... But it can be very hot too :)

After Ooty, we were really fed up with the cold. Especially since I got wet and so did my stuff. So we were wishing for some WARM place, and so we got! We took the train through the beautiful mountains - although they were sometimes invisible because of the many smoke of the train. At the end, when we came through a more densely inhabitated area, there were loads of children waving at the train, that was really very touching. After an in-between-stop we arrived in Coimbatore in the evening, to leave it again the next morning. Our destination was Thanjavur, a rather small city according to Indian standards or at least according to the other cities we visited already (pop. 215 000). We had a really nice and cosy hotel there, with very friendly staff (did the washing there, and bought lots of fruit, which we ate at the hotel restaurant where they were so kind to give us plates).

Thanjavur

Inside the temple

Surviving on cookies

At night the temperature was comfortable, but during the day, it got really really warm. We took lots of rickshaws since it seemed unable to walk even a small distance in this heat... We visited the palace and all the surroundings and then the temple, very impressive. There our popularity reached unpreceded heights: we got used to answering the "hello, how are you" or "hello, which country ma'am" or similar questions already, as well as shaking hands and even getting on hundreds of pictures with all kinds of Indians. But after the handshaking and trying to talk a little bit, there they wanted authographs from us, on their hands or arms :D And after putting one, hundreds of other Indians surrounded us, just to have an ordinary authograph from an unknown Western tourist. Not only children, also the women wanted it. But well, who could refuse it. Anyway, I start to understand how these celebrities must feel... And I feel sorry for them!

After Thanjavur, we took a bus to Madurai: We doubted for a long time whether we would do or not, remembering these other pretty bad experiences with buses. But it was a daybus and it said it would take 4 hours - 4 hours for 150km, that sure was a very very fast bus! So it was, and we even had DVDplayer on board, so we could enjoy an Indian Bollywoodmovie and some music clips at the same time. This together with the marvellous views outside - India is really a very beautiful country - made it even a pleasant trip.

In Madurai, we had another nice hotel: situated almost next to the big temple, and with marvellous rooftop view on this temple and the surroundings. And Madurai is a very tempting city to buy anything: I already bought chappals (sandals) in Thanjavur, but those were justified because of the holes in my old ones; but here I ordered a new bag, a blouse and trousers, all made the size and fabric and colour you want in a couple of hours. We still have to get these, so we hope the result will be ok! In this shop-a-holic mood, I almost forget to mention the beauty of the city, especially the temple. We also visited the sound-and-lightshow at the palace, which was quite impressive as well - at least, the palace, not really the sound-and-lightshow; but we didn't really expect otherwise.

Els in the temple in Madurai

Madurai also is the city of real rickshaws. In most other cities, you only see the motorized autorickshaws, but here you also have lots of bicycle rickshaws. But until now, we didn't take one. The men driving them look so thin, I guess they can never get going when I'm inside...

The first traffic jam is also for Madurai. Lunchtime really is a very busy time... And with the heat and all the smoke from these motorised vehicles, that isn't a very good thing to inhale. I guess I have the lungs of a long-time-addicted smoker by now. Environmental laws didn't get through here I think.

If I thought Portuguese had bad habits according to Belgian standards, meet the Indians! Eating with your hands, that's not hard to deal with, but all this smacking and especially this belching... Not only men, also women do it :) And then the garbage everywhere: we desperately keep on looking for trash cans, but there are so few! And when we finally find someone who wants to throw it in his "trash can in his shop", he too throws it on the streets anyway... Even when there are trash cans - in the funniest shapes, even penguins and Donald Duck - They are opened at the back and all the animals are eating from it. That's probably the most trash can-like thing they have here: cows, goat, monkeys,... All eating from all the trash on the streets.

Trash can inside the temple in Madurai

So far for now, we are still trying to upload some pictures, but that seems to be really complicated!