Chennai to Mamallapuram

After considering the pros and cons of travelling the 50km to Mamallapuram by bus or taxi, I found that Uber estimated the cost of the journey at only IR850 (GBP8.50). It took 2 hours to install the app and then when we tried to use it, it said that Mamallapuram was outside the Chennai service area and couldn't be accepted as a destination, despite appearing on the drop-down list.

So tuk-tuk to the local bus station at T. Nagar where we knew frequent buses were to be found. Despite being informed wrongly of the departure place and time, Christine discovered the bus just o it was about to leave. As it was at the start of its journey, we were able to secure seats at the back, next to the open door, open windows, open roof light, who needs air conditioning?

The total cost for us and the luggage ( which I think was probably the greater proportion of the cost), was IR85 or 85p. Incredible. The journey was not uncomfortable and we got a grand view of the countryside we were travelling through. The temperature was only 29C, so altogether a good result and we arrived at the sumptuous Grande Bay Resort at midday.

Life got even better when we found we had been upgraded to a duplex suite, with a sitting room overlooking the swimming pool.

After a swim, we walked into town in pursuit of lunch, but missed and ended up at the Shore Temple. This was an 8th century AD granite temple, but deeply eroded by the sea air.

Afterwards we retraced our steps to find the Gecko Restaurant for lunch, then walked past half a mile of workshops carving enormous granite gods and elephants to a group of monolithic granite temples including its own prototype lifesize elephant.

Then back via some incredible carved temples and another built on top of a giant granite core boulder and inhabited by goats and monkeys, one of which attempted to steal one of our water bottles from the backpack.

I have to mention Krishna's butterball. A gigantic quasi spherical granite boulder perched improbably on a smoothly sloping granite surface. It was although it was hanging in the air like bricks don't, to quote Douglas Adams.

It was sunset as we walked back to the hotel, on a dusty road with a mixture of motorbikes, cars, buses, tuk-tuks and pedestrians all going their separate ways with cows wandering around in the midst of the chaos. It certainly seemed like classic India.

We ate at the hotel, I ordered a spinach, roast pumpkin and egg plant chorchori. Christine ordered baby egg plant curry and we shared a coconut rice. The chorchori by itself was a little dry, but the combination of the three dishes was, to use Michael Winner's favourite adjective, historic.