I have been to India twice already – visiting the north. Now I want to see the South…
It was 9 pm local time and 27 deg Celsius when we landed in Madras – Chennai airport. To avoid bargaining you can buy at the exit taxi coupon for the ride to the city. They offer it for 350 rupees (1 USD is worth 43 rupees) – still too much for the single backpacker. I went to the town by moto-rickshaw paying 200 rupees to the Himalaya Hotel in Triplane quarter. They charge 420 rp per clean room with fan – more for a/c…
In the morning I took a walk around this 4,5-million city. Can you imagine dust and garbage on the streets, a lot of barefoot people walking around, some of them sleeping on the sidewalks… Stink, heat, noise, beggars… This is India… viewed not from the window of the a/c coach. I saw only one group of tourists during whole day… There is not much to see in this big city: the Fort of St George has a museum (2 USD entry fee for foreinners but only 5 rupees for locals) and St Mary’s church. In the south of the city close to the beach you can visit for free The Basilica of St Thomas – the nicest church in Madras. From the fort junk bus no.6 will take you there for just 3 rupees… For 1 USD you can have like 30 bananas… Hope you still like them…
Tomorrow I plan to visit famous temples outside Madras…
