The alarm sounds at 06:30. Damn hellish apparatus, isn't it supposed that when you travel you can get up when you want? Well no, especially if the Rober is ready to start the new stage of our motorcycle trip through southern India. Cheer up!
We leave from Mamallapuram, a great destination to spend a few days, and head towards Tiruvannamalai. Tiruvanna what? As Tiruvannamalai is an Indian city that guards one of the most fascinating temples in the entire country. Although before arriving we have a few adventures on the road.
NOTICE: IF YOU ARE FRANK DE LA JUNGLA DO NOT KEEP READING.
We were driving along a road when we see that the two motorcycles that go in front of us change course, slow down and accelerate.What happens? Another crazy truck? Another deranged tuktuk? Ah no, it's just a branch! Wait, the branches don't move ... a snake!And zas, like the one in front of us, we hit her.
What a scare! The fucking was giant and it moved like crazy, we would have liked to see each other from the outside with the face disengaged and raising the legs upwards ... unless the snake (you will not believe us but it looked like a king cobra) give him to jump and grab one of our legs. Of course, once the danger passed, we looked back and saw her escape ... luckily the outrage was not fatal. With the snake still in the head we pass through the beautiful village of Gingee full of mountains dotted with shrines and temples. How strange that it is not in any guide! Well, if you plan a route through Tamil Nadu do not miss this idyllic corner. We stopped for breakfast and we had a mix of spicy snacks ... nothing better than starting the day stepping on a snake and eating pepper buns. Mmm!
Luckily, the day was improving, and when we arrived in Tiruvannamalai, we found a small hostel and we didn't go to visit its great temple: the Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple. As always, the show is guaranteed: bids, offerings and old ladies who greet you, children who look for you with their eyes and smile at you, youngsters who try to act as a guide for a day and unexpected encounters.
That is how we met a couple from a small town near Kanyakumari. We chatted for a while and we took a few pictures. After a while the temple workers also approached us and asked us for photos. Once again two things are confirmed:
- Indians are, for the most part, hospitable, friendly and nice people
- Smiles are the universal language.
In Tiruvannamalai we stay only one day, as we use it as a transit destination to set course for Tiruchirappalli, or Trichy for friends, and complete the tour of the temples through Tamil Nadu.
USEFUL INFO
accommodation: In the center of Tiruvannamalai there are several small hotels to stay. We asked at the best of them but the prices were exorbitant, so we went a few meters later where we found a simpler hotel, where we stayed one night and paid 400 INR.
Visit:About 40 or 50 km from Tiruvannamalai is the small town of Gingee, which deserves a more extensive visit than we did. It has walls, temples high in the mountains, beautiful rice fields ... it gives you the feeling that it is a treasure to discover.
The temple of Sri Arunachaleswarar is in the center of the city and is free (like most Tamil Nadu temples).
There are several patisseries scattered around the town where you can have some sweet or freshly squeezed natural juice.
Travel:In total we traveled 186 km in 4 hours. First we took Highway 49B which is not bad, but it is quite slow. Then we take the NH-45 (of course!) Which is much faster. The last km we made on Highway 66, were the hardest because it is in poor condition and there are many sections under construction. It took us a long time to make a few kilometers.
