Taking our Monkeys to the Zoo...

One of the leprosy colonies we serve...Vandalur...is right next to the zoo in Chennai. We went there earlier in the summer with one volunteer group and had the privilege of going again today.

We are so blessed to have seven WONDERFUL short-term volunteers here for this week of Thanksgiving! We love them and wish they could stay much longer than 5 days!

There are even a little girl Avery's age and a little boy just a year and a half older than Cohen. They have been having a blast...pillow fights, soccer games in the courtyard, races around the track. It has been so great to watch them play.

We arrived at the colony ahead of the medical van...so we had a few minutes to walk around and visit and we were immediately taken to see the baby goats. They were irresistible!  So cute.

Is there anything as cute as babies? Human or otherwise...they are so precious!

Here is my little Berlyn...she is an "unofficial twin" to Brooklyn. Their names are so close and they are only months apart in age, and she has become my fifth daugher--my India daughter.

I even let Cohen hold one for a second and he was in HEAVEN!!!

Here is our volunteer group in the medical line. Abraham (the patient) is singing and leading them all in a song. Lon wrote a post that spotlighted Abraham HERE. It is beautiful and poignant.

Here are the kids playing a game of Ninja while they wait for us to finish cleaning up.

This is one of the patients at Vandalur. She is a beautiful, sweet, smiling woman and she loves to see the kids. 

After Cohen walked away, she just hung on to Avery's hand for a while....
(I am pretty sure this will be one of my all-time favorite photos from India.)

The zoo is SO MUCH FUN!!  It costs 30 rupees for an adult (50 cents!!) and 10 rupees for a child. Then, you can rent a bike for only 10 rupees an hour. So, for $2.00, Cohen and Avery and I got to enjoy a beautiful afternoon riding around the zoo with some wonderful people. What a blessing to be constantly spending time with the kind of people who spend their hard earned money and vacation time coming to India to serve!!

Here is Avery being stopped by some women to shake the baby's hand and say hi!

It is a good thing that I have been in India for quite a while...otherwise, I do not think I would have been able to handle the "toilet" experience at the zoo today. First of all, you have to pay for the privilege of stepping into the most disgusting row of OPEN squatty potties you could ever imagine.

Anyway...it was DIS.GUST.ING!!!

But, I had to laugh at the sign on the outside...at some point it was painted over, but should say 

TOILET TARIF.

And, apparently, at some point you paid different amounts depending upon your intentions once you entered the toilet.

But, now, it is an even 2 rupees for Urine or Defecation...phew...because who has time to stop and decide which one you need to pay for when you are desperately dismounting your bike and rummaging for coins in your purse. ; )

Because, let me tell you, only PURE DESPERATION leads you to walk into an Indian Public Restroom!

But...all's well that ends well. 

India teaches you to roll with the punches and always carry hand sanitizer!

On the way home, we got to see a whole group of monkeys at the Junction...including some adorable babies. Luckily, I had bought a banana and they absolutely LOVE eating the peels.