MATTHEW

First attempt at posting unaided. January 2 2009. We just shifted hotels - just to a more congenial environment. This place, Mahabalipuram, is a hippie hangout and a tourist trap. After a whole week of eating Indian vegetarian food it was interesting to get some Fish and Chips (French Fries for those of you in the US.) It is great to be able to watch cricket on TV also. So far Linda has done a great job of posting and analyzing our trip. That is probably how things will continue with me chipping in temps en temps.
I found singing American Indian Chants quietly to my self was a powerrful defence against the noise, dirt and chaos of the city streets - it was a reassuring family type feeling.
The taxi ride from Kanchipuram to Mamallapuram was interesting. The driver was the best - nothing passed us and he rarly stopped blowing his horn but I realized that there were several diffent meanings in the horn rhthyms. But he was also very pious so that everytime we went by a temple or some other significant religious phenomenon he would tke his hands from the wheel, clasp them together and bow. At one point he put coin on the dash. A few moments later he stopped at a little temple, leaped from the car, put the coin in the cup of a devotee woman brifly prayed asdescribed above and was back in the car and driving within 30 seconds. He hardly spoke for the whole journey but did let us know that it being New Years Day many of the motorcycle drivers were drinking alcohol - no exactly reassuring but his prayers more that compensated. well I am going to try to get this posted and admire my handiwork. We are all very well and I in particular am looking forward to Ramana's place - Arunachala. Until soon.