Mamalapuran, Jan 15 2009

This is probably my last post, as tomorrow I'm starting to fly back home.
As I said before Mamallapuran has been beyond expectations. Today I woke up early and went for a long beach walk.
On the way I passed by a restaurant which I had been in my last beach walk. They had a Pongal breakfast buffet. So for 80 rupees I ate Idly, Puri, Dosa, Omelet, fruits, coffee, tea, etc. It was great and a surprise. So this is was my brunch. Then in the afternoon
I went to a village visit organized by the local Tourism office. I met my German friend Margaret and I also met another German girl which I had 1st met in Gokarna. The tourism office organized a trip for tourists to this very authentic village to commemorate Pongal. It was just amazing. We get there and they greet us with flowers, music, etc. Then we go around the whole village and are greeted by all the locals. They live mostly in Huts but the village looks very well organized. Then they organized some games like musical chairs and breaking pots (blindfolded). Later the local women prepared the Pongal which is the traditional food which is eaten during this harvest festival. It is a kind of sweet rice porridge with different condiments and cashews. The tourist women helped stir the Pongal. The village people were very excited with our visit and very happy, specially the kids. I took tons of pictures. Later they organized for us a bullock car tour around the village. We spent some 4 hours in this very cute village with the locals commemorating the Pongal festival.
Tonight they say there will be similar commemorations on the beach which I'm planning to go.
I made some shopping for gifts and tomorrow I'm heading by taxi to the Chennai airport at 2:00 PM. From Chennai I take a flight to Mumbai and from there home.

Overall this India trip has been amazing and will be memorable. I visited amazing places, met tens of nice and very interesting people and less but not least really relaxed myself physically and mentally. It is good to go back home,
And who knows, when I get there I may start planning my next one (Himalaya, Nepal, etc ...... :-)


THE END