Larry’s Travels – Chennai, India

Larry Travels to Chennai, India

Burt and I arrived in Chennai, India last Monday (March 23) after a total of 28 hours of travel. We had a long layover in Washington DC and also Dubai before getting to the last stop. The remainder of Monday was set aside as travel recovery.

My first impression of India when we arrived at 5:30 a.m. and rode to the hotel: hot, dry and horn honking-noisy!

We stayed in a beautiful hotel near the airport in Chennai. Its grounds were perfectly maintained, the hotel was spectacular and the service was 5 stars.

Traveling in India is an eye opener for one from the Midwest US. Roads here are congested with traffic: motorcycles, taxis, automobiles, trucks, and lots of big buses and all are vying to be first to their destination. NASCAR and Indy drivers have nothing on drivers here! I have seen 4 vehicles occupying 2 lanes many times (we have been in one of those four multiple times). The road is also shared with oxen and carts, tractors and the occasional cow, goat or dog. Texting and driving would never take place here!

The sights as we traveled from place to place have been varied. Cities are congested with traffic and people. The country side is more appealing to me. We saw fields of rice in various stages of growth from just harvested to just planted and flooded. We saw peanuts being harvested by hand. There is an abundance of coconut palms and coconuts offered as refreshment on the roadside most everywhere. We enjoyed a fresh coconut cut open and served with a straw to drink the milk. Once the milk was finished the merchant cut the nut in half with a machete so that the immature nut meat could be eaten with a coconut husk spoon. It was an excellent taste treat.

After a few days in Chennai we traveled to Pondicherry. Like Chennai, it too is on the east coast of the country. Pondicherry is smaller and therefore a more relaxed city than Chennai. It is an Indian tourist destination.

Our hotel was on the water front (the Promenade as it is called). The view was spectacular needless to say. I was able to enjoy watching the sunrise Sunday morning along with hundreds of others who had the same idea. As with most sunrises it was spectacular but it was made even more beautiful because of the numerous small fishing boats working and the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks of the water front.

In my opinion, Indian food is fabulous. It is well spiced and flavorful. There is such a variety of dishes that it is systems overload for a foodie like me. My favorites are still the curries and I like them hot. Westerners must ask for heat in a dish in restaurants here because otherwise it will be heat level zero. The assumption is that our taste is accustomed to mild – I prefer the curry with some heat.

A country is measured by its people. India’s people are 5 star. Everyone with whom I’ve made contact has been gracious, friendly and helpful. Family is important in India. Families are close and depend on each other here.

The second week of our travels will be in the state of Gudjurat in northwestern India then later, Mumbai.

Larry