Hello from India...

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We made it!

Thanh and I have arrived safely in South India. Yes that is correct, even in this mess of a country we are still in one piece and in good health after our 3rd day!! Everyday so far has been a little adventure for us....

Chill Mate, This is South India...
On our first night here, we arrived at a surprisingly well behaved airport! All those nightmares about Indian men touching me, harrassing me, stealing my things... its just a myth! (Touch wood). No one harrased us at all and we caught a taxi to the "Chennai Guest House", compliments of Thanh's excellent organisational skills (She booked a place over the Internet). Man, even the Taxi driver has never heard of the Guest House...Where is this place?? A local guy helped us out and found the guest house (a family home) tucked away somewhere in the back streets. Trust me, the room was nothing to write home about (think bed, bathroom, a flushing toilet & bunch of mozzies). But the people who ran the home were genuine folk and gave us a taste of true Indian hospitality. So far I've found the South Indians to be the friendliest people I've met whilst overseas, and most of them speak excellent english!

To Eat or Not to Eat??
Thanh and I have made a deal to see who can live the longest in India without getting the Delhi Belly. She has taken this so seriously that she stresses everytime she's drinking a fine cup of piping hot Indian Tea. So far I have been the more adventurous foodie, Indian foods are delish!! We have tried the "real" chai tea which is so spicy it leaves a burning taste in the mouth! We are not going hungry over here with all the curries and interesting fruits... a meal usually costs us less than $2 AUD each!!

Bus load of Indians...
Feeling very brave, Thanh & I decided to go local and catch the public buses. The scenery is out of this world. We have caught 2hr and 4hr bus trips to a beach town called "Mamallaparum" and to a French town called "Pondy Cherry". Tickets are about 50 Ruppees (Less than $2) which give us a real insight to the chaos of India. Apparently to the Indians these small towns are "calm" but we think not!! Think beeping horns every 2 seconds, bulls wandering the streets, cow poo everywhere, motor cycles galore and serious pollution. If food poisoning doesnt kill me, I'm sure the carbon monxide will. My face was black from the soot when I got off a 4hr bus trip!! Despite all that, the bus ride itself were no hassles at all apart from the occassional spitting out the window etc.

Mamallaparum is small beach town that was in the path of the Tsunami last year. Compared to other beach communities in SE Asia, the beach itself is shocking. I wouldnt jump in the ocean even if my life depended on it. Not because of the Tsunami, but because of the amount of crap & rubbish you find there. Highlights though of this little community are its amazing food, massage places and temples.

My name is Thanh, and Please Rip me Off
For those who dont know Thanh, she is very easy to be taken advantage of. She may be 32 years old, but gee whiz she is a bit of a worry.
I have never met anyone who encourages conversation with touts and serial rip off artists. My thing is to just ignore all and walk past these people fast.
But thanh? No, she has a heart of gold and will show genuine interest with stuff she doesnt need so she is the serial shopper out of the two of us. But seriously along the way we have met some beautiful people who are just trying to make ends meet.

Temples, Temples...and more Temples
If you are a fan of temples, then South India is the place for you.
As for me, I couldnt get our guide to stop talking fast enough.
The first temple stop I was all ears and very interested in the coastal stone temples, with all its 5th Century history and story telling. But honestly, after staring at the stones for 3 hours, I think I might just be templed out!!

Bonjour... Little France in Pondy Cherry
The third stop was in a once french colonial town called Pondy Cherry.
We have just arrived today and staying by the beach (another dirty one). After exploring the town with our heavy as rucksacks looking at a few rooms we have decided to pay a little more and stay in a nice hotel!! It has a TV, airconditioning plus hot water and a running toilet! We have just wandered around the French town and met some interesting people.

Travelling through South India so far has been amazing, its food, sights and people.
Well, that said, better get back to it then! Ciao.

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