Day 2: Mahabalipuram.

The second day of the trip involves sightseeing in Mahabalipuram and catching a flight for Delhi from Chennai.

14^th April 2013.

 

The following morning, we finally managed to wake up by six. Dad and I had hardly slept. We were both natural late-sleepers, Dad was turning into an insomniac while I could never sleep before three in the morning.

Ma, on the other hand, had slept like a baby and seemed to be grinning and looked extremely fresh, compared to us.

 

We walked to the Shore Temple first and the morning light was JUST beginning to show. The 60-feet-high Shore Temple was situated on the shore, with the grey rough waves crashing against the black rocks below along with the dull grey morning sky-altogether, it was beautiful. The premises of the non-functional temple were empty and we realized we were the first tourists of the day.

Only later did we learn that there are at least five more temples that are still submerged under the waters of the Bay of Bengal. Needless to say, that idea fascinated us all.

 

We next walked to Arjuna’s Penance. The rock carvings were beautiful. Personally, they don’t seem too interesting anymore. They all look the same and have the same share of enthusiastic tourists taking hundreds of ‘artsy’ photos, stuff they’d later frame and put up in the foyers of their tiny apartments. Yes, they’re all the same.

 

The only thing which remotely seemed interesting there was ‘Krishna’s Butterball’, a HUGE boulder balancing on the edge of a slope in an impossible angle.

 

 

 

After viewing a few more places like the Pancha Rathas and the Lighthouse, we stopped at a roadside place to have some coffee and headed back to the hotel.

After doing all of this, it was still hardly 10 o’clock. Yeah, time hardly flies Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram).

Breakfast was complimentary at the hotel and we sort of stuffed ourselves, knowing that we wouldn’t have time for lunch. Most of it was Continental but there was also a share of Idlis and Vadas along with the typical chutneys.

After finishing all the packing, it was still hardly twelve. And our car to the airport would arrive only at two.
Ma and I went down to the street to buy a few souvenirs although the heat was insane. The air was thick with moisture and the heat seemed to be pressing down on us along with the bleaching sun.

That’s also how we met this Kashmiri shop-owner who lives in Mahabalipuram for ten months a year and goes back to his native during the summers. We marveled at how or why a person would come down from Kashmir to suffer in this heat.

                           ~

We were finally on our way to the airport although our plane had been delayed for the second time. Our enthusiastic driver chatted with us throughout and told us about his two kids, one who had just learnt to talk.

 

The airport was only 50 km away and we reached before we wanted to. Chennai had opened its new terminal only three days ago and that was the scheduled place of departure for us.

We finished the security checks and everything else and nestled comfortably in the lounge chairs. This was going to be long.

While I updated my diary, my parents walked around a bit, chatting.

                          ~

We had reached Delhi, finally, after all the commotion about the delayed flight. My Uncle, Ma’s younger brother who lived in Delhi was waiting for us at the airport.

 

On reaching home, my 8-year-old kid brother jumped on me and pulled me off to show me another one of his inventions while my Aunt and my grandparents just stood there smiling.

                          ~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                   

Author's Note

Open to all suggestions and criticism. Please do review. :)