A Drive in the South India Countryside
Aug 19, 2001
A Drive in the South India Countryside
This is the second time I have composed this.
Somehow the connection at this hotel comes and goes. It
"went" just as I was sending what I previous wrote
before dinner.
To see a collection of photos for my time in Chennai go to:
https://wanderingalan.smugmug.com/organize/2001WorldTrip/2001Chennai
This morning started with the usual trip to an ATM
machine to be sure I had enough money for the day.
At 10:00 am a car arrived to take Bhad, his cousin
and I out into the countryside south of Chennai to visit
some spots recommended by Murli (CPSI friend) and
Prakash.
As we drove through the countryside I once again
experience the variety of driving techniques used in
India that would be devastating in the U.S. if
tried.
Horns are used here to say many things, often.
"Here I am, watch out."
"Here I am, WATCH OUT YOU!"
"I am coming by you, beware." etc.
I discovered what a "road inspector" or "brake
tester" is: a cow or bull wandering along or across any road
at any time.
Along the route we passed several weekend or holiday
homes that sit on 5, 10, 20 or more acres of land
surrounded on their borders by 4 to 6 ft high
concrete and natural stone walls. The ground is completely
yellow sand with scattered trees and shrubs.
The houses along the road outside of Chennai are
often thatch and palm frond and mud wall structures.
Before we arrived at our first destination we
arrived at a waterworks park that was located on both sides
of the highway, very large park. Then we came upon
DIZZY WORLD", that is MGM Dizzy World. The front consists
of huge plastic cartoon faces and characters (no MM
or DD or Goofy) The hotel connected to Dizzy World is
a Quality Inn though.
Our first real stop was at Dakshira Chitra: South
India Hertiage site. It consists of housing and
environments from the 4 southern India states. It
was mastered planned by architect Laurie Baker. He has
worked as an architect in India for over 40 years.
The site is laid out by state and consists of
representative homes of various sizes: potterers,
weavers, merchants, cow buildings and other out
buildings. The site has been beautifully built and
would take many hours or days to truly enjoy all the
excellent displays and buildings and festivities
that they put on each day. A few groups of school
children in their uniforms were being toured around by tour
guides. They were definitely having a great time.
Then it was onto Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) the
site of several temples, vast amounts of stone carvings
and extremely unique rock formations. One of the
formations consists of a gigantic spherical rock at
least 20 to 25 feet in diameter simply just sitting
on a sloped rock area. We climbed around it up steep
slopes to view various temples and carvings
including one 7 or 8 stories high from where you could see the
sea and the entire area.
Once we climbed down and found our car again off to
the beach driving by stall after stall after stall
of master rock carvers. There were over one hundred
separate carving stalls. Many just selling carvings
while others were stone carving/cutting shops.
The beach had many people on it, horses, tiny stalls
consisting of small tents and women or men selling
various things. The water is not recommended for
swimming because the waves are very rough. It was
great to see so many families and various
combinations of friends enjoying their Sunday on the beach.
Then it was back to the Severa Hotel for rest and
relaxation and dinner in the Minera restaurant on
the roof of the hotel. Prakash recommended it as the
finest in Chennai.
I just finished a dinner of
Shebnam Tarnum (veggies in sauce with cashews and
mushrooms)
Malai Seekh Kebab (lamb--delicously cooked)
Roti - bread very soft and tasty
Rasun Ka Shah - not sure what that was bottled water
whiskey sour (first in 25+ years) tasted great
vanilla ice cream
and a dish of after dinner digestive aids. By mistake I thought
they sprinkling things for the ice creams. One
tasted a little strange on ice creams. One of them was
rock crystal sugar.
All that in an extremely beautiful dark red, dark
with accents of candlelight on the tables room with two
walls of windows looking down upon the lights of
Chennai and two walls of mirrors all lightly
trellised by wood lattice work over each.
After dinner I returned to the roof top area
adjacent to the restaurant to enjoy the sites below and
watched fireworks several k's away on the horizon.
A highly fun and sensory day. My meal alone
involved every sense.
To top that off was the wonderful warm service by
all the wait staff, maitre de and host.
Good night friends from
Wandering Alan
A Drive in the South India Countryside
This is the second time I have composed this.
Somehow the connection at this hotel comes and goes. It
"went" just as I was sending what I previous wrote
before dinner.
To see a collection of photos for my time in Chennai go to:
https://wanderingalan.smugmug.com/organize/2001WorldTrip/2001Chennai
This morning started with the usual trip to an ATM
machine to be sure I had enough money for the day.
At 10:00 am a car arrived to take Bhad, his cousin
and I out into the countryside south of Chennai to visit
some spots recommended by Murli (CPSI friend) and
Prakash.
As we drove through the countryside I once again
experience the variety of driving techniques used in
India that would be devastating in the U.S. if
tried.
Horns are used here to say many things, often.
"Here I am, watch out."
"Here I am, WATCH OUT YOU!"
"I am coming by you, beware." etc.
I discovered what a "road inspector" or "brake
tester" is: a cow or bull wandering along or across any road
at any time.
Along the route we passed several weekend or holiday
homes that sit on 5, 10, 20 or more acres of land
surrounded on their borders by 4 to 6 ft high
concrete and natural stone walls. The ground is completely
yellow sand with scattered trees and shrubs.
The houses along the road outside of Chennai are
often thatch and palm frond and mud wall structures.
Before we arrived at our first destination we
arrived at a waterworks park that was located on both sides
of the highway, very large park. Then we came upon
DIZZY WORLD", that is MGM Dizzy World. The front consists
of huge plastic cartoon faces and characters (no MM
or DD or Goofy) The hotel connected to Dizzy World is
a Quality Inn though.
Our first real stop was at Dakshira Chitra: South
India Hertiage site. It consists of housing and
environments from the 4 southern India states. It
was mastered planned by architect Laurie Baker. He has
worked as an architect in India for over 40 years.
The site is laid out by state and consists of
representative homes of various sizes: potterers,
weavers, merchants, cow buildings and other out
buildings. The site has been beautifully built and
would take many hours or days to truly enjoy all the
excellent displays and buildings and festivities
that they put on each day. A few groups of school
children in their uniforms were being toured around by tour
guides. They were definitely having a great time.
Then it was onto Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) the
site of several temples, vast amounts of stone carvings
and extremely unique rock formations. One of the
formations consists of a gigantic spherical rock at
least 20 to 25 feet in diameter simply just sitting
on a sloped rock area. We climbed around it up steep
slopes to view various temples and carvings
including one 7 or 8 stories high from where you could see the
sea and the entire area.
Once we climbed down and found our car again off to
the beach driving by stall after stall after stall
of master rock carvers. There were over one hundred
separate carving stalls. Many just selling carvings
while others were stone carving/cutting shops.
The beach had many people on it, horses, tiny stalls
consisting of small tents and women or men selling
various things. The water is not recommended for
swimming because the waves are very rough. It was
great to see so many families and various
combinations of friends enjoying their Sunday on the beach.
Then it was back to the Severa Hotel for rest and
relaxation and dinner in the Minera restaurant on
the roof of the hotel. Prakash recommended it as the
finest in Chennai.
I just finished a dinner of
Shebnam Tarnum (veggies in sauce with cashews and
mushrooms)
Malai Seekh Kebab (lamb--delicously cooked)
Roti - bread very soft and tasty
Rasun Ka Shah - not sure what that was bottled water
whiskey sour (first in 25+ years) tasted great
vanilla ice cream
and a dish of after dinner digestive aids. By mistake I thought
they sprinkling things for the ice creams. One
tasted a little strange on ice creams. One of them was
rock crystal sugar.
All that in an extremely beautiful dark red, dark
with accents of candlelight on the tables room with two
walls of windows looking down upon the lights of
Chennai and two walls of mirrors all lightly
trellised by wood lattice work over each.
After dinner I returned to the roof top area
adjacent to the restaurant to enjoy the sites below and
watched fireworks several k's away on the horizon.
A highly fun and sensory day. My meal alone
involved every sense.
To top that off was the wonderful warm service by
all the wait staff, maitre de and host.
Good night friends from
Wandering Alan
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