Greenwoods Beach Resort Mamallapuram

... a hint of coconut flavoring. <br><br>We arrived at our hotel in Mahabalipuram, the GRT Temple Bay Beach Resort, and it looked so nice even in the darkness. It was spread out over a large area so they needed to take us and our luggage in a golf cart just to get to our room. The hotel also had two pools - one infinity pool overlooking the water and another huge pool that was said to be the largest in Asia. The Bay of Bengal was rough on the beach so they didn't really ...

Getting from point A to point B, can be the most daunting and challenging part with traveling in a foreign land so i was a bit hesitant and weary as i finally left Pondicherry to move on...it was time though.<br><br>I have no idea what i was so afraid of though, i could have not asked for things to have fallen into place with more ease and enjoyment. The first bus i happened to ask at yet another chaotic, busy bus station, was the one i ...

... he wanted to get to know me&#8230; mmmm&#8230; yep&#8230; I&#8217;m sure the two of us have a future together). It&#8217;s funny but the male reactions were the same as in Nepal. How come you&#8217;re not married? How old are you ? No way, you can&#8217;t be 33. You must be 25. You must be 18. Your face is so young! That&#8217;s impossible! Etc. I&#8217;m telling you, if you feel you&#8217;re aging, go to Nepal or India for a few ...

... demonstrating to my teacher and class of students in the woven school hut how we should go about escaping if there was a fire. Now do write this down because it might save your life: don't go for big open doorway which leads out into a big courtyard away from anything flammable - that's just too obvious - you should instead climb up the walls of the hut and hang onto the ceiling. I was so on the ball as a child. But sorry, fast forward to Mamallapuram in 2008. A small area had been ...

... new mark. I managed to take a few pictures of the scene and shake only a few hands before being ushered to sit down and join them. Whew, I need a coconut! Later, at my guest house, I asked the caretaker what the deal was with the festival. His response was, "Gypsy festival. They are gypsies. Jungle people. Come here once a year for marriage. Marriage on beach. Watch your pockets around gypsy people." So there you have it. A full explanation of the gypsy festival...

... of several different customer scenarios (none really new) which we could share with you... finding a room... .. It was mighty hot in Mamallapuram, and after doing rather well against our budgets recently we thought that we could upgrade a little on our room and find one with air conditioning. After finding a backup room with a fan (Rs200) in a nice place, we looked around for somewhere with AC. After spending time in negotiation with a hotel ...

... you as you strolled down the street. I had managed to find an affordable guesthouse soon after arriving, and although located in the busy part of town, was only a quick walk to the ocean. Early in the morning I situated myself on the rocks on the shore and sat mesmerized drinking my chai as I watched the sun rise gallantly over the ocean, extending its rays in warm welcome, encouraging the start of a new day. Nothing makes me feel smaller, or more humbled than ...

... sugar cane, wood carvings and vegetable waste. This would be routinely tossed out into the streets where the famous holy cows would devour the majority of it (surely the real reason these beasts are allowed to roam freely). Whatever was left would be swept up by the untouchables, put into carts and dumped into the nearest river, pond or creek. This practice doesn't seem to have changed much and travelling through Uttar Pradesh and the Punjab, I don't recall seeing a single pond ...

... before agreeing the price. Half way to the bus station he stopped his vehicle and asked to be allowed to take us to Mamallapuram (I had mistaken revealed what our plans were earlier on - ammunition for him) for a fee of 400 rupees. I explained that the bus was only 15 rupees and, anyway, I doubted that his tinny little contraption with its small whiny engine would make it there before the sun set. He said the bus was crowded; I said we didn't mind. He said the bus was ...