Well... today I'm in Thanjavur (Thanjore). Lonely Planet describes this city as easy going which makes me seriously concerned about cities described as hectic or chaotic. But if you've got the chance to see a world heritage listed temple (Brihadishwara Temple, or "The Big Temple" as it is locally known) I feel you ought to do it. To the left is my best picture of the day - doesn't really show you the grounds or much of the temple itself but it does give a sense of the place.

Mamallapuram was an improvement on Chennai in that, because of the large tourist population and much smaller size, it was easier to find safe looking restuarants and to navigate by foot. Of course, with tourists comes souvenir shops and hawkers and beggars. It's not a place where you forget you are in India. Especially if you try to sit at the beach. Nothing really prepares you for that much unwanted attention, at least nothing I've ever been through. But you can have a few good minutes here and there - especially if you sit below the overhang of the beach where you're harder to spot.

In the French quarter of Pondy, the 'rues' are cleaner and wider than typical and many of the buildings are in good repair and prettily painted. From the veranda of my hotel (on Bharathi Park), you could almost think you are in New Orleans - then the traffic would flare up in all its honking and revving glory putting you right back on the sub-continent. I probably would have grown to like the place (it had street signs!) but I couldn't find a good place to stay so I moved on...

...to Chidambarum. The attraction here is the Nataraja temple, erected around 1300. This is where a good photo would really help - I just can't describe this type of structure, there's nothing else like it. It's the sort of building people write books about. The city surrounds the temple, which is an active place of worship, giving every would-be guide the opportunity to say that faith is central to life in the city. And my hotel was nice - the first place I've stayed where the water and electricity routinely worked. It was even clean(-ish).

Five jiggly hours later I arrived by bus in Thanjore. Tomorrow I leave for Trichy then I head for the hills. I may still leave early but I am at least planning to stay through March. Hope you are getting on well back home - stay safe.