I question whether kings are greeted with as much fanfare as we've received. One place where we arrive has a band waiting to play as we pass. We are behind schedule so the band has been waiting hours in the hot sun just to play a few measures as we enter the building. At another town we are taken to a sport match and given seats of honor, our names announced on live television. Before the match, we are escorted to the field to shake hands with all the players.

Our days are packed full of meetings. Every club has made a banner for us, "Welcome USA GSE Team, District 5630." Some banners have our names. A couple of banners have had our pictures. Every school we visit has called an assembly. Sometimes we speak to the students. Always the students perform a traditional dance for us. Every club we visit greets us with flowers and gifts, sometimes plaques with our names on them. And always, always, food is prepared especially for us.

We are quite the celebrities here. We are constantly pulled one direction and another to meet the club president's wife, the district secretary, the club's past president. And photos. I'm not exaggerating to say that we've posed for 500 pictures so far. We reach our hosts' houses about midnight each night and start again early the next morning. It feels like we are running for political office in India.

We've toured many temples. The colorful gods in each temple are given garlands. Flower petals are thrown on them. And the gods are bowed to.

Similarly, each group we meet immediately puts garlands of flowers around our necks. They fold their hands to us and bow with a traditional greeting. At one host's house, as his servants prepare another feast for us and gifts are given to us, he explains. "In India, guests are next to gods." That would certainly explain the overwhelming generosity we've been shown.

The highlight of today is a visit to a home for mentally handicapped children run by the Sisters of Charity. The building is brightly painted. Sixty mentally handicapped children play in the sunlit yard. As soon as we arrive, the enthusiastic children take us by the hand and lead us into their playground. Our Rotary escorts have brought several kilos of bananas, so we pass one out to each of the excited children.

Sister Anastasia tells me that it used to be that they cared for these children only until age 13. Now the government has requested that they continue to care for them as adults. So a new building is being built and plans are being implemented to care for mentally handicapped adults as well.

There is so much humanitarian work needed in this developing country, and thankfully, many people are stepping up to do the work. I guess that puts them closer to the gods than anyone.