15/2/10 Kollum to Trichy (Monday)

We woke up and got showered and Liz went to see what time was check out. The receptionist kept asking the room number which seemed irrelevent but then he announced that we owed another nights money as the rate was for twenty four hours and therefore we needed to have checked out by 5am!!!! We hadn't been told that the nioght before as we'd have thought twice about checking in so Liz said there was no way we would be paying more money and we would leave straight away. She said that it was a really dirty room and we shouldn't have paid at all then she went back to tell Phil the news. We packed up quickly and then walked out leaving our key at reception. The receptionist shouted after us that we owed him money to which we replied again that we wouldn't be paying any more to which he responded that we were cheats !!!! We left to go to the station safe in the knowlege that the hotel must do that to many tourists who are unaware of their policy as we were. We went straight to the station not wanting to hang around any longer and bumped into the Canadian couple. They were on the same train as us and so we waited with them. We boarded the train for the few hours ride to Trichy where we going to see more temples. W ehadn't been able to get seats together for the journey but we sat together til the train pulled off as the other passengers arrived. Liz went to her seat and listened to her music and watched the view. Phil had to put his luggage on the top bed as the other passengers in the berth hadn't left any room. we were sitting in 3 seater sleepers which are seats for three or three beds that fold down.Each passenger is allocated a seat position and a corresponding bed. The passengers can then chose to lie down or sit but its more awkward for the person at the bottom as he has to move the others from the window view seat that everyone shares. Anyway the lads on Phils seat decided they'd like to lie down so Phil needed to move his things. As there was nowhere else to put them he put them all on the seat next to him meaning they could no longer sitr down. They didn't like that very much and were grumbling but it was actually Phils bed and he could have laid down and made them move at any time so it was a bit tough. They all got onto their beds and slept so Liz moved and squeezed next to Phil for the rest of the journey. We arrived at Trichy at 2.30, checked into a nice clean hotel near the us station and went to catch a bus to see the temples. We only had the rest of the day to see Trichy as we were going to Tanjore the next day to see the temple there too. We found the right bus and climbed on for another crazy ride to the Rock Fort Temple a few kms away. We got off the bus as instructed by the ticket man opposite a very nice Lourdes Cathedral and below the high rock temple. It was 437 steps to the top but we were really hot and couldn't summon the enthusiasm to climb up there especially as non Hindus aren't allowed in once up there. We decided to get something to eat and called into the Banana Leaf restaurant but their extensive menu of 500 things only had about ten available. We chose a few available snacks and ate them up before catching the bus through to see Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple a further few kms. When we arrived there we could see the decorated gopurams above the buildings. It is in six layers and has been dated to the tenth century. The main gat gopuram was only finished in 1987 and is 73m tall. The complex has seven concentric walls and 21 gopurams and covers an area probably the largest in India. The outer wall contain poor beggars and the second chettiar traders and financiers, the third Brahmins and the forth is where the ticket kiosk is. We bought a ticket to go up to a viewpoint which wasnt too high up but the view was nice across the gopurams. In the centre is a golden topped sanctum only accessible for Hindus but we walked round most of it. Phil got clobbered for a camera fee after taking a couple of pictures without a ticket. we caught the bus back into Trichy as it was nearing sunset and the journey was the usual madness, horns, overtaking, swerving and generally really dodgy driving. We went to find an internet place hoping for more luck with photos but none of them were open late. Phil managed to upload and then download the photos although it was painfully slow so he didn't get much done. After the internet shut having stayed open a bit longer for Phil we went to have a drink in a nearby hotel that had a bar. We got there at ten but were told the bar was shut!!! we walked back to our hotel and spotted another bar which was open. It was dark inside with only men having whiskey but at least we could get a cold beer there. We had the beer then went to bed.