Oct 18 CHENNAI

Got up early to go out in Chennai and get some last minute shopping done and a little taste of going off on our own instead of with a group. Went out with Jewel, Jocie, Patrick, and Nina. On the way out we got haggled by one of the rickshaw driver. He followed Jewel for a good ¼ of a mile. Patrick was video taping the whole thing on his camera. Finally we decided to take the ride from Giri and his friend Steven. They took us around Chennai and thought we were going to die in traffic in the rickshaw. Its so thrilling but so dangerous at the same time. Could have died but that’s half the fun right? They took us to a bunch of art/craft stores. Got some tapestries, scarves, and then went to Spencer’s Mall. Ghettoest mall I have ever been to. Got some more bangles and had a yummy Indian lunch. Giri took us to a sketchy place on the side of road that had bootlegged movies. Got a ton of movies for like $10 US (later to find out some of them don’t work or are the wrong movies, but we kinda assumed). Back on the boat and it had been a great but interesting time to say the least in India. Sara went to Veranasi and saw all these dead people. It is the holy place for Hindus and they go to the Ganges River to die. She is pretty traumatized so she and I have been talking a lot trying to sort it out. I wouldn’t know what to do. For me its very real and I can see it happening. There are so many words on my mind but I can’t get them out.