Day 87 (Mon 2 Oct) - Madurai
Got up at mid morning and walked back on the busy roads ( [1] ) to the place we had lunch yesterday for brunch.
On the way back to our hotel we popped into an internet cafe to do some blogging for a few hours. It was simply too hot to do anything else!
Back to our rooms for a nap and let the heat cool off. At about 5ish we emerged and after studying the incredible detail on the temples ( [1], [2], [3] ) decided we would try and get into the temple complex. Unfortunately, as it was a public holiday today it was very, very crowded. Took a quick piccy of the sunset and set off.
We tried to get into the North Tower. We took our shoes off and seeing nowhere to store them Jo put them into her bag. However a guard said that we could not take shoes into the temple at all and we had to deposit them in a hitherto hidden shack some 20 yards away. He was very rude about it to say the least.
We both decided we did not want to walk on the filthy pavement in bare feet and after Sarb mentioned to the guard that politeness does not cost anything decided to move on. We reckoned that because of the mad rush of pilgrims that they probably were not too keen on having tourists about.
We stumbled onto a covered market. The roof and supporting pillars were intricately carved in stone. The market was a bustling place full of small stalls selling everything from fine silk cloth, sparkling jewellery, incense sticks to stalls where tailors worked away.
Headed back to the hotel, past small processions, where we changed and then got a rickshaw to the Sangam restaurant over the river.
We both had a curious meal, interrupted by bothersome young children of neighbouring diners who seemed indifferent as to how their offspring behaved. Sarb had an insipid chicken dish; some of the chicken was quite pink. Jo meanwhile had a main course that consisted mainly of fruit although the menu pointed out that it consisted of the finest vegetables coated in the chef’s secret sauce. Jo decided to have a fruit salad for afters. She commented that it tasted like the main course only that the chef’s special sauce had been washed off.
Very expensive and disappointing meal especially as we had traveled a fair way to get there.
Sarb had a very restless nights sleep for some reason.
On the way back to our hotel we popped into an internet cafe to do some blogging for a few hours. It was simply too hot to do anything else!
Back to our rooms for a nap and let the heat cool off. At about 5ish we emerged and after studying the incredible detail on the temples ( [1], [2], [3] ) decided we would try and get into the temple complex. Unfortunately, as it was a public holiday today it was very, very crowded. Took a quick piccy of the sunset and set off.
We tried to get into the North Tower. We took our shoes off and seeing nowhere to store them Jo put them into her bag. However a guard said that we could not take shoes into the temple at all and we had to deposit them in a hitherto hidden shack some 20 yards away. He was very rude about it to say the least.
We both decided we did not want to walk on the filthy pavement in bare feet and after Sarb mentioned to the guard that politeness does not cost anything decided to move on. We reckoned that because of the mad rush of pilgrims that they probably were not too keen on having tourists about.
We stumbled onto a covered market. The roof and supporting pillars were intricately carved in stone. The market was a bustling place full of small stalls selling everything from fine silk cloth, sparkling jewellery, incense sticks to stalls where tailors worked away.
Headed back to the hotel, past small processions, where we changed and then got a rickshaw to the Sangam restaurant over the river.
We both had a curious meal, interrupted by bothersome young children of neighbouring diners who seemed indifferent as to how their offspring behaved. Sarb had an insipid chicken dish; some of the chicken was quite pink. Jo meanwhile had a main course that consisted mainly of fruit although the menu pointed out that it consisted of the finest vegetables coated in the chef’s secret sauce. Jo decided to have a fruit salad for afters. She commented that it tasted like the main course only that the chef’s special sauce had been washed off.
Very expensive and disappointing meal especially as we had traveled a fair way to get there.
Sarb had a very restless nights sleep for some reason.
posted by Jo and Sarb at
10/02/2006 08:18:00 am
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