I took a bath (same way as at home in Hyderabad....heated water in a bucket and poured over body). The water seemed to drain right outside the walls onto the streets below, but not sure.
Seven of us (Dad, Mom, Auntie "P", Rajiv, Sanjay, "L", and I) piled into the Indicar. Rajiv drove us all to Sundar Beach. Several families were there as well. It was a sunny, breezy day. We waded in the ocean water, which was somewhat warm. We learned that the tsunami did impact that area, albeit not significantly....a section of light brown sand far up the beach outlined where the waves stopped, which wasn't more than 100 yards from where the water was while we were there. Some boys were playing cricket on the beach. Dad talked with a Hindu boater about faith and prayed with him. We bought some roasted, lime-and-salt-covered corn-on-the-cob and also coconut juice from some street-side vendors.
We drove to a roadside restaurant and had a light lunch. The restaurant was easy to miss and we caught as we were turning a curve. The restaurant was part of a large garden. Work towards access to the beach was apparently still under construction. It was not busy. We ate a meal of Singaporean noodles and puri with some kind of curry (Rs. 427 altogether....not bad).
Rajiv drove us to a lookout point atop a small mountain. Rs. 25 entry fee for a car. The view of the city and beach was nice, albeit hazy. Afterwards, we wound through the city and along the waterfront. We passed by an old Soviet submarine that was docked, apparently as a tourist attraction. Lots of people hung out, including many couples. Vizag, Rajiv believes, is ripe for expansion economically. About 200,000 people live there and it's growing.
We later went to a shopping mall called CMR (not sure what it stood for). It seemed quite modern, with trees in front fashioned totally out of lights and large posters advertising its wares. I tried to take a picture, but a cop told me not to.
Rajiv been driving since he was 18 (legal age in India to drive). He learned from his dad. He said he doesn't get nervous or stressed driving through the wild traffic, as he's been used to it growing up. He does admit getting mad at drivers who just stop in the middle of traffic, which happens often. Rajiv honks a lot while driving, which is how drivers let each other know they're passing. We chatted a bit about the differences between driving in the U.S. and in India.
We arrived home to once again eat dinner at 11:30 pm. That's pretty late, even for Indians, who usually eat no earlier than 8 pm. Rajiv and I scootered out to pick up some milk and fruit juices. The fruit juices were made fresh. The vendors noticed my American dollar bill as I took out rupees to pay for the drinks. Rajiv says most people have never seen foreign currency and assume it's all American. He also said the reason why most signs and billboards outside businesses are in English is because it's for show....it denotes quality. If a business advertises in another language, people won't be as apt to cater to it.
