An adventurous travel in southern India

Travel in southern India ..... DIY!

 

Mumbai (Bombay)

Overnight Hotel Residency. Comfortable, clean, free internet from 7.00 to 23.00 in the morning newspaper.

We had a new experience, visit a city under the flood, which lasted two days and two nights without stopping. There is no raincoat or umbrella you can repair, so 'it is true that most of them not using them on the street and walk quietly soaked from head to toe. Well ....! The city is chaotic and very busy, but everything goes fast and is easy to visit. The characteristic yellow taxis, and many blacks are not using the meter and the seats are wet, because despite the rain will not close the windows. The buses go all the time and the train is convenient for the most important points. There are two extraordinary things not to be missed. The first is the Churchgate station. At 11.20 o'clock train down from the Dhaba Wallah, collected loads of hot meals from restaurants, mothers and wives, to be delivered to employees in Mumbai. All containers are marked with numbers but also by color, since some of them are illiterate. On the sidewalks around the station with great precision divide them, load them on carts or in the head and back away ... .. 200,000 meals are delivered and only one error every 6 million. But how?! The second is at Mahalaxmi. By train from Churchgate, we went to the Dhobi Ghat, where hundreds of people wash an incredible amount of laundry. From the bridge you are the best pictures to over a thousand tanks and a thousand faces that stare at you curiously. You can get off and stroll inside, we took pictures with no problems and some also make a pose! At the entrance of these sinks can be someone who will tell you that you have to pay for your shots, do not you just replace the area. The Gateway of India landmark of the city was under restoration, but there in front of you can come to visit the beautiful Taj Mahal Palace for one night it takes "only" $ 500, but could not we stay here, was full! ! Precisely at this point we were contacted, as Westerners, to act as extras in one of the famous Bollywood films. It would have been a new experience and maybe fun. But we refused, only visiting the city for two days and could not afford a whole day on set. Too bad we paid well .... 10 hours 10 euros! Haji Ali Mosque is accessible along a causeway that disappears at high tide leaving this enchanting place in the sea. The street is full of beggars and cripples, some with serious deformities radunatisi group to beg, shake obsessively repeating the same phrase. It 'a situation that can impress a lot. Despite the flood we visited Chowpatty beach in good weather definitely offers much more, as well as the district sacred Banganga Tank, which was deserted and devoid of pilgrims on the ghats. All roads of Mumbai are full of stalls and shops, but for the insatiable, there are also many markets. The main one is Crawfort market, fruit and vegetables, Mangaldas Market, silks and fabrics and ... ... to wear out gradually. One thing to really look through it in Mumbai. In addition to watching the other side that we, as the drive on the left, all the cars pass through a red light and speed. Be careful.

Goa

Go Air Flight Transfer h1 Overnight Panajim Inn. Extra large luxury room: fantastic. Staff very kind. Beautiful terrace for meals.

Since it was not the ideal time to enjoy the beaches of Goa, Panaji, and we've preferred to explore the area by renting a scooter. Between spells, and floods we have traveled 130 km. Anjuna has a stunning cliff and the Wednesday flea market, colored, ideal for nice pictures, although in this period is reduced. Baga, Calungate, Candolin, Fort Aguada are all within easy reach in a day. The beaches are long and full of palm trees. The Indians do the same bathroom, even if the sea is very rough, it is fun to get hit here and there by waves, we enjoyed a photograph. Miramar Beach Panaji enormous you can take beautiful walks, the city is quiet, full of narrow streets where you can spend the time to browse. The nearby Old Goa is sad and dilapidated. There are a few dozen churches and cathedrals, but the only thing that has a little 'lifted was the beautiful view of the city visible from the Church of Our Lady of Mt.

Mysore (Karnataka)

Transfer Goa-Bangalore Kingfisher Airlines Bangalore-Mysore h1.30 4 hours by taxi. Overnight Ginger anonymous hotel but clean and comfortable. Slow service restaurant and reception.

The only taxi driver wise all over India we found ourselves, we arrived in Mysore 1 hour after the bus, but we did it! The town is charming with the Devaraja Market, chaotic, colorful and fun. Incense, essences of jasmine flowers in excessive quantities, spices, piles of kumkum, the colored powders, fruit perfectly exposed and tons and tons of delicious bananas. The fragrance will intoxicate and the screams of sellers to advertise their goods will transport you to a fantasy world from which you return immediately upon arrival at the meat counter. The smell is intense and horrifying are the heads of goats and roasted black pudding. At about 5 o'clock in the afternoon the market comes to life even further. Beautiful the Maharaja's Palace, lit at night is even more fascinating. Only need to visit the rooms inside the camera store. Taking the bus 201 from the City bus stop in 30 minutes you arrive at Chamundi Hill. Here is Sri Chamundeswari Temple, very animated. You can go back to town down the 1000 steps. The pilgrims are going up with them in the hands of jars filled with colored powder with which mark a step to step. We do not have anything to ask at the time but only to the gods to thank them for what we own, we thought it was enough to get them down. In the middle path is the famous Nandi (bull) carved into the rock. The statue is adorned with garlands of flowers and a destination for many pilgrims who come to the wayside. For 20 rupees, the priest will put a bracelet. At the bottom, take a tuk tuk and go back downtown, where at Pizza Corner near Hardinge Circle we finally detached from the spicy Indian food. It 'was amazing!!

Kochi (Kerala)

Transfer Kochi Mysore-10 hours of night bus. Ballard Bungalow overnight. Comfortable, large clean rooms, friendly staff and arranged for tours and tickets.

Shameless Three days of good weather in the middle of the monsoon season. Kochi is divided in Ernakulam on the mainland, where the train is arriving by bus, from 5 islands and the peninsula of Mattancherry and Fort Chocin very quiet and pleasant. Here we impose the ancient Chinese networks. They work with a complicated system of counterweights. The fishermen are very friendly and invite you to pull up and down the nets. Of course along the way you sell the fish they buy and can be neighbors cooking kiosks. The Tiger prawns are stunning. Throughout Kerala, alcohol is prohibited, but if you want to accompany these excellent fish dishes with a beer will be served the same, but in a teapot with a lot of mug! Even smoking on the street is prohibited. Renting a bike you pass the time between a street and the other full of shops and then have a snack in the pleasant Teapot, which in addition to an excellent chocolate cake and fine tea has a wonderful collection of teapots. Bazar Road is full of souvenir shops and wholesale stores of rice exhibiting all the qualities for sale, but there are many types of rice ...?? Along this road you will reach the Jewish quarter with its synagogue and small shops of spices. Kerala is known is also famous for its Ayurvedic massages. We've taken the time to do it here, the best are those of Cochin Ayurvedic Centre, the local professional and very clean. In the evening there is plenty to do but see a performance of Kathakali. The dancers are preparing for a long make-up, which is interesting to watch because it is very challenging and success is amazing. The costumes are imaginative, with a highly-decorated hats. The actors are accompanied by percussionists and singers, but the story is told by the dancers through gestures and facial expressions difficult. Definitely not to be missed even if we think the show is a bit 'too long, especially since it is very noisy. Kerala Kathakali Centre to give a useful representation of written translation, in Italian, incredible! The day trip to the backwaters did not make us crazy. With a van you move away from Fort Cochin with a trip of 45 minutes to get into a canoe to navigate large, covered channels very slowly, admiring the scenery and visiting a village with a long process where the shells are turned into lime. In another you can see how the coconut yield a strong rope, is perhaps the most interesting part. Then lunch is served on banana leaves and continue surfing the smaller canoes to enter the channels close, which are very dirty and painfully close to the road. There are probably better places to do this hike.

Varkala

Transfer by taxi 4 hours Overnight Deshadan. Very comfortable, clean with rooms around the pool, friendly staff.

The cliffs of Varkala is astounding. There is nothing to do in this town if you do not walk along the cliff watching the sea on one side and the other the ubiquitous stalls and wait for the sunset. There are restaurants next to each other, all with magnificent views and comfortable chairs facing the sea, relaxation works here. You can access the beach from the road Papanasham is by steep stairs. Bathing is very dangerous. At Varkala must always have a flashlight with him, especially back to the hotel, because the roads are not lit inside. A good solution is to stay right on the cliff. There are many nice places, the Santa Claus Village is mentioned by the Lonely Planet in a beautiful location.

Madurai (Tamil Nadu)

Overnight train Transfer 7.30 hours Hotel rooms Supreme sad, beautiful rooftop terrace with restaurant.

The famous multicolored towers of the Sri Meenakshi Temple were covered with banana leaves because restoration. What a shame, tourists from all over the world to peek at what little you could see, but throughout the gopuram are twelve had their own cover all !!'?? Before entering you must leave your shoes, so we are free of deposits with a lot of numbers and then restart them. Almost all Indians to leave instead where it happens and then spend hours looking for them, making light with mobile phones ... ... ..! Unlike other temples, this is not allowed to keep the socks and pants at the knee must beg the guards. You can take pictures inside upon payment of a ticket, check often. This place is full of sacred, beautiful, beautiful, and so far from us. Women do drawings with colored powders with incredible dexterity, and light candles in prayer, the men have the coconuts to the gods by breaking them strength in the spaces provided in each corner there is something that surprises you. Not far from the temple is the Tirumalai Nayak Palace, also in the restructuring, but just by the road dyed silk and spread out to dry for about fifty meters and then turn them into colorful rolls. It 'a show unusual and interesting. Very basic fruit and vegetable market, but also shots of the pictures here when they want to see and then say "super" to get a laugh, thank goodness that there is digital! Madurai as per tradition is full of tailors and cloth stalls. If you have the patience to bargain is the place to be packed very good leaders. Here we tested the ready meals, this is displayed outside the restaurant feels simply that "is ready"! Even if we did not eat too spicy for us because it was fun. First of all because there are no tourists, so when you come already exchanged glances with each other, then all the waiters are dedicated only to you .... You know the news! We prepared aprendoti the banana leaf that is ready on the table folded in half, the wet and start to put on sauces, vegetables, soups, rice, a scoop of sweet (?) And the fantastic pappadam. No cutlery, everything is mixed and eaten with your hands! Beautiful.

Trichy

Transfer by train 3 hours. Overnight Hotel Brezee. Luxurious swimming pool. Staff very kind. Daily in the morning, excellent room service.

Trichy was the dusty city that we visited but with a fascinating and easy to visit. The three most important points are reached, with the convenient bus No 1 that leaves from Central bus every 5 minutes. To get to the Rock Fort Temple you have to climb 437 steps clearly in bare feet, but are not so tiring. Halfway up there Thaymanaswamy Sri Vinayaka Temple and the top. They can enter only Hindus, but the view from the city deserves. The surroundings of the fort are a unique bazaar, the confusion is such that you can not walk. Whatever you look for is here, from souvenirs to the most unthinkable things. Fucxia cotton candy hung from a pole that sell children is surprisingly good. Then the bus takes you exactly where it's down and visit Sri Jambukeshwara Temple. Dedicated to Shiva and Parvati is extremely and unusually quiet. As in all the temples and the entrance to the inner sanctuary reserved for Hindus, but is an excellent stop to recover from the ubiquitous Indian chaos. Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple dedicated to Shiva is of extreme beauty. You leave your shoes and enter the main tower, 73 meters of sculpture and color that leave you speechless. The Temple is divided into seven sections and has 21 gopuram. After the fourth wall by paying 10 rupees you can climb on walls, it is absolutely worthwhile because you realize the structure of this beautiful complex. The tourist can not exceed the sixth wall, so the golden dome is visible only at the center. In the rooms there is a lot of movement, sounds and scents and a long queue of people who are quietly lining up to make use of langar, or table where free men and women of different caste or religion sit side by side eating meals prepared volunteers. Do not miss this place.

Thanks to the waiter that we had prepared a decoction with milk to save us from spicy buffet dinner and another thank you to the bus station Karunani that helped us find a bus waiting right up to our departure to ensure that it was all right. THANK YOU!

Puducherry

Bus transfer 6 hours in the wrong direction. Overnight Ajantha Beach Guest House, sad and dishonest double the figure for the ocean view.

We only spent an afternoon in this city, bike tours, and we did not like that much. Apart from the seafront promenade comes alive in the evening a lot, there's plenty to do or see, unless you want to meditate or do yoga. Is still unusual that everyone will turn in French, the streets become "Rue ..." and the signs of hope bonjour! And 'as if for a moment you are no longer in India, so if you want to identify himself completely Caffee.Com seafront you can eat some good French bread, the tomatoes, basil and black olives is not a dream you are eating right!

Mamallapuram

Transfer by taxi 2 hours. Overnight Mamalla Heritage Deluxe room very comfortable with swimming pool. Dear staff.

A haven in the chaos of India. It 'nice to visit by bike in the afternoon even though the temperature is high. The lovely Shore Temple that overlooks the sea and the interesting Rathas Five, a group of 5 temples carved into the rock, are the attractions of this country, but it surely is the most photographed Krishna's Butter Ball. This ball seems poised to fall at any moment, offering fun shots. In the remaining garden are other attractions that are discovered while walking. On the streets is continuous tapping of the hammer and chisel, the craftsmen create sculptures of all shapes and sizes, we also saw a black stone Ganesh concentrated in front of a computer! The liveliest street is leading to the beach, full of restaurants, shops and stalls, will call you a thousand times. At the bottom there are rooms overlooking the beach serving fresh seafood, but do not shine for cleaning. Stare at the beach to sunbathe, if you resist the stifling heat is a test of your tolerance for the sellers.

Tirumala (Andhra Pradesh)

If you are a lover of Hindu temples, Kanchipuram is for you, 5 temple at close range. We we visited only two, because our goal was the distant Tirumala, very busy place of pilgrimage. Once in Tirupathi, before walking the 24 miles of switchbacks to reach the top of the hill you have to do is control the baggage car on which you travel. Alcohol and cigarettes are strictly forbidden. We are impressed by this place to visit in its complexity, it would take at least three days. As the crowd can reach up to 100,000 pilgrims a day all the queues that are created for anything, are channeled into iron cages. It 'scary. The most famous is the temple of Venkateshwara, where you are going to see this deity all black sitting on the throne and make a wish that is said to be heard then. To get ahead of Venkateshwara there are three possibilities. You can do the ordinary free darshan or contemplation, at least 6 hours in line in the cages, especially those who pay 50 rupees, the wait is reduced to 4 hours and the Cellar, cost 100 rupees with a wait of an hour. We bought with many difficulties, given that no one knew where the office to request a ticket for the latter. Arrived at the entrance you leave your shoes and anything electrical, phone, camera etc. ... Since the confusion was complete we decided not to leave our things but to enter in turn. But upon arrival in front of these cages claustrophobic, crowded and without the possibility of turning back, we refused to stay in there, so we have not seen the odoratissimo Venkateshwara, but he has not seen us!! This is a place where the pilgrims donate their hair to the deity, then circulate the peeled whole families. There are special rooms for shaving where you always have access caged after a long tail. We are asking permission to enter from the guard, because we just wanted to see. They work hundreds of barbers. The devotee, legs crossed and ready to give up their ego, which is China's head shaved and then washed. The hair falls out and then collected in a canal say, to make wigs. The upper floors are reserved for women. All the Indian women have long braids adorned with blossoms of jasmine, see them come out so beautiful and completely peeled leaving the ground that a woman is a source of pride, does reflect on how good they really religious. All were smiling at me and teased me, telling me to prepare myself that after them it would happen to me, for anything but I cut my hair, strange that this diversity of thought. All babies cry during this practice, just like ours when they go to the hairdresser. This part was very touching. The canteens distribute massive amounts of free food is strong and the noise of the many trays of steel, as well as high repetitive prayer is sent from the speakers. As countless people are also the dormitories, all the same. People everywhere, on the ground, waiting, walking, sleeping person, who eats and pray.

Chennai

H 1.30 Transfer by taxi. Overnight Hotel Chandra Park. Deluxe Room Very comfortable, morning newspaper.

The usual traffic of large cities and scorching heat. As it was the last day of vacation we have abandoned the visits to various temples and monuments to go to the malls to do some 'purchases. The best are the Chennai City Centre and Spencer Plaza. There is a bit 'of everything and the prices are freely determined by the so exhausting negotiations. Beautiful, even if the filthy long walk to Marina Beach. It 'just full of Indians who are swimming, playing cricket, eat, drink and leave everything there on the beach, fishing boats, dogs, souvenir stalls and various foods, in short, a mess, but it is so immense that there's room for everyone. In the city the tuk tuks are more expensive than all other places and particularly annoying.

It's been a long journey, these people turned out for the second time extraordinary. Available, affable and kind, always smiling and curious. You would not believe things can happen. But there is also the most challenging part, the chaos continued, day and night, noise, and yet noise, movement at the mercy of crazy drivers always in the wrong direction, the horn sounding continuously, garbage everywhere, but everything is rewarded from that great swing of the cape that used to always tell you yes!!

Diary of Emanuela and Roberto www.turistinonpercaso.it