Random Rambles: Travel

Chennai in 2 days

When I found out I was going to Chennai for my examinations, I had mixed feelings about what to expect.

But I did manage to catch a few interesting things in this seemingly complex and crazy city.

Thanks to our new friends, we discovered Khader Nawas Khan road, which appeared to be a rather posh area. There were a few clothing shops, of which we visited Kilol.

Sandy's chocolate laboratory was the biggest highlight. For a while, we had forgotten we were in Chennai. Located across the Harley Davidson showroom, it was a quiet cafe-restaurant. As the name suggests, it specialises in chocolate. From chocolate shots served in 100ml beakers, to chocolate cakes, to huge bucket sized sundaes- it was indeed a chocolate lovers' paradises. Our only regret was not having tried the 'really tiny chocolate cake'. Oh well.. perhaps next time. Besides desserts, they do serve decent food. A great place to chill out and watch the 'posh chennai crowd' go by.

Next day we went to Mahabalipuram, located along the south coast of Tamil Naidu. The monuments are a UNESCO world heritage site. It was founded by the Pallava kingdom. All the monuments, mainly depicting the Mahabharata are carved out of a single rock. The beach was a peaceful and clean break from the hustle and bustle of Chennai. A good place to get rock sculptures. For a while, it reminded me of Ubud, in Bali.

The following day was spent shopping. The main shopping area in Chennai is at T.Nagar. However, this time, I had a chance to explore a few shopping malls. We visited Forum Mall and Lifestyle Mall. There are H&M style shops that sell ethnic wear, which was awesome!

I wanted to visit Express Avenue mall but time didn't permit me.

Until next time.......

Saigon

Amazing city with a fusion of the Asian and European culture. Corner street coffee shops reminded me of Europe. The people are full of smiles and ever so friendly and elegant. At the same time, the country's powerful history is overwhelming.