Today we made an ill-fated trip to Nellor to try to do some shopping. I say ill-fated because the Christmas Eve crowds were so bad we just couldn’t get anything done.

We went into a clothes store and this manikin proved to be the closest I had come to seeing a white person in 10 days since leaving the Hyderabad airport. This area of India simply doesn’t attract tourists or hardly any people of other countries. In fact we haven’t even seen Chinese or other Asians here. This is about as pure as you will find India.

Despite my uniqueness I don’t get stares or any special treatment. The children find me to be a curious creature though and always want a handshake or to hear me speak. On our arrival to Gudur, cousin Joshua’s son, Jack, came running home to report that there was a strange white man at his grandparent’s home.

My streak went to 12 days without seeing another white person or tourist. Immediately on arrival to the Chennai airport we saw some tourists.