johnniewalker

One key difference I've learned that needs to be taken into account when travelling India, is that it takes an awful lot longer to get anywhere than I'm used to. This does unfortunately have the consequence of limiting my range through the week, where working goes well into the evening, and everywhere closes by 11pm. Nonetheless, I did manage a couple of forays out into the wilderness of Tamil Nadu... away from the safety (and expense!) of the fortress. The nearby town of Mamallapuram (or Mahabalipuram as it was known when the British found it too difficult to pronounce), was an obvious first candidate - 20km down the road (or 30 mins). The town is famous for its multitude of temples carved out of single pieces of rock. Viewing did close at 6pm, but it was ... read more

So after a night of frantic packing and organising the apartment, the day had arrived to set off to India. A comfortable (!) 5am start to catch the train down to Frankfurt (with a near missed connection at Leipzig just to keep the excitement levels up!) and some 550Km and 5 hours later (which, I suspect, is possibly the quickest I will be able to travel overland for some time!) I'm sitting in the Emirates business lounge enjoying some small canopies, and quite possibly a small glass of champagne. 6 hours to Dubai, and then 4 hours on to Chennai (unslept, but strangely energised - maybe just from the adrenaline of what was to come!) I emerged from the luxury of my flight into Chennai International Airport. Instantly, from stepping off the plane, my nostrils were ... read more