Sunday, May 22--I love a good Sunday afternoon nap, no matter where in the world I am! And on this particular Sunday, our nap was crucial. We were all so tired, and it was hot, so during the hottest hours of the day, we slept, soooo grateful for our air-conditioned hotel room. Just walking into the hallway made a difference, as the halls and lobby didn't have AC.
Well-rested, we again met Tuna in the early evening--this time for an adventure out and about in Bhubaneswar. Tuna had told us about these ancient caves that were carved into the hill just opposite the building on the hill to the right in the below picture. He told us that these caves were most famously used as a refuge for a particular queen during war times.
On the drive, we passed an elephant sanctuary (no signs of any wildlife, though...bummer) and.......cows. Lots of cows.
The sign explains that the caves were in use for over 1000 years, dating back to the first century B.C. It was amazing to walk through something that was around before the time of Jesus even...so old!
Our driver parked, and there were monkeys out just roaming around--this one was in the tree, but they were walking on the ground too. We were told that they are not afraid of people and would even come up and grab food out of your bag! Um...no thanks!
After climbing the looong way up...
...we met a boy who was asking for money. When Scott gave him just a very small amount, he took water from his jar and "blessed" Scott....and my heart sank as he tried in his broken English to explain. Tuna filled in the blanks and cautioned us not to give more money to these kids, as they are temple priests. Yes, this little boy is a priest.
I couldn't help but think of Amy Carmichael and how her first daughter came to her by escaping from temple servitude. In India, there are untold numbers of children who serve in one capacity or another at the temple--slaves to gods made of wood and stone. Heartbreaking.....God, save this boy! You know his name and have numbered the very hairs on his head. And keep breaking our hearts for the children caught up in these horrible situations, terrible lies, and very real spiritual battle.
The view was breathtaking! And even though the temperature was high, there was a tropical breeze sweeping through the cave area...it was gorgeous!
I have to mention the topiary swastika. Before traveling to India, our intern, Noel, had brought over a number of her skirts for me to borrow. Noel is famous for her flowy skirts. :) I borrowed a couple of them that I wore all the time while we were there--but I also declined a couple, including the one with the swastikas. The wrap skirt was reversible, so Noel generally just avoided the swastika side, but the funny (?) part was that she had worn the skirt for a long time without even really noticing the pattern. Once she saw it, of course, she was mortified, and as we all looked at it, we were confused. Why in the world would you have a swastika pattern on skirt fabric??! Um..........turns out that the swastika is a Hindu symbol! It didn't really occur to me that that could be the case until I saw this topiary, but then I knew. We have such a visceral reaction in the west to this symbol, but it turns out that it dates back much, much further than WWII. So the skirt would have been perfectly acceptable!
Our little bookworm...maxin' and relaxin' at the ol' ancient caves with a good read!
Standing in the kitchen area of the queen's hideout. The funny part of this picture is Tom's gripping those frisbees. For some reason, he had grabbed hold of them in the car--and wouldn't let go practically the whole time we were there! I'll bet Mickey Mouse had never been to those caves before...
...or Lightning McQueen, either, for that matter! I love this picture of us with Tuna, our trusty guide and dear friend and brother in Christ.
Next up, it was Rex's turn to be the photographer/videographer. He took a great video that I'm having trouble uploading (because of its size, maybe?), so for now, here's a quick video taken accidentally. Notice the actual sweat covering the front of my shirt...this from a girl who rarely sweats much at all. I felt like I must be sweatin' off the pounds just by walking around--no running or tough exercise needed!
I love this, our first family picture outside of the orphanage....it was a beautiful, relaxing night, and we were so glad that we had made the effort to see these ancient ruins!
Lipily and Tuna sitting on the queen's throne!
Every bit is carved out of the rock...
...amazing detail!
"Hello, Mom!"
Steps to the queen's throne...
And.....a snake! No, no...it was just a covering for the electrical wiring, but it SURE DID LOOK like a snake!
Our pictures end here because right after I said, "Hey, Rex, doesn't this look like a snake?!" he wiped out and scraped up his arm pretty badly. The rocky terrain was difficult to navigate, but the fall was our sign that it was time to go (We were at the end anyway, and it was starting to get dark.).
We walked back to the car, stopping to buy some bottled water on the way. We were reminded to check to make sure that the caps were all sealed in case the bottles were being reused with local tap water. They were all good, but I definitely remember feeling like an outsider in that moment. All of a sudden, it was obvious that we were visitors, and by the time we got back in the car, we welcomed the AC with open arms and rested on the drive back, ready for some dinner!
2 comments:
So glad to see the ergo was used!! :)
Oh, it was used! Almost every single day, in fact--and lots when we got home, too. I used the wrap at the Taj Mahal, but besides that, it was mostly the Ergo. Jeff used it exclusively, and since he was the one carrying Tom most of the time, it got used A LOT! Thank you sooooo much for getting it for us! I'm not sure what we would have done without it!
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