No taxis? WHAT???

Today was quite the adventure. We left to go look for some things we need for our home. We went to get a taxi and there were none available! It was so odd. On both corners that are near where we are staying right now, there are usually dozens and dozens of taxis waiting and it takes about 10 seconds to get one.

Then we started noticing a lot of decorations everywhere and very loud music being played. We figured out this today is a Puja holiday. Every month there is a day that is a Puja holiday, but it's for a different reason each month. Puja just simply means a religious festival in Hindi. This month the Puja day was for common laborers. So, it would be a lot like our Labor Day in the States, but with a religious twist. So, most drivers were celebrating ... not driving. Much to our demise.

We asked several people if they knew where to get a taxi. Everyone looked at us like we were crazy. We kept walking and finally saw a taxi that didn't have any passengers. We talked to the driver and he didn't want to go as far as we needed. So we kept walking. We finally found a taxi driver that would take us! It is really paralyzing to want to go somewhere, but have no way to get there. It really is a luxury to be able to jump in a car and go wherever. It would have also been a luxury, today, to jump in a taxi easily and go!

So as we were driving, we saw all the decorations. All the trucks, buses, taxis, rickshaws, were totally decorated with big banana leaves and flowers that they threaded on string. Here's a decorated taxi that I was able to get a picture of:



Then, along side the road you would see people bringing idols to the god that represents this Puja festival ... I was told it's name, but it's about 16 letters long and I can't remember it!

Everyone is also gearing up for Durga Puja which is another festival in a couple weeks. I certainly don't know much about it, but it is a time where they celebrate a goddess by building these huge 'pandals' (like a 4 story high hut built out of bamboo) that they will worship in during this time. At the end they, women expecially, will weep and mourn and tear at their hair and beat their chests because the spirit of the god has left them. You can find out more about it at www.durga-puja.org ... It's unbelieivable. Everytime I see an idol or a pandal I pray that these people would come to know the one true God ... it is such an obvious reminder of how much spiritual darkness is here. We are honored to be here to share the Light that we have, we know that during this Puja time there will be good opportunities to share and we are anticipating many open doors!

We finally got to the stores and back home, but it was not without a lot of effort. Walmart, I need Walmart!