Goa, going, gone

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Again, we had to leave Goa sometime, but unfortunately the trains didn't go when we wanted so we had to leave after just six days to get to Chennai to catch our flight. That is where we are now, in a busy city were every one seems that little bit too manic. Waiters hover over you tapping pens waiting for you to order. On one occasion the waiter slid the menus over to us, waited 5 seconds and said 'what do you want' (to read the menu-we thought)! Rickshaw drivers aren't as persistent here but we have had one follow us for about half a mile trying to tempt us with tours of the beach and city.

A funny thing did happen here though. A small world situation. We were wandering around the large shopping mall in Chennai when a face of one of the few westerners in this city caught my eye. After going back and having a second look I asked the chap if he was called Mike - he was. I checked if his second name was O'brien - again, it was. Just to triple check I asked if he'd worked at Bristol Childrens Hospital - HE HAD! The chap in question was a Radiologist I'd worked with a year or so previously at the hospital in which I'd spent the last 5 years. We had a chat and then went our separate ways - small, small world!

Anyway - we fly from Chennai airport tomorrow to Singapore where another culture, and more importantly another cuisine awaits us.

A few final notes on Chennai:-

Something we didn't mention before; while we were in Chennai it was Independance day (from the British of course). It wasn't untill we went for a walk on the beach that we realised something was going on - large groups of lads all shouting 'hello' and shaking our hands were strewn across the sands. Kiosks all over the beach selling 'tat', like Blackpool in the 1950's, were 'touting'. Later we went for lunch in a hotel and jokingly asked the waiter if we should stay off the streets that night to avoid being clubbed? Surprisingly he said yes! We decided to be optomistic and assume he didn't fully understand our question - but a little doubt remains.

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Photos

'Don't make me go'
Gill really didn't want to go and we had no piccies from Chennai (that's why it's on twice)