Soooo, we are back in Chennai and looking for things to see and do. We settle on taking a suburban train a couple of stops and going up to Saint Thomas Mount to see the church and views. This is reputed to be the site of St. Thomas' death. What's confusing is that there are 2 St. Thomas churches that are relatively close to each other. One in the southwestern suburbs (where we are going today) and one one the southeastern coast (we will hit that one later).
The train ride was quite uneventful. We were able to get on and comfortably find room to stand. Bill was soooo excited. He loves Indian trains. You can tell by his expression.
We hired a tuk tuk to take us up to the very top of St. Thomas Mount. This was a very good thing because we just kept climbing up and up in the little tuk tuk. We swerved past a construction site that appeared to be laying piping below sidewalks and up against the businesses and homes. Up we continued, going round and round until we finally reach a gate where the tuk tuk driver asks if he should wait, we say no because we didn't know how long we would be. So off he goes, and we are hit up with a 10 rupee "parking" fee, even though we did not park. It's India, Jake!
Climbing up the hill we take in the vista over all of Chennai before us. I did not realize that the city had so many parks and green areas. There was a bit of a haze, but it did not obstruct the views.
It was a very hot day and I was desperately looking for a shady place. On the campus of this shrine there was a gigantic banyan tree around which was built a circular bench. There were many people taking advantage of the shade, and we sat and drank water for a while.
I am not sure what I was expecting, I suppose a large church, instead, there was a small chapel which was AC'd. YEAH!!! Within the chapel were several stools and behind a glass barrier was an altar dedicated to St. Thomas. The space was quiet and was truly a space for people to pray.
Pope JP II
We wandered the grounds some more and found the "church". It was a narrow space with pews on one side.
As we left this space, we saw an ice cream stand and stopped to get some. As we are unwrapping our cones, up walks a large cow.
We finish our cones as the cow ambles off and we start to head down to the entrance gate. We now realize that it is hot, really hot, and it is a very long walk down hill and around and around and tuk tuk regret sets in. We see a driver waiting in the shade and I ask if he is available, no he is waiting for people who are in the cemetery. Sigh, we continue down the hill. Where the hill hits a main road, of sorts, we get a miracle. A tuk tuk is running by and we flag him down and head to the train station.
We decide that we will take the train a couple of stops (2) to explore another area that Bill wants to visit. I rode in the women only car and Bill got his hanging on the train fix. We exited the train on to a street that was jammed with people.
You could hardly move and it did not let up. On each side of the street were stores selling clothing, snacks, jewelry, all sorts of stuff with the wares spilling out into the cramped street and sidewalks.
This heaving mass did not let up when we found the main street. About now, I am super crabby and really need to get something to eat, but of course, being hangry, I can't figure out that I am really, really hungry. We are looking for a particular silk shop, and can't find it. We go to a restaurant that is on the main drag. It didn't have AC, but had powerful fans. Didn't matter, I was happy.
The fascination for me was the table behind Bill. 2 men were sitting there. The one man I could see was quite fancifully dressed. A lush paisley printed nehru jacket with a red pocket square. Around his neck was a large, heavy necklace with a medallion hanging from it. On his right wrist was another large and flashy bracelet. I then noticed his pants were bright red, matching his pocket square. He was having an intense conversation with the other man, gesticulating and jangling his jewelry. I thought that it looked like a lovers quarrel, but could not be sure. Eventually, they got up to leave, and the red pants, were really like a longhi worn like pantaloons. They were open around his shins and looked comfortable, but too heavy for the weather, especially when paired with that nehru jacket! Taking a photo would have created an international incident, so I let it be!
After lunch, we went into several different silk shops as I was looking for some scarves. It was like being in an episode of "Are You Being Served" as I would be escorted to a particular gentlemen at a particular counter. He would then reach into a cabinet and pull out a box and would display the various scarves with a lackluster flourish. The scarves were really beautiful and quite inexpensive.
Under the flyover outside these shops was an impromptu bazaar. Selling all sorts of things, socks, underwear, bracelets, hair ribbons, human hair hanks, sun glasses, etc. We wandered around a bit and had a good laugh at some of the items.
We decide to head east to a particular cocktail bar. Along the way, we thought that we would see another bazaar, but my guess was that the shops on either side of the road constituted a bazaar.
One of the difficulties of navigating in India is that roads change names frequently and numbering on the road is not consistent. We are trying to find this particular bar and we finally do, only to be told that it is not open yet. Across the street was another bar. We ran over there. The name of this bar was 10 Downing, an homage to England, but it is not on Downing Street, or anything like England.
We settle in and order our beers, we are told it is happy hour and that there is a special on beers, so we take advantage of that. I start watching the TV which is just off to my left. It was very difficult to follow. I am used to the crawl on CNN or other stations, but India does it one better, well 3 or 4 times better. The news reader is reduced to a smaller square and below her are not 1, not 2, but 3 crawls which have nothing to do with what she is reporting on. On the right hand side of the screen is another information rectangle, I think it was either stock or weather. I was so overwhelmed at trying to figure out which crawl related to the main story, I was getting a headache! Decided to work on the puzzles in the newspaper. I'm starting the suduko, and the waiter comes over and tells me that I have made a mistake. I thought it was a bit cheeky, but then I see that he was correct.
About an hour or so later, we wander over to the original choice. The entrance is on the side of a hotel. We go up 2 flights and find ourselves in an empty bar, well almost empty, there was one gentlemen in a booth. We sit at the bar and decide on our drinks. The bartender looked about 15, but made up for it with enthusiasm. I ordered and pointed to the Manhattan cocktail. Bill gets a beer. I am watching the bartender start to make a cocktail. There is vodka, and fruit juices, and assorted things going into the shaker....I'm thinking someone else, unseen, has ordered this. It is with a bit of disappointment as he puts the drink in front of me. He was so earnest, I couldn't say, dude, that's a cosmopolitan, not a manhattan. I drank it.
As the evening progresses, he is juggling limes then moves to empty beer bottles, and then beer bottles with shaker bottoms. A floor show with our drinks. Again, he was so earnest and clearly enjoying himself, we were charmed. At one point, he offers Bill a taste of an Indian whiskey. Bill declines, but I jump in and say, I'll try it. He gives me a small taste, complimentary, ma'am. It was really good. It was Royal Challenge. I had two additional shots. Really, really tasty. I subsequently found out has a rum base and only 12% is whiskey. I was trying to find it on the web, no go.
We toddle off to the Pandian to sleep it off.
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