We started this morning with another
traditional Indian breakfast. It was a steamed dosa with an amazing coconut curry
on top. As I bit into it, my mouth felt the sting of a peppercorn that exploded
into a million spicy pieces. Although I cried a little inside, I was satiated
by the Indian flavors. As these flavors woke my senses up, I was ready to take
on the day.
Our
first stop of the day was an old Dutch palace. The palace contained Indian
murals and artifacts. It was so cool to see traditional Hindu stories depicted
in a Dutch style building. The whole time we were walking around, we could hear
drumming outside. When we exited the building we saw a group of Indian guys
doing a traditional song and dance.
The
next place we visited was a synagogue. I never thought I would see a Jewish
temple in the middle of India, but this trip just keeps surprising me. Inside,
the synagogue was filled with glass lanterns of all different colors hanging
all over the place. I found out later they were from Belgium. The floor was
Chinese tiles with a Portuguese design. It was so interesting to see the blend
of cultures and religion in one religious site. Directly outside the synagogue
there were so many vendors trying to sell goods to the tourists. Someone made
the point later how strange it was that people were trying to make a profit off
of the tourists going into religious places. Although it was different than the
U.S. we took advantage of this opportunity and bought a bunch of
souvenirs.
After
our shopping needs were fulfilled, we went to another religious site, this time
a Christian church. While we were there we got to witness a choir singing. It
was an amazing opportunity that made many people feel at home and sparked great
discussions about our churches at home.
Our
sightseeing was followed by another amazing Indian meal. We had different types
of bread with curries and dal. Another amazing meal fulfilled us to go see the
fishing nets of Kerala. We watched the locals going about their daily business.
Sadly the water was too high for us to see the nets in use, but it was still so
cool to see something so traditional being used in a city that is rapidly
changing. It was also a great place to take some super cute pictures. Tes and I
thought we could quickly sneak in a picture in one particularly beautiful spot,
which turned into an impromptu photo shoot for the whole group.
We
headed back to the hotel for a chill night. A big group of us went up to the
pool which was a great way to kick back and relax after so much sightseeing. I
felt that the quick dip in the pool helped rejuvenate me for our first big
project meeting of the trip. We discussed some of the things we had observed so
far and how we wanted to use this information. Another amazing dinner and chats
at our hotel were an amazing way to end the day.
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