a lovely breakfast but the only thing that was wrong with my use of time was that I spent it all on downloading the pictures from the CD to a computer then to a zip stick and then to my computer.  This process seemed to take forever and before I knew it I had to be downstairs and ready to go see new things around Delhi.

My guide was running a bit late due to traffic so the driver and I waited patiently for him to arrive.  When he finally did we headed off to Meenakshi Amman temple… the largest temple in India.  The moment I saw it, it looked like something from a different era.  Even though it was new the way all the designs and Gods were put into the rock made it look old.  Inside was all white marble carved so perfectly it didn’t seem real.  I could not believe that you could make rock look so beautiful.  I walked around the inside in bare feet and read what I could about each painting on the wall, no pictures allowed in the temple.  When I was done on the inside I stepped outside to the middle floor and walked around admiring each different God carved into the walls.  Ganesha was carved all the way around.  On the bottom layer were all the different carvings of elephants and the different parts they played in history; like with Buddha and his mother.  All the carvings had notes written below them like how to paint elephants and that honoring them with flowers is the simplest but most powerful way.  The elephants were so well carved they almost looked real.  As I left the temple I was thinking about how nice it would be to see an elephant and how I cant wait to get to Africa, just when I thought that I saw a working elephant on the side of the road.  That was the first elephant I have seen in my life and it was amazing to see one so close.

Next place we headed to was a Lakshmi Temple, again I had to take my shoes off but I didn’t mind.  The guide took me around the temple and showed me all the different Gods and how you could pray for them.  By this point my feet were absolutely freezing from the hard cold marble but I was willing to see more.  I got to see a painting of Kali with the heads in her hands dripping with blood before we left; it was pretty cool.

The last place we stopped on my tour was another government store so I could finally get a pashmina; they are all from Kashmir.  I got the first one that I saw… even though the ones that were $500 were so much softer I stuck to my first choice.  It is soft and a natural light brown color and I just love it!

I parted my driver and guide and headed to my room to get some blogging done.  After that was finished I was starving and headed to the buffet before I headed out into Delhi. 

Delhi is very busy and crossing the roads is a nightmare; I had to cross with big groups of people to get where I was going.  When I finally got everything I needed I headed back to my room and rested… I mean blogged.  I started packing as well and this time it wasn’t as fun, it is starting to feel like I don’t have a permanent home anymore but I am sure as soon as I get to the orphanage that will change.  The whole night I packed, blogged, meditated and Skyped with my Dad.

I can’t believe that tomorrow I leave for Varanasi… another step forward on my giant adventure.