The city of Chennai doesn't have much to offer for tourists, so I was excited when the hotel suggested some attractions outside the city to fill up my weekend. Within hours of expressing interest, I was presented with an elaborate 8-hour itinerary, involving a wide variety of activities. Two of the guys from the local team also offered to join me so I wouldn't have to spend the entire day alone, which was a nice gesture.
We then stopped for lunch at the Taj Fisherman's Cove hotel. If I ever had to live in Chennai, I would probably spend every weekend at this resort. From the swim-up bar in the middle of the pool to the thatched umbrellas in the al fresco restaurant, I felt more like I was in the Caribbean.
The atmosphere transported me right back to India when I noticed two people staffed in the restaurant with the sole responsibility of scaring away the crows with this heavy pad and bamboo bat. It's a pretty important job, but how many other places would actually hire people to do it? Gotta love India!
After lunch, we finally made it to the main site that I was looking forward to: Mahabalipuram. This UNESCO world heritage site is filled with temples and sculptures and is (rightfully) filled with tourists. I could tell that everything was filled with history, but there were no tour guides or signs to help provide any information. So, instead of learning about the temples, we just climbed around on the rocks and took some cool pictures.
Before I even talk about the trip, I need to make mention of my car, which was the ultimate in luxury. The passenger area was completely blocked off from the driver (although we could communicate via intercom) and there was a TV screen that showed the view from a camera mounted on the dashboard. There were also about 10 controls to adjust the seat, a DVD player, CD player, drink cooler...you name it. I felt pretty important.
Our first stop was a place called Dhakshin Chitra, which is a cultural center with models of various south Indian homes. I'm not usually a big fan of museum-type places, but this interactive atmosphere helped me to see how people live without just looking at a bunch of pictures and artifacts. My main observation: all of the ceilings are so low! If I lived here, I would be a hunchback for sure.
Throughout the grounds, there are lots of people doing various crafts, such as glassblowing, music performances, and making textiles. I have no interest in purchasing any of these homemade art projects but the salesmen were not pushy at all, which was a nice bonus.
Our next stop was at a nearby boathouse for a little ride around the river (at least I think it was a river). The experience wasn't nearly as fun as the trip on my brother's boat a few weeks ago, but it's always nice to be out on the water.
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| Who needs a window when you have a tv monitor? |
Our first stop was a place called Dhakshin Chitra, which is a cultural center with models of various south Indian homes. I'm not usually a big fan of museum-type places, but this interactive atmosphere helped me to see how people live without just looking at a bunch of pictures and artifacts. My main observation: all of the ceilings are so low! If I lived here, I would be a hunchback for sure.
Throughout the grounds, there are lots of people doing various crafts, such as glassblowing, music performances, and making textiles. I have no interest in purchasing any of these homemade art projects but the salesmen were not pushy at all, which was a nice bonus.
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| Whatever was happening here is a slow process |
Our next stop was at a nearby boathouse for a little ride around the river (at least I think it was a river). The experience wasn't nearly as fun as the trip on my brother's boat a few weeks ago, but it's always nice to be out on the water.
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| safety first! |
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| I love this picture because of the guys in the background |
We then stopped for lunch at the Taj Fisherman's Cove hotel. If I ever had to live in Chennai, I would probably spend every weekend at this resort. From the swim-up bar in the middle of the pool to the thatched umbrellas in the al fresco restaurant, I felt more like I was in the Caribbean.
The atmosphere transported me right back to India when I noticed two people staffed in the restaurant with the sole responsibility of scaring away the crows with this heavy pad and bamboo bat. It's a pretty important job, but how many other places would actually hire people to do it? Gotta love India!
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| This guy loves his job |
After lunch, we finally made it to the main site that I was looking forward to: Mahabalipuram. This UNESCO world heritage site is filled with temples and sculptures and is (rightfully) filled with tourists. I could tell that everything was filled with history, but there were no tour guides or signs to help provide any information. So, instead of learning about the temples, we just climbed around on the rocks and took some cool pictures.
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| Here's one of the elaborately-carved temples |
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| We had to get at least one group shot. |
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| Another view of the temples |
I am always amused by the farm animals on the streets of India and this city seemed to be full of them. Random pigs running across the grass, cute little goats just climbing on the rocks, or bony cows chilling near the temples. There's no need to go to the zoo in India because the zoo surrounds you!
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| Here's one of my new friends eating a snack on the rocks. |
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| I love this picture because it's such a good depiction of India |
Climbing on the rocks was a lot of fun - even though I was wearing flip flops that didn't have the best grips. By this point in the day, we were all totally sweaty and smelled gross, so I just stopped caring. The view from the top of the rocks was a stunning reminder of just how lucky I am to be visiting such unique destinations and meeting such nice people around the world.
We returned to the hotel just in time to beat the rain and I was totally satisfied by the day's activities. I would have been so bored just sitting in the hotel streaming Hulu and it was nice to talk to the guys from the local Finance team on a more casual level.
Just one more week in Chennai and I will finally be heading to my next Indian destination. It's great how just one day out of the city can re-energize me for the week ahead.
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