Blogs from Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia - page 11

Did the tourist thing and made my way to; Five Rathas, they are rock-cut temples that resemble chariots, Arjuanas Peanane, a huge with animal and carvings of deities - quite impressive and the romantic Shore temple. After spending 3 months exploring various forts and temples they have all but lost their appeal, although, the village has impressed me; palm trees, sand covered roads, quaint road-side stalls selling sweet bananas, lassies and fruit juice and a huge collection of beach-side restaurants with the “catch of the day” on show. Ate at a rather interesting Indian restaurant and had a delicious South Indian Thali, and of course, I ate with my fingers. Headed for the beach, read Moby Dick and swam like a mad-man. Met my good man Steve Gallagher, a set-designer and no relation to Liam in ... read more

Oh dear!! The holiday was going so well until ... food poisoning stuck. The unfortunate victim in this case was my beautiful wife who we suspect was attacked by some marauding germies hiding in a samosa. The day went as follows. It all started out bright and sunny. We woke up extra early and headed out to the first site - the Five Rathas. This was exquisite collection of rock carvings depicting Indian mythology and local animals. They quality and size of these carvings was amazing - considering their age, they looked amazing. After this, we headed on to Arjunas Penance, another set of rock carvings this time done in the side of a cliff. Once again, we were amazed. These indians were obviously clever chaps, considering they carved these using simple rock tools - no ... read more

Now I suspect we look very much like tourists, because everywhere we walk, wer'e approached by groups of tour guides offering their services. Unfortunately a simple no is never enough to get rid of them. Instead, saying no seems to indicate that other guides and shop vendors should also approach, shoving their wares and services in your face. Its difficult to keep your cool in these situations - you try and be polite and say no, then no again, then no for the third time - but they keep coming, like a team of ants swarming to a ham sandwich on a picnic rug. We have discovered though that the simplest thing to do is simply yell at them - 'Get lost' or 'Leave me alone'. It worked the first few times. I guess they don't ... read more

Here is a compilation of some of The Sounds of India: The loudest horns used as frequently as possible. That truly unappetizing sound made by collecting phlegm in the back of the mouth, usually made just before spitting. HHHHHHckhttt! The beating of laundry on a rock, usually near our bedroom window and always at about 6:30 am. Something - anything - on a loudspeaker full blast. Mamallapuram: world-famous for its shoreline temple. But what's not in the guidebook is the eyesore of a chain-link fence ,keeping out the non-Indians who've decided to pass on the $10 entry fee (!!!) Indians pay 10 rupees (about 25 cents). I couldn't possibly satisfactorily describe how disgusting the trash and effluence was, literally FLOWING across the beach. Fortunately, we had already gotten lunch out of the way, where we happened ... read more