Mahabalipuram

The train trundled through the countryside stopping at various stations and eventually at around 11:30 p.m. the other travellers in our area got on, just after I'd managed to fall asleep. They made a right racket sorting themselves out and as a result it was hard to get back to sleep. The air conditioning also seemed to have given me the sniffles.

After a relatively sleepless night, we arrived on time in Chennai at just after 7:00 a.m.. We negotiated the crowds and found the minibus that would take us straight to our next destination which is Mammalapuram, about 40 km south of Chennai. Fortunately we didn't get stuck in too much traffic in the city and by 8:30 we were at our hotel.

Unfortunately it wasn't possible to check in this early and so we had some breakfast at the hotel and then Ed and I went out for a wander. It's definitely far more humid where we are now on the east coast of India compared to where we've just come from and it also felt much hotter even though it was early.

After a relatively short stroll. We came back to the hotel and headed up to the pool area where some of the rest of the group were relaxing. I changed and had a swim and then we sat around chatting until just after midday when our rooms were finally ready and we were able to check in.

We had a couple of hours before meeting up to explore the town and temples and so a few of us went for a walk to get some food and something to drink.

At 3.30pm we returned to the hotel to meet our local guide to explore the sights of Mammalapuram. Our first stop, just behind the hotel, was Arjuna's Penance, a bas-relief. Essentially massive natural boulders, some of which have been carved into temples. The local tourists seemed to enjoy using the landscape as a play park, and some of the carvings were very intricate.

Next we took an auto rickshaw to see Pancha Pandava rathas, a series of carvings which represent the 5 chariots of the Pandavas which date back to the 7th century.

Finally we took the rickshaw back to the town to the Shore temple. It was only about 2km, but the traffic was very very busy and our driver weaved in and out to try and get through!

The Shore temple is, apparently, India's most photographed monument. It suits right on the shore and again is over 1,000 years old. Time and tide has taken its toll on the monument and the carvings have eroded from their former glory. Nevertheless, it was really to see how impressive it must have been in its prime.

There was a dance festival taking place near the temple but as it was now 6pm, we didn't linger and we headed back to the hotel for a shower before meeting for dinner with the group.

Dinner tonight was at a beach side restaurant overlooking the shore and, as expected, sea food was a major part of the menu. For novelty value, as much as anything else, Ed and I shared a Pomfret first which had been cooked in spices. It was really tasty!

After a final beer of the evening, at about 9.45pm we walked back to the hotel for another early night.Read more