Blogs from Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia

Saravanan had just arrived on his motorcycle as I was returning from dinner to his guest house. His face looked tense. “You know my dog Daniel, he got in a fight with other dogs when I was away on vacation. For two weeks he was wandering around injured, but no one could catch him. So when I returned, I found him on the beach limping along with a huge wound on his neck. There were flies all over it, it smelled, and he could barely walk to me.” His troubled tone told me things were not so good with Daniel. “I thought he wouldn’t make it. But I called the doctor and she took him to a shelter and cleaned the wound and kept him there to heal. I had hoped that he would come back ... read more

We check in at Cochi Airport for flight to Chenoa and ask for an exit row legroom seat. When we go through the gate we get new boarding passes that are upgrades to business class ..only a short flight but nice nonetheless. Must make sure we get this on our last flight to Delhi. ...! Agent meets us at Chennai and takes us to the car and leaves us with our driver for the next few days and whose name we never mastered. Our next 2 nights are at the Ideal Beach Resort. ...which turned out to be not so ideal....which was 60kms south of Chennai. It was a real hi di hi type place but we got a nice see view apartment. Being a weekend the place was full of locals and there was a ... read more

Wow what a luxury. We have a pool! While most of my group head off to explore Mamallapuram this morning I opt to do things in reverse - us introverted characters need a bit of alone time to recharge. Being on a group tour AND sharing a room means such opportunities are few and far between. An empty pool all to myself, bliss. Later I'm joined by a couple of others from the group and also suddenly we have a group of macaque monkeys jumping along the balconies and into a large fruit bush next to the pool. They are funny to watch, the bigger males bossing the littleuns about. They are making a right mess dropping leaves and fruits all over the ground. It's therefore no surprise when the hotel lady who keeps the outdoor ... read more

I spent many hours over several days wandering among the 7th century wonders at Mamallapuram. Carved from single large boulders, stories burst from their surfaces in astonishing detail, rooms chiseled deep into the guts of the rocks appear like naturally occurring symmetrical caves. The first day I explored, a rock carver tagged along, despite my saying several times "goodbye" and "I want to be alone." When I realized he was not going away until I visited his "shop," I detoured from my tour for five minutes, followed him on stones rising from a cesspool of muck-which I nearly teetered into, entered his shop, and surveyed his quite ordinary inventory. He expressed indignation that I didn't buy, then shouted at me as I walked away. This was my first day touring in this small town. I sighed, ... read more

At age 62 I became a mom. Again. But this time, my child had a hard shell, retractable head, and four feet. And I have to admit that it was unplanned. Here’s how it happened: Mamallapuram is best known for its remarkable carved rock temples scattered throughout this small coastal city. But about 20 kilometers north of town is The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, where thousands of crocodiles representing nearly 20 of the world's species are given safe haven in murky pools. Snakes lizards, turtles, and land dwelling tortoises join the extensive collection of all things reptile. In addition, men from the Irula caste demonstrate the fascinating work of extracting venom from poisonous snakes. A shady path skirts pools lined with high walls. Signs warn visitors not to stick their hands over the top, because crocs ... read more