Southern India - 19 February 2012

Journey Home

I woke up and looked at my alarm clock.  It said 0450, so I decided to wait until 0510.  I woke up and looked again: 0520.  Whoops!  I dashed to the bathroom and showered.   We hadn’t had our wake up call, so I looked at the alarm clock again: 0450.  Oh dear!  I’d got up nearly an hour early!  So I did as much as I could in the bathroom until Jen woke up too.

By a miracle, everything got in my rucksack with no problem and it wasn’t heavy at all.

Guruprasad, Harish and Jen

It was still dark and very misty as we made our way to reception.  Trails in the gravel indicated that we were not the first and when we got to reception, some people were already waiting.  I gave my rucksack to Harish and then took a photo of him and Guruprasad with Jen.

We were still waiting for some people when we saw Bella and Steve emerging from the mist.  So we all had some more goodbye hugs and then got on the bus.  It all took some time, but at last everyone was present all the goodbyes had been said and everyone who needed to be on the bus was actually on the bus.  Then someone dashed up from reception and said that there was a query the bill on room 315.  None of us had stayed in room 315, in fact none of us had stayed on that side of the pool, but it took a while before Lukose managed to get him to understand that.  He told Guruprasad to hurry and then we were off.

At first the journey was fast, but then we got caught up in the traffic of outer Chennai.  At least it was a Sunday and not the rush hour.  One delay was caused by a car which had had a tyre blow out.  It was parked at a jaunty angle and stuck out into the road.

At long last, we arrived at the airport bang on 0715.  There was no time to lose.  Lukose said that we had to be there by then to ensure that our luggage got checked through all the way to Heathrow.  With a very short turnaround in Mumbai, we couldn’t afford to go through all the trouble of luggage carousels and multiple bag scans.  I was in a particular hurry because I wanted an aisle seat from Mumbai to Heathrow to avoid feeling trapped like before.  Jen and I grabbed our bags and dashed off.

Unfortunately, that meant that we missed the presentation to Guruprasad and Harish and saying goodbye to Lukose, which was a real shame.  It also meant that we missed the final baggage security scan, so after checking in and getting my aisle seat, I had to put my rucksack through the scan and then queue again to check that in.  Despite the delay, they said it would be checked straight through.  There was a very helpful man at the check in desk on my second visit.  He made sure that I had the necessary hand luggage tags for the security scan and an emigration form for Mumbai.

Jen and I were the last ones through security, so we missed saying goodbye to Sue and Martin who were off for another Explore tour in Northern India.  Jen had got particularly friendly with them during the trip.  I filled in the emigration form with Shona and Stewart and then went upstairs to sit with the others at the gate.  I chatted to a friendly Indian doctor, who said that she lived in a nice town in Gujarat, which was said to be the City of Flowers.

The flight to Mumbai set off a bit late, but made up time and arrived early.  I had a Southern Indian veggie breakfast, which wasn’t very nice at all.  But the coffee was good.

I was in the second to back row, so was the third person out the back door when we landed.  When the bus reached the terminal, we were directed to gate A.  The procedure wasn’t clear, but I noticed a desk with a sign saying that we needed to stop there to get tickets for the bus to the International Airport, so we didn’t have to go back that time.  Despite the board looking as if there were about 200 passengers ahead of us in the queue for the bus, we were waved through as soon as our boarding passes had been checked.  Then there was another hand baggage security check before we got on the bus, followed by a long wait on the bus until it was full.

In the International airport, we went through customs and immigration and then yet another security check.  Finally, we were through with enough time for shopping in duty free.  I found a decent clean toilet with friendly attendants, where I got changed into leggings and boots and put on a vest, ready for the UK.  When I reached the gate, we were already boarding.

The holiday continued until we reached Heathrow as all six of us single girls were sitting together.  Mike, Shona and Stewart, Kairan and Laurie were scattered elsewhere.

I think we all agreed that it had been a wonderful holiday.  There had been very few complaints, except the hotel in Mysore, and we had all got along well.  Lukose, Guruprasad and Harish had been brilliant and had made the journey go very smoothly.  Thank you to all of them.

Southern India - 18 February 2012 (4)

Dinner in Mamallapuram

We all met up at 1830, dressed in our best for our last meal together.  I wore the top I had bought that morning.  After a few photos, we got on the bus and headed for the Moonraker restaurant in the centre of town.  Lukose said that it was owned by two brothers and they were doing very well.  Someone, possibly Bella, said that it was in the guidebooks and highly recommended.  They gave us one long table and a smaller table where Jen, Mike, Andrew, Sue and Martin sat with Lukose.

Most people on our table ordered the mixed fish: tuna steak, prawns and calamari with rice.  Shona and Stewart ordered just the tuna, but got a huge fish complete with head and tail, but not much meat.  I don’t think it was tuna.  I got a veggie masala, which, I was told, would be hot like the crisps.  It tasted very nice, but wasn’t hot by any means.  Almost everyone ordered beer and it flowed, with bottles being replaced long before the food was ready.  I think most people had downed a couple of bottles before my fresh lime soda and Bella’s tonic water arrived.  At one point in the proceedings, the waiters brought round cups and told people to pour the beer in them and then collected the bottles.  Apparently this was a dry area and they feared a police raid.

It was an even longer wait for the food, so Bella and Diane disappeared to a nearby shop for some last minute shopping.  They came back just as the food arrived and said that they had ordered some outfits which would be ready the next day.  Bella and Steve weren’t going back to the UK with us, so the plan was for Bella to pick up the completed outfits and send Diane’s on via a relation or friend who lived near Diane.

Towards the end of the meal, Diane gave Lukose the card and the tip and said some words.  She had wanted everyone to say something in appreciation of everything which Lukose had done and lots of people did say a few words.  I couldn’t think of anything new to say, so I kept quiet, but I did appreciate all his hard work.  Another envelope went round for an extra tip for Guruprasad as he had taken us out for the evening, above and beyond what he had been required to do.  Lukose suggested Rs200 and most of us were happy to contribute that.

The fun came with the bills.  I wanted my own bill as I had only had a veggie dish and the fresh lime soda.  Shona and Stewart had a separate bill for their fish and Pam and Reg also wanted their own bill as they said they had only had one bottle of beer and they had seen how much most of the others had drunk.  The others shared the rest of the bill.  I went downstairs to pay my bill, which came to Rs180.  I gave a waiter Rs20 as a tip and he happily stuffed it into the tip box, declaring that they all shared.  Apparently the others all paid Rs750.  By Southern India standards, that sounds a lot, but it was only £10.

Toad in Hotel Garden

Then it was time to get back on the bus and head for home.  While I was waiting for the others to come, I got a photo of Guruprasad, leaning out of his bus.

Back at the hotel, we said goodbye to Andrew, Reg and Pam.  Bella and Steve promised to get up and see us off the next morning.  Andrew escorted Jen and me back to the chalet.  On the way, Jen spotted a toad in one of the gardens.  Then we said goodbye again and went in for an early night.

Southern India - 18 February 2012 (3)

Sightseeing in Mamallapuram (2)

Ramanuja Cave Temple

Girls Outside Ramanuja Cave Temple

I continued chasing the group and nearly caught them at the Ramanuja Cave Temple.  This time, I was besieged by a large group of schoolgirls wanting their photos taken.  Once again, I missed the temple and hurried off to find the group.  I walked past the new lighthouse and considered climbing up to the old lighthouse, but was far too hot to bother.  I caught up with Bella, who was watching two macaques grooming each other, and we eventually met up with the rest of the group at the Mahishasuramardini Cave Temple.

Macaques Grooming

Old Lighthouse

This was just down from the bas relief we had seen yesterday, so we knew we had reached the end of our tour.  An ice-cream salesman had parked his cart on the pavement outside the gate, so we all bought one.  It was really nice to have something cool in all that heat.

New Lighthouse

We split up and I headed off to find an internet café.  I got lucky fairly quickly and, once again, it cost only Rs15.  Coming out, I saw a nice top on display outside a shop, so I went inside.  I ended up buying a top and a silk scarf for Rs900.  I probably should have haggled more, but time was running out.

Mahishasuramardini Cave Temple

Then I headed back to the bus, making a quick stop to buy some Magic Massala crisps and mango juice for lunch on the way.  Most of the others were already waiting for the bus, but Mike decided to go back to get some provisions too, so we had a short wait until everyone was assembled.

Panel, Mahishasuramardini Cave Temple

Back at the hotel, I had a quick shower and then dashed back to the pool to while away the afternoon.  When I got there, a group of guys were having a water polo match.  It was quite boisterous and effectively closed the pool off to other residents.  So I found a lounger near Mike and moved it into the shade in full view of the pool attendant.  We thought it amusing that his job was to save us from exerting ourselves by laying the towels out on the sunlounger, but didn’t include helping us move the loungers, which were really quite heavy.  While I was waiting for my turn in the pool, I munched my crisps and read.

Mike went off to the beach but Steve and Bella and then Diane joined me.  I went for a swim and chatted to a French lady who we had seen the day before.  She was in India for business and had been working in Pondicherry.  She had extended her trip and had brought her children with her.  They all looked so fashionable and I felt so frumpy, that I resolved to add my tankinis to the pile of unwanted clothes I would leave behind.  Although I had been a bit fed up at finding us in an expensive, remote resort when we arrived, I found myself enjoying the final, relaxing afternoon by the pool.

Back in the room, I started packing.  With so few clothes to take back to the UK, I found it difficult to work out where to put the more fragile items in my rucksack.  Jen came back after I’d had my shower and then I had a spare hour, so sat on my bed and read.

Southern India - 18 February 2012 (2)

Sightseeing in Mamallapuram (1)

Goats on Temple Roof

Ganesha Ratha

We met Lukose at 0900 to go into town and he gave us all a present.  Not everyone came with us: Chris, Pat, Shona and Stewart, Kairan and Laurie stayed behind or made their own way into town along the beach.

Krishna's Butterball

Trimurthi Cave Temple

Once in town, Lukose left us to our own devices and gave us the time to get back on the bus.  We headed for the bas relief we saw yesterday and then set off to explore the sites on the hill behind.  Jen had a map and a write up of all the sites, so she assumed the role of tour guide for the morning.  By now, our herding instinct was sufficiently developed that we all stuck together – apart from Diane and someone else, who decided to go shopping.

We made our way round the various monuments littered all over the hill.  We walked past the Ganesha Ratha and almost ignored Krishna’s Butterball, a lump of granite balanced precariously on the granite slope.

Lingam, Trimurthi Cave Temple

Trainee Engineers

After a while, I started to feel a bit like Marty Feldman in the sketch about a coach trip, where he keeps missing the coach and running after it, crying “Wait for me! Wait for me!”  It started at the Trimurti cave temple.  I fell behind the group because I waited for people to move on to get clear views for my photos.  Then I went the wrong way and came across a group of friendly young students.  It was only polite to stop and chat a while and take the usual group photo.  They were training as engineers and had completed two years of a three year course.  They asked if there were any nice young single women in our group, but I had to disappoint them.

Carving, Kotikal Cave Temple

Fortune Telling Parrot

I walked on to the Kotical Mandapa, just as the others were leaving it.  After a quick photo, I dashed after them and had almost caught up, when a man walked up with a parrot and sat down on the ground.  I can’t resist a parrot, whether wild or tame, so I stood and watched.  The parrot was trained to go through a pack of thin parcels and pull one out.  So I inadvertently found that I was having my fortune told by a parrot – and getting ripped off in the process!  I don’t remember what my fortune is – probably something bland and non-committal as ever – but I do remember having the parrot sit on my hand.  I was determined to get my money’s worth and we got on very well, to the extent that the old man started to get twitchy.  Perhaps he thought I would try to run off with my new friend or perhaps I was just stopping him from finding any more gullible tourists.

My New Friend

Varaha Cave Temple

A young guy took our photo, then, as I started to walk away, tried to sell me some tiny trinkets.  I said I had to hurry to rejoin my group, so he led me towards them as he had seen where they were heading.  He offered to show me round when I next came to India – and added that he was good at the Kama Sutra.  I was so glad to see Mike, who was taking photos of the Rayar Gopuram.  I asked him to act as if we were an item, which soon shook off my escort.

Rayar Gopuram

Rayar Gopuram

 

Southern India - 18 February 2012 (1)

A Visitor

I enjoyed a lie in on our last day in India.  We had a leisurely breakfast and then I went back to Diane’s room as I was the only person not to have signed Lukose’s “Thank you” card.

When I got back to our room, Jen said that we had a visitor.  She took me through to the bathroom and told me to look out of the door (which had a clear pane of glass).  I looked into the walled off outside shower area and saw, in the plants around the edge, a small ground squirrel.  He must have fallen in there during the night or while we were at breakfast and couldn’t get out.  With the typical squirrel ingenuity which enables them to break into the most impenetrable bird feeders, he had worked out that he needed to jump onto the shower tap and then try to leap up onto the shower head to make his escape.  Unfortunately, the shower head was just too high for him and he kept falling back to the ground.  We needed to help him get up there.

Our Visitor

It was at this point that the hotel dressing gown came into its own.  With me providing cover to prevent the squirrel getting into our room, Jen took it outside and looped one of the arms over the shower head.  The dressing gown reached down to the tap.  She withdrew back into the bathroom and we watched and waited.

There had been no need for me to take my position, because as soon as the back door opened, the squirrel hid in the plants.  It took a long time before he felt safe enough to venture out again.  Then he started throwing himself against the bathroom door, which Jen said he had been doing earlier which made her notice him.  He soon saw the futility of that and then tried a jump onto the shower tap.  We held our breath.  He sniffed at the dressing gown, tried climbing it – and jumped back down again.

Then he tried again.  He jumped on the tap and started to climb the dressing gown.  He made the shower head and leapt.  His front paws reached the top of the wall and his back legs scrabbled to make purchase.   Then he was up on the top, free at last.  We cheered.