Chennai--our first day

We arrived in Chennai at 0100 AM on Tuesday, 11/21 after 16 1/2 hours of flying time plus a 4 hour layover in Frankfurt. The first thing that hit me as we left the airport was the heat and humidity, high even at 1AM. We planned today as a rest day so we had no schedule to meet and could nap and walk around, getting used to the time change (we are 10 1/2 hours ahead of the east coast).

Chennai is the Detroit of India, its primary business being manufacturing, especially automobiles. The streets in the area of town near our hotel are filled with small shops and street stalls—ironing services, fabric printing, mechanics, packaged spice carts, stalls selling fruit juices and others selling chapati and other hand snacks. Although there are many people walking, the raids are not pedestrian friendly. The sidewalks are narrow so you must walk mindfully around potholes and piles of debris, often stepping into traffic to squeeze by some large sidewalk obstruction. The traffic on our hotel street is very heavy, a mix of cars, small trucks, tuk-tuks (like a golf cart for hire), motorcycles, and scooters. Everyone uses the horn, a lot. No pedestrian crossings, just venture out when there is a slow down in the flow of traffic and wend your way across the 6 lanes.

The last time we were in India was 2010 and it was north India: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur. The first thing we noticed here was far less unsolicited touting, that is men who want to “help” you do something (for a fee) —take you on a tour, carry your luggage, drive you someplace—than we remember from Delhi. Still a few persistent tuck-tuck drivers but much more enjoyable to walk around without having to say “no”all the time.

Surprisingly, there is a Starbucks around the corner from our hotel. Yes, it’s the real deal. We also found a small grocery store and had fun checking out the variety of fruits and vegetables, spices, seeds, nuts, and sauces. Stocked up on several gallons of water. Now, a little relaxation at the pool at our hotel before dinner.Read more