We have flown from Gujarat to Chennai on the east coast and driven down to several small towns along the coast. The first town was a fishing village, Mahabalipuram, where we had some really good grilled fresh red snapper and prawns. Then we visited Pondicherry, an old French colony that had an old town with French Colonial buildings. Some good food and welcoming atmosphere. We have visited some very interesting temples and historic sites along the way and stopped in a small village with mud hut/thatched roofed homes and visited some people who offered us some fresh green coconuts full of coconut water and good coconut meat.
Our guide, Lalit has to communicate with our local driver in English because the language down here is so different. We are in Tamil Nadu and it is very different. Different language, customs, dress, food and most of the people speak really good english.
We stayed in a wonderful hotel in Tranquebar. The hotel was in a beautiful old restored colonial building on the ocean next to a Danish Fort built in the 1600s. Bungalow on the Beach - "a non- hotel hotel" Beautiful place, good people, quiet place. Many Christian churches around us and a small traditional fishing village that still shows the devastation of the Tsunami in 2004(?). That left 400 dead in this small village.
http://bungalow-on-the-beach.neemranahotels.com/
We are leaving Maduri today on our way back to the ocean and further south. We visited a huge temple here and an old palace. The men wear long or short wrap arounds. As we were taken through the old market areas, where vegetables, fish and meat were being sold, men would wave and hold their child up telling me to take their photo. Or just wave with big grins. The women were almost as friendly with me and the camera but what they really want is to say hello to Susan and ask questions or just stare and smile at her.
South India has been a really wonderful relaxed place to visit!
D & S
Our guide, Lalit has to communicate with our local driver in English because the language down here is so different. We are in Tamil Nadu and it is very different. Different language, customs, dress, food and most of the people speak really good english.
We stayed in a wonderful hotel in Tranquebar. The hotel was in a beautiful old restored colonial building on the ocean next to a Danish Fort built in the 1600s. Bungalow on the Beach - "a non- hotel hotel" Beautiful place, good people, quiet place. Many Christian churches around us and a small traditional fishing village that still shows the devastation of the Tsunami in 2004(?). That left 400 dead in this small village.
http://bungalow-on-the-beach.neemranahotels.com/
We are leaving Maduri today on our way back to the ocean and further south. We visited a huge temple here and an old palace. The men wear long or short wrap arounds. As we were taken through the old market areas, where vegetables, fish and meat were being sold, men would wave and hold their child up telling me to take their photo. Or just wave with big grins. The women were almost as friendly with me and the camera but what they really want is to say hello to Susan and ask questions or just stare and smile at her.
South India has been a really wonderful relaxed place to visit!
D & S
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