17/4/2011

Jumped off the train early doors at Chengalpattu where I was greeted by an awesome scene. Walking over the platform bridge, there were dozens of tiny fishing boats on a huge lake with the backdrop of mountains and the sun creeping up behind causing a beautiful blend of colours across the water.

Couldn't stand and stare for too long though, as I had an epic journey still ahead and lots to see. Something else with Indians, they just urinate or spit or whatever on the sides of the roads and street which often contibutes to the pungent scents in the cities. And on this day, I unfortunately had to join the party as I was desperate, and leaked alongside hundreds of passers-by. They hardly bat an eyelid.

Dived on a bus to Mamallapuram where a religious guy came on the buses wofting scents from a burning fragrance in some sort of ritual or blessing and was actually quite nice minus the smoke.

On the ride, it wasn't what I expected travelling through beautiful countryside and seeing plenty of small outback communities and more interestingly, the cattle with multi-coloured-painted horns to identify them and one guy riding a bicycle with an enormous bag of crisps and other goodies balanced on the back. By enormous I mean about the size of a really fat person as it was squished out either side of the bike!

In Mamallapuram, a cheeky mango juice stop with my tuctuc driver to get some change before I visited the '5 Rathas'. I left my bag at some guy's tool for 3 rupees (5p) whilst splashing out 3.60pounds for a ticket to walk around these ancient sculptures and buildings. Once again there was a man there to con me but I wasn't up for a 350-rupee guide who could "tell me everything I need to know about the history of them". Exchanged photography skills with a polite young Chinese woman, who unfortunately lifted her armpits to reveal more hair than my old man. The sculptures were fairly impressive, but after having seen plenty like this now all over India, it was becoming a little tedious.

Grabbed my rucksack and walked back to the centre, sweating uncontrollable amounts in the early morning heat. Walked up a hill towards a lighthouse and temple but wasn't interested and had some local guy asking me randomly what I thought about an email he had received from Birmingham, England about a 400k-a-year job offer and whether I thought it was real! I told him probably not but why would I have any idea!?

Sick of bag-carrying, I dived in a tuctuc to Shore Temple where again, it was an interesting spectacle but beginning to be the same old. I was more impressed by the random bits of wildlife Í'd come across like a long-tailed lizard scuttling through some of the bushes. The beaches eitherside looked impressive too but no time, so back to my tuctuc where my driver must have thought I was born yesterday.

He wanted 100rupees for the little ride and looking after my bags which was barely worth 10. I ended up paying 20 to the con-artist! Instead of visiting the 'Butterball' rock formation, I was on a bus to Vadanemmeli (a small village where I was heading to a crocodile bank - and no it's not where the reptiles are civilsed and sort their money out!).

The Bank was a great and I learnt a whole lot more about all the different species like where theylive around the globe, what their diet is, how long they live, how many offspring they have, how they hunt, survive, their length etc. It wasn't just Crocs either. There was a snake-milking area where they introduced you to three of the deadliest snakes on the planet; the krait, the common cobra and the russell's viper. They had 300 snakes in tonnes of clay jars before the handlers teased them and explained how snakes follow movement and not sound at all (and that snake charming is bullshizzle), before demonstrating a cobra strike. They're fast and you wouldn't want to get a bite from one of them! Their poison can kill you within four hours, a Krait's can kill you in three, and the deadly Russell's viper can finish you off within an hour. They charged peanuts for the croc entry but extra for a camera so I paid that, bu they wanted more for the snake bit and a camera in there! I beat the artist there, who caught me taking snaps and wanted me to pay more, but I just deleted a photo in his face and said: "No I wont keep the photos as I'm not paying for that!" The guy was a knob, in contrast to the guy at the main reception who looked after my bag and sorted me out with the bus. Some heroes, some zeroes.

They had big pythons in the park and a variety of tortoises and turtles that I never even knew existed. Weird, large, spiky and long-necked ones! The one animal I was fascinated by was the Gharial, a big, long-snouted fishing crocodile that looked like it had come from the dinosaur age. I got pretty close to it too!

Lots of birds in the park aswell, all venturing a bit too close to the crocs and it wouldn't surprise me if a few had become dinner over the years. One crow I saw had one leg and I wondered to myself how he had lost it!

After a great experience for under a pound, I treated myself to a litre of Mirinda (Fanta-like) and got on a bus to Tambaram in the suburbs of the huge city of Chennai (I think!). More trouble though.

Paid 14rupees for my ticket then ten minutes later the conductor charged me 14 more for my bags! I hadn't been charged once in the whole month of transport around India for my bags and I voiced my anger to the harsh conductor! Then, as I paid for two seats, I tried to defend the second with my bag and had an argument with a local explaining I paid for two tickets for two seats but then had to let him sit down and I felt a bit bad for him. He chatted to me after and was fairly nice but I was seething with the conductor.

At the end of that journey a local helped me onto another bus towards the airport where I got off just to know my bearings for my flight the next day. So the next trip was a tuctuc around many-a-guesthouse searching for cheap accommodation. It was a big jump from the 200-a-nights to a near 660-a-night room but I did get a shower, double bed and TV to watch the Indian Premier League Cricket! I had the clean shower I was craving for the past 28 sweaty, dirty hours.

It was a filthy area where I was, and unbelievably over-populated but my hotel manager told me about Classics Restaurant in the area (Pallavuram), which did good grub. I had a rather spicy butter, 'mild' chicken masala and eventually some good naan bread! Surprising how not many of them eat it out there and they only serve it at night times when they put the tandoori ovens on! Felt somewhat let down by that!

There were still a few hours of daylight left, so I decided to hop on a train and visit the city centre of Chennai getting off at the Egmore stop. In all honesty, the city was a complete dump with the worst smells I have had to put up with in m life. You could all but be sick just from walking around, especially next to the rivers where all the sewage ends up. It was treacherous.

I got lost following my book's map which took me on a dodgy route and after a couple of hours walking I found Marina Beach. And no, it wasn't worth the walk! Thousands of locals on the beach but didn't venture closer in to see what they were up to. Came across the Chennai Superkings stadium which was probably similar if not maybe bigger than our football ones at home. Also came across a monstrous Tamil Nadu (the state) legislature building which was a giant, impressive piece of architecture. The city was dull though and I didn't find or see anything to do like Mumbai and the smell to emphasise it was just horrendous.

Got a train back and typically on my final night, got lost in Pallavaram searching for my hotel in the dark amongst the crowded streets. I couldn't wait to get out of the country.

Revisited Classics for a spot of Chinese garlic chicken before watching Shane Warne in action on TV.

Two hilarious sights in the day, one was a sign telling locals not to urinate or excrete on the street and to keep the place tidier (ironically the riverbanks were carpeted with litter) and a kid of about 9 or 10 s***ting on the pavement on the side of a main road.

Now, I know I sound biased, but my views of India have just been scoped by my month spent there. But one thing Chris was told was: "There's always something to see in India." It wasn't always a pleasant sight but it was always true....

I won't be going back there in a hurry, but it was good for my budget and I will be taking lots of memories away from the long 28 days!