Hotel Sangam Tiruchirappalli

... baggage was unloaded before it could even reach their owners, into a large pile, making it harder to get to. There was another, bigger reclaim belt being built even then, so there was obviously expansion and room to grow... We got thoroughly checked at passport control, and they were not too happy about the fact that we didn't have an address they can contact us on during our stay, but we managed to explain that we are backpacking and that's just the way the world works. <br><br>As ...

... and that was very noticeable here, so this was a great privilege, as few non-Hindus come here. I obtained a special pass to join a &#8216;fast&#8217; queue for the temple, as it would&#8217;ve been an extremely long wait in the normal one (8 hours isn&#8217;t uncommon!). I paid 100 rupees for the privilege, depositing my shoes and camera at various lockers, before walking down an avenue/pathway of overarching veburnum (blue flowers) &amp; bougainvillea, which formed ...

... a much bigger route along this eastern coast.<br><br>Puducherry<br><br>I&#8217 ;d set my alarm as I settled down in my sleeper, but I was always concerned that I might oversleep on the destinations that weren&#8217;t final ones on the journey! So when I woke to find that I&#8217;d overslept by 20 mins and found us stopped, I panicked thinking we were already at the station. Desperately trying to unlock my padlocks (necessary to ensure your luggage is still with you when you wake up ...

So Mamallapuram scared the s**t out of me and despite being reduced to tears by a &#8216;man&#8217; who insisted on following me until I had to scream (not in my nature) Pondi rejuvenated me. Pondi also reminded me that sometimes it&#8217;s more fun to share the experience and to trust my guts again&#8230; So far they haven&#8217;t let me down! Thus&#8230;. sharing a room with Albert ...

... like a champion, it was a good day on the road. Once in Trichy i ate noodles at the Banana Leaf restaurant and checked into the Tamil Nadu Hotel which was in the junction and over-priced but i couldn't be bothered trekking around with my pack on. The ladies in the restaurant were so fascinated by my clothes and sunglasses that they sat at the table and watched me eat. The next night they asked me to take their photograph and then everyone elses, the waiters ...

... at different times of the year. Madurai is the biggest and baddest of these pilgrimage cities, it was as we imagined. Indians everywhere being Indians, it is hard to describe unless you see it. Most Indians are very dark and slender in these parts, mostly wearing their traditional wrap, many barefoot and shirtless. All kinds of transportation swarms around inadequately planned cities creating a circus like frenzy and pace. There are stories of tourists who go ...

... in the pleasing company of colourful Nilgiri song birds. A great feeling to have the road all to ourselves. Not a vehicle or human being passed us by in the entire 8km going up. <br><br> <br><br> The bones of a hapless sambar lay scattered by the roadside, along with a big clump of fur laden scat and large sized pug marks nearby - mute testimony to a tigers kill. On our previous visit a year ago, the valve house road had been destroyed in a ...

... David Burges, corralled the "older kids" and told us to get dressed. He took us out the back door to the hotel, and before we knew it, we were out on the beach boardwalk, celebrating along side thousands and thousands of fellow Indians. There were about 10 of us in a group, and we all stuck together, which probably wasn't the smartest idea after all. Soon, we had been encircled by hundreds of drunken Indian men, (who weren't being violent, just friendly.) Either way ...

Greetings from Gangakondacholapuram (try to say that a couple of times). We would like to tell you about the Tamil Nadu Head Wobble. When you ask a question, a person from Tamil Nadu will wobble his head. A bit like those little statues that some people have in the back of their car that move their head when the car moves. The problem is that the wobble can mean "yes" or "no". Sometimes it can even mean "maybe" or "I understand you". Often we ...