Mamallapuram Hotels
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Mamallapuram - Relaxing on the beach with history
Entry 11 of 23 | show all | print this entry |
NOTE : This keyboard sticks... very hard to type. Sorry for so many errors.
Well, I have been here in Mamallapuram for two nights and headed out in a few hours back to Chennai. This is a great spot on the map and it has been an excellent respite from busy, busy Chennai. By the way Chennai has about 6.5 million people so it is like a huge US city with an infrastructure supporting bikes, mopeds, motorbikes and a few cars. Just imagine some streets in Chicago packed ked with that mixture, and I mean packed! The three hour bus ride was pretty full on as the larger lady next to me took about 3/4 fo the seat and I was smashed to the open air window. Oh, and she fell asleep on me, but hey, all in a days tour of India. Only 20 rupees for a 2 or so hour ride (about 50 cents).
So, to find a beautifully clean, breezy room right on the ocean, with anew bathroom (not a squat toilet) that was sparkling clean, white sheets, with ocean view an da roof view of ocean to die for, right on the beach, for 650 rupees (about $13 US), I have been thrilled! I sit and journal on the roof and last night hung out with John, the guy studying music in Chennai, under the bright moon. It was just spectacular with the moonlight, ocean breeze and figurines of the fisherman working away on their boats in the moonlight.
Anyways, in a rush, but had to share that this spot is truly a gem and I have so loved the people I have met and the adorable, beautiful 20 children I met at the orphanage here. Very serendipitously, I chatted to a guy at the internet spot and ends up he is here for a month, on his break from a banking job in Switzerland, to support the orphanage his amazing Indian friend (who is blind) started to take in some children orphaned after the tsunami which devastated nearby areas.
I ended up at an amazing lunch of thali (mixture of 10 or so chutneys, sauces in little bowls with rice on banana leaf inthe middle and served with naan and papadoms) and the company was splendid. So it was the two volunteering Swiss guys and the amazing In Indian man and the conversation was great and they were thoroughly entertained watching my mouth catch on fire from the spice! It was absolutely delicious though! Everything here is sooooo full of flavor complexities that are to die for!
Although they don't take strangers to the orphanage, after lunch I think they realised I was "safe" to be around the kids (sad but true you have to be vigilent with anything dealing with kids to avoid disaster) and they took me that evening. I wish I had more time to write, but after I attempted to lead Shwamadee (blind Indian philanthropist/leader)up the 3 flights of windy, windy stairs, I saw the children pop out here and there. All of the sudden there were about 20 smiling faces all about 3 years to 12, coming up saying Vanekam (hello) and telling me their name. It was soooo beautiful to see all of these gorgeous children, who have been through such trauma, losing their families 2 years ago, smiling and interacting. They did some dancing and sang some songs which was so adorable. Then, we had fruit snack and said goodbye. Sitting on the rooftop, with the sun setting in the distance and t his group of adorable, prospering children despite all they had been through truly provided me with an awakening. Very fitting because, when I arrived, they placed a red dot above my head that represents that one has been awakened.
This morning I found the set of pictures under my door my new Swiss friends must have dropped off during the night. I can't wait to show you. I hope to see them one last time before I go to get the official name of the foundation he is running so I can get your support for donations if you are interested. I think I can easily do that by having you send some money to me, i you want, and I will get it to them while ile in India (money wire) or, I can give you their address, etc.... It is amazing the generosity of Shwamadee, blind himself, but giving so much to so many. In my conversations leading him, his spirit is so strong and it didn't surprise me to hear he has met and spoken with Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama.
I also visited the amazing Shore Temple and Five Rathas ruins which are a World Heritage Site. These r uins were uncovered only 6 0 years ago as they had been covered in sand. They are 1400 years old. Absolutely amazing to walk through the Shore Temple as well seeing that all of these place where chiseled out with a homemade hammer. The five Rathas , which make up 5 chariots about oh, 25 meters or more high, were all sculpted from the top down, out of one huge rock. Unbelievable, really for this to have been done so long ago by hand. In addition tothe history, the young guys, in teens and 20s, were obsessed with trying to take p[ictures of me. It is a really uneasy feeling having people sneak pictures o f you all the time with their cell phones, etc.. even families come up to me to hav ea picture taken with their son. More on this later, but it reminds me to always, as I usually do, ask a local before I take their picture. I wouldn't mind it, if I didn't feel their was such an elevated view of "westerners" like we are deities. Makes me very uneasy because the misperceptions are huge!
Off to Chennai and then to Salem to attend my first Indian wedding I feel so honored to have the opportunity to attend!
PS I am putting the pics from the orphanage up now and will put others when I can, I need a computer with DVD drive.Email me if you need my Kodak Gallery site again
PS I would love to hear from you if you have questions, or just an update. Anything! :)
PS I booked my ticket to Maldives for Feb 27th - can't even fathom the next adventure sailing yet!
More soon, Lanah & amp; amp; amp; amp; nbsp; & amp; amp; amp; amp; nbsp;
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| 11. | Mamallapuram - Relaxing on the beach with history - Mamallapuram, India Feb 07, 2007 (  1 ) |
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