Walked over 4k with my back pack this morning. Took the ferry to Ernakulum. Dropped my pack off and headed to the Shiva temple. I was sad that I would not have time to visit the bigger Shiva temple where there would be 10 elephants and a big ceremony, but the Shiva temple in Ernakulam was amazing. I walked around the perimeter unsure if I could go in or not but a very nice older man must have sensed my hesitation and ushered me in. The ceiling was very low. The space small. It was dark, smelled of incense and oil. And there was a constant flow of people. I sat and watched for awhile and got to see a few of the men making really strange (to me that is;) gestures and movements. They would lift one leg and put it over the other, cross their arms and grab their earlobes then bob up and down. I had seen this on a documentary before but of course that doesn't do it justice. Finally I walked around the circular inner temple to look at what everyone was praying to. The space was of course smaller, darker and inside was a statue that looked like a golden branch decorated with tons of flowers and surrounded by little oil lamps. Breathtakingly beautiful. As I was leaving, I stopped to watch the firework maker. I was on my train before long talking with a kind couple from France. I set up my side berth trying to prep myself for the two day train ride ahead.
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