day 3: I had a plan.Which is not a good idea in India.
Post the communal breakfast (which today turned out to be spicy rice, always served minus utensils around the common table by the lovely chef who speaks no English but gives large portions followed by sweet coffee and a sweet smile) I ventured out to find a auto rickshaw (tuk tuk) for a ride to St Thomas Mount.
A holy sacred place at the top of a hill overlooking the city ...the very large city....
After bartering a price my driver then proceeded to a) get lost, repeatedly and b) argue for more money continuously and c) drive with intent to throw me out into the teeming masses of Indian streets.
The Mount was a blessed relief, high up with cooling winds quiet shady spaces and the oddest prayer park I have ever seen, with statues of every animal plus santa's grotto. The site is treated with genuine reverence, the signs everywhere followed by one and all.
Then to Little Mount, the cave where St Thomas took refuge before martydom.And I decided that the perils of the Indian public bus were less than the rickshaw drivers, and at 3 rupees as opposed to 200, a whole lot cheaper!!
My dint of asking at chai stands and buying many tiffin I found the right stop, whee a friendly lady with excellent English got me on the right bus, insisted on buying my ticket (getting the inspectors attention is an art form but if you don't the fine is massive) and found a young man to help me get off again once she's gone. Which he did. Sublime to the ridiculous, people are either just lovely or, um not.
Little Mount is the most bizarre mix of giant plastic statues alongside a very moving tiny cave full of worshipping families. Surprisingly emotional if rather surreal .
Back to the tea stop for more bus enquiries. Armed with two enormous cakes and fueled by sweet chai, I jumped on the instructed bus.
Alas, this time the bus took me not to the beach I had asked for, where I would know where I was, but to another one-Elliots beach, miles away
Eliots beach was actually lovely; and I was able to walk along the sands and recuperate (and eat all my cakes, hehe)
Back on the bus and this time after 30 mins of the most crowded smelly bus yet -the missing windows do not help as the day wears on and a mass of sweaty bodies cram on and hang on to get on-I made it to Lighthouse beach at which point I could walk back.
Sunset fell over the Lighthouse as the Chennai crowds enjoy the tradtional seaside pastimes. I limped home exhausted to relish a long hot (yes, hurrah, its hit and miss but today it was hot) shower and nurse my blisters, mossie bites and sunburn. And look back over a day of adventures and experiences so a day well spent. ...
Post the communal breakfast (which today turned out to be spicy rice, always served minus utensils around the common table by the lovely chef who speaks no English but gives large portions followed by sweet coffee and a sweet smile) I ventured out to find a auto rickshaw (tuk tuk) for a ride to St Thomas Mount.
A holy sacred place at the top of a hill overlooking the city ...the very large city....
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| Chennai from St Thomas' Mount |
The Mount was a blessed relief, high up with cooling winds quiet shady spaces and the oddest prayer park I have ever seen, with statues of every animal plus santa's grotto. The site is treated with genuine reverence, the signs everywhere followed by one and all.
Then to Little Mount, the cave where St Thomas took refuge before martydom.And I decided that the perils of the Indian public bus were less than the rickshaw drivers, and at 3 rupees as opposed to 200, a whole lot cheaper!!
My dint of asking at chai stands and buying many tiffin I found the right stop, whee a friendly lady with excellent English got me on the right bus, insisted on buying my ticket (getting the inspectors attention is an art form but if you don't the fine is massive) and found a young man to help me get off again once she's gone. Which he did. Sublime to the ridiculous, people are either just lovely or, um not.
Little Mount is the most bizarre mix of giant plastic statues alongside a very moving tiny cave full of worshipping families. Surprisingly emotional if rather surreal .
Back to the tea stop for more bus enquiries. Armed with two enormous cakes and fueled by sweet chai, I jumped on the instructed bus.
Alas, this time the bus took me not to the beach I had asked for, where I would know where I was, but to another one-Elliots beach, miles away
Eliots beach was actually lovely; and I was able to walk along the sands and recuperate (and eat all my cakes, hehe)
 |
| Eliots Beach |
Sunset fell over the Lighthouse as the Chennai crowds enjoy the tradtional seaside pastimes. I limped home exhausted to relish a long hot (yes, hurrah, its hit and miss but today it was hot) shower and nurse my blisters, mossie bites and sunburn. And look back over a day of adventures and experiences so a day well spent. ...
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