En route

En route, originally uploaded by Hilary Holt.

I woke with a feeling of slight angst, our first day of DIY travelling, wondering about the new railway timetables, and would our once week train arrive!
Instead of heading to meet out street kid friends @ the internet cafe, we went into the little temple opposite the hotel. More nightmares for me even crossing over the road, Charlie just dodges across without batting an eyelid, but I got tangled up in amongst a bunch of bikes, punctured by the odd pedestrian and oncoming buses!
In the tiny temple a puja was in process, for a family just about to set off on a pilgrimage ( by 4x4) to Kerala.
A coconut was filled with holy water, sealed with oil, cloth and various coloured powders, then put in a black sack with the kids adding a sprinkling of rice, and a few coins. The father walked round the temple three times with the sack on his head, then smashed a cocnut on the threshold and the family set off.
We piled our rucksacks into a rickshaw and headed for the station.

Kanchipuram 2

Kanchi 4, originally uploaded by Hilary Holt.

We drove into Kanchipuram to see two huge temples catching the early morning light.
Our driver managed to take us round 5 temples before lunchtime! Some are ancient and not used for worship, and others are packed with pilgrims.
At Ekambareshara there is a huge mango tree that the women walk round to find marriage and fertility, hanging little bright pink cribs in the tree. There were hundreds of young women walking round at speed, dressed in saris of all colours of the rainbow.

Kanchipuram

Kanchi
Originally uploaded by charlie holt

5am call did not get through...no phone on the end of phone line in room! Checked out @5.30, so saved paying for 1st night, this is Holt's cheapskate tours remember!
Drove to Kanchipuram at speed, driver on mobile phone avoiding cars in middle of road, normal I guess

Chennai

After what seemed like an endless journey from the airport we arrived at YWCA @ 5am.,fully intending to get up 2 hours later for breakfast. At mid day we were woken by a knock on the door! Luckily lunch ( Thail) was just being served!
We took a drive round some local sites, but the driver mistook 'Ice House' for ' Light House' and we stumbled across Marine Beach.
Thunderstorm was about to break but the fishermen were untangling their catch from the nets, while the women laid them out neatly on display.
The village is a mix of huts and semi derelict buildings, a remnant from the Tsunami. We wanted to take photos, but somehow held back.
Needless to say the storm broke and we had a free drenching running back to our car!

We're off

We're off...5am Manchester airport...thanks for the lift Byron! We arrived in Chennai at 5am the next morning. Flying over the middle east, and stopping over in Doha made me feel the world is a very big place and that I have become very eurocentric.

Off we go

Off we go, originally uploaded by Hilary Holt.

Packing!

Just checking out my birthday present from Sam... a mini video camera, and trying to e-mail straight to the blog!