Christmas

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21st December

Today was a travelling day, we were flying to Delhi and then on to Chenai. Our driver wanted to get us there early because there would be loads of sugar cane trucks on the road and they could hold us up but we suspected that it was because a) he didn't know where the airport was and b) he had to drive back to Delhi. There has been really bad fog in Delhi since we left so we were still not certain that all would be ok but fortunately it was. The airport was newly built and freezing cold, the mornings and evenings have been cold but this place was steel and glass and always going to be cold. We queued to get into the airport as our documents were checked, we then queued to get through the next door as our documents were checked..... Queuing is not something that Indian people are familiar with, to them It is like driving, see a gap and go for it. Eventually we got checked in which took forever and then had to pay excess baggage which took forever + +++ so we were educating them In the art of queuing as they had no choice but to wait behind us. Our excess baggage was puzzling them, they had sooooo many forms and we had to pay each person and per flight so it turned out to have been a good job we were so early as with the amount of form filling we did we would have missed the flight. A very persistent young lady had been suggesting we would like to use the lounge for just 99 rupees..£1. Once everything had been stamped, checked, stamped and thoroughly checked we went to her lounge where there were no seats left !

We were bussed to the aircraft which was about 20 yards away but the bus took the pretty winding route. All this is job creation and why not employ 30 people where one could do, why not check a boarding pass 7 times when one would do. What made us laugh though was they must have forgotten a lady in a wheelchair who was due on the flight and they were pushing her at speed across the runway whilst she was hanging on to her baggage for grim death!

We sat down and we were off, it was an easy jet type flight, if we wanted food we would have to buy it but as the flight was only 45 minutes we weren't going to bother. However, having been in the air for about 20/25 minutes, they started handing out boxes of food which they never actually finished doing as they ran out of time! We are then starting the descent so the trolley is taken away and they are running up and down the cabin telling you to put your table away...........you don't have to think too long about the state of the aircraft with half eaten boxes of food strewn all over as they couldn't collect them!

We had to transfer flights so back through more rigorous security checks, they literally scan each person and pat you down too though there are no restrictions on water, strange there're is no international standard. Whilst we politely wait for our turn, others are wriggling their way into a gap to get one in front!

The fog at Delhi was bad though we had been told it was better than the last 4 days when large amounts of flights had been cancelled, we got away on time and arrived in Chennai. Our new driver Bala was there to meet us. Lovely chap, big welcoming grin we knew he would be good.

We were staying 2 nights at Mahabalipuram, it was a resort type complex but our very spacious rooms with the best beds so far, overlooked the palm trees and sea.......wonderful. There were several restaurants and The Wharf was near to us which we used on both nights, food was excellent and a lovely waiter, Shantaraj looked after us, who is getting married next year and we are sure we will get an invite to the wedding!

22nd December

Our guide the next day was Prabu, Very tall with lovely black curly hair which was unusual. There are not a huge amount of sights in Mahabalipuram but what they had was stunning and did have wow factor. First we went to the butterball, this enormous rock, precariously perched on more rock, it looks like it could topple over at any point. Many have tried to shift it including the British trying to move it with the aid of elephants. Close by is a cave temple which has been carved out of a single piece of rock, more than 1400 years old, it is beautifully carved both inside and out depicting stories of gods and this is followed by a huge relief carving on the rock face, called Decent of the Ganges,again carved with various figures from Hinduism and a couple of rather lovely elephants. We were hotly pursued by various sellers of wares and our NOs we're not interested turned into us buying a carved stone elephant each with another elephant inside, they are clever but we probably paid too much.

We moved on to another group of 5 small temples, also carved out of the rock together with a splendid elephant, all of these are Unesco world heritage sites and stunning, partly because we had never heard of them but mostly because they were fantastic to see. The Shore Temple was also on the itinerary as it overlooks the shore of The Bay of Bengal, again 1400 years old and survived the 2004 tsunami, which devastated the area. Our guides English was petty good, odd words we couldn't get, one occasion was in this temple and he was talking about a representation of the god Shiva in the form of a failus, we didn't understand, the poor chap started to explain when we twigged ...... Phallus! Not sure where his explanation would have led.

The weather was about 29 degrees and with some time to ourselves, a dip in the infinity pool was welcomed. The hotel was a vast site with 2 pools and various activities, golf buggies were constantly driving around or you could phone for one to take you from a to b.

23rd December

Pondicherry was our next destination, the area had been under French rule until 1954 and the policemen still wore similar uniforms to the French. The town has new fame as being where the film Life of Pi was filmed. Our hotel was another beautiful heritage building, we were greeted with floral garlands of yellow marigolds and something sprinkled on our heads. They had a fab Christmas tree made out of old newspapers and all the decorations were made from newspaper as well which all looked surprisingly good. Bala our driver took us on a walking tour of the newer part of town which was a hustle bustle of shops and then into the market, which started off as a stinky fish market with lots of old fish wives who were not the happiest bunch and then on to the fruit and veg, which, as always is incredibly fresh and then the flowers, not whole flowers but stall after stall of people picking all the petals off and then making them into garlands for people, for your house or for temples, their hands were so nimble working with cotton and tiny petals.

We had a guide in the afternoon and it was a lady called Arrol, a feisty lady! First stop was the paper making factory, they use just about anything to make different quality of paper from old t shirts to tea dust to the waste from sugar cane. Health and Safety at home would have had apoplexy knowing that a) the place existed and operated and b) Joe Public were walking about there. They had a shop which had lots of interesting pieces at good prices. We went to the temple and she explained a lot about her religion but so many gods and so many stories it all becomes very confusing so we have decided to go for the enjoy for the moment option and some info will eventually stick, however there is a god for just about anything and Col and Pete were interested in the king of the beer, something like Mallya! People were sitting around the temple meditating, some on their knees praying and others making offering or puja as they called it. When we were at the Golden Temple, our guide Jesse bought some food offering, as this was being sold beside the lake which was full of big fish, Pete thought he had bought it as food for the fish, Jesse looked slightly horrified!

The town used to be divided into two, black and white now usually divided into 3, French, Tamil, Muslim. Our expectation had been quite a small place but in fact the town is big.The French area is where we spent most of our time with some nice colonial buildings and the seafront itself was alive with people and stall holders and in fact you could have been in a seafront town in France. We had coffee in the cafe on the seafront and it was interesting speaking to our guide as she certainly didn't put up with any nonsense from anybody and was very keen for traditions, customs, religion to remain as they are and not be lost. Her favourite phrase started off... It has been scientifically proven........ we were not sure where she might have got her ideas from! One of her funniest was that the ladies have long plaited hair and wear flowers in their hair to protect there head if they have a motorbike accident........ Actually, wear a crash helmet and don't drive like an idiot would help!

Apart from being much warmer in this area, which is called Tamil Nadu, on the whole we were finding it much cleaner and certainly the roads were better. More ladies wear saris and the men wear doti which is a long wrap cloth like a skirt, but with a quick flick and a knot it becomes short for working

24th December

On the road again, lots of Ox drawn carts on the road, no camels, elephants or horses. We went through a little village where rope was made and Bala stopped for us to have a look, the family were very welcoming and invited us to come closer to see what they were doing which was using the husk of coconut, very labour intensive but speedy too though tough on your hands, Col had a go and it was a bit like using a spinning wheel for wool. They gave us a length to take away, their kids were very keen for pens so we managed to find them a couple.

We love these journeys, always so much to see, fields of rice and sugar cane, busy villages and small towns, small shrines and larger temples, and the array of goods being transported on overloaded shoulders, bicycles, tuk tuks, tractor trailers, never ceases to amaze us. Two or three on a motorbikes not usual and 4 up is frequent but we have got to a 5 and looking for a 6 !

Our destination was Tanjure but we picked up a guide on the way as we had two temples to visit at Kumbakonam and Darasuram both of which were spectacular, the details in the carvings were so fine. We also visited a large lake which is used for special religious days and one of the temples with the very colourful towers which are common in this area, they are covered with sometimes, 1000's of little images of gods and are wonderful.

We also saw several crocs as we crossed a bridge.

It was dark by the time we were getting to our hotel which was on a river, so, time for a driving lesson..... How to drive in the dark...... Of course the answer is exactly the same and putting your lights on is optional, even if you are on an unlit road and wagons drawn by oxen are on there too, unlit of course.

It was Christmas Eve and the hotel had a 'gala dinner' which we really weren't interested in but had no option if we wanted to eat. We arrived at the hotel to a lovely welcome and at this time of year, people decorate their doorways with colourful pictures made out of coloured ground rice and the hotel had a beautiful one. We were greeted by a lady called Sandier who was very pleasant and keen for us to join in the festivities.... Of course we had a Colin with us who was up for everything, don't you worry he told her, you and me will be boogieing the night away... Not sure if that was what she had in mind, games, oh yes says Col, count us in, groan, groan, groan from the rest of us.

We had about 45 minutes to freshen up. The restaurant was by the river and out in the open so having showered, we had to smother ourselves in insect repellent. Loads of tables were laid but only about half were taken which was a shame as they were very excited about it and obviously felt it their duty to provide a Christmas celebration for us. Sandier was very pleased to see us arrive and Robin, the manager, in his very white and orange trainers was equally delighted and ever so slightly over excited. The meal was buffet and there was so much of it, they must have completely over estimated numbers and as it was in the middle of nowhere they weren't going to get passing trade and we were sure the locals wouldn't have been able to afford it.

To whoops of delight from Robin, Santa Claus arrived, he was wearing a Santa mask which we had seen for sale in various places and looked slightly menacing, he carried a walking stick and trotted, even when having his photo taken, he was bobbing about, he carried a bag and gave out sweets. We came across a couple more Santas on Christmas Day and they were all the same!

They had traditional music and dancers which was lovely to watch, we were tired and wanted to slide away but Robin and Sandier were there like a shot and we felt sorry for them after all their efforts, so thanks to the wonderful Col, we made up 50% of the contestants! The first 'game' was Merry Cherry..... They put 6 cherries in a bowl, filled the bowl with disgusting sweet cream and we had to get the cherries out without using our hands, a Dutch lady was doing quite well but spitting the pips at her husband..... ours were keeping a safe distance! Jane hates cream of any sort, particularly this stuff but she persevered and won! Next game, the men had to sit in a row and the ladies were blindfolded and with the aid of a wooden spoon had to decide which was there husband. Robin really was excited about this...groan, groan, groan..... Jane went first and got it right, the two other ladies got it right, then Sal went last and did get it right but they swapped them for some of the waiters so it was a bit of a shock when the blindfold came off!

We were awarded prizes and Jane having starred in both games was crowned woman of the year and awarded an extra prize and we feel it is our duty to give her due respect for her 7 days as Woman of the Year. Well done Jane, that cream was awful.

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Photos

Cave temple
One piece of rock

Comments

[Hilary & Peter]

Christmas time
Your Blog as always so entertaining, informative and memory evoking! The descriptions are perfect- remember the Santa Claus masks looking slightly menacing, the Christian Christmas efforts so over the top and enthusiastic-Christmas but not as we know it! Look forward to the New Year episode! XX