Madurai and Kovalam

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Madurai After a couple of days in touristy Jaipur, we see the first signs of modern India when we fly south to Madurai. The budget airline (not sure allowed to name it here) was super efficient, friendly and pretty good food - embarrassing to compare with the penny pinching ones back home. 3 flights via Mumbai and Bangalore - surely the most modern airport anywhere in the world. Could eat a chapati off the floor, as they say.

Madurai has the most amazing hindu temple complex - hard to imagine it's enormity, quite stunning, and some parts dating from the 13th century. Lots of pilgrims here; it must be the St. Peter's of India. As usual the streets are full of hustle and bustyle, but a very different feel to Delhi or Jaipur- people here are much darker (Tamils), a very strange looking alphabet, and men in dhotis and mundus. The hustlers and bustlers on the street are much more gentle than before. (A short video here but they may be low quality)

Dothis are what Gandhi adopted, starting the trend here in 1921 in Madurai. There's a great Gandhi Memorial museum, and his blood stained dhoti form his last day is displayed, a bit ghoulish but nevertheless moving. Gary has decided he will wear a dhoti from now on. I'm not with him... now where's my dark glasses? Mundus look like large nappies, worn by men, and a little bit amusing until you get used to it.

Kovalam An very slow train takes us to Kovalam and Kerala itself. A paradise of palm trees, lovely beaches and peace. When your only problem is the noise of the ocean when you try to go to bed, you know you're in the right place. It's el hotto, hotto here, very tropical, and about 33 in the day. The next 4 days are relaxation after the travel of the last week - nice to see on the BBC website it's snowing in London, oh well !

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Photos

Prayers to the elephant god
Images of Genesha can be seen everywhere in India. This shrine in the mian temple is pretty spectacular.

Shri Meenakshi Temple
Not the most glamorous setting, but a towering sight over the city.

Pilgrims
As many men as women, as many young as old.

Dhoti or not
Would I look good dressed as the man behind me, hmmm?

Our private chauffeur
Tuk, tuks are a great way to get around, provided you take a tranquilizer before stepping in one.

Kovalam beach
Fishermen tidying up aftre an early morning fish.