Summer holiday...

I've just returned from short a trip to Chennai, visiting my sis who's working there. It was quite interesting, if you can overlook the fact that it was hot as the proverbial hell and humid to boot.

Chennai is a city of such contrasts, it's amazing. Some parts of it are so traditional, so conservative, and then there are areas which are so hip and modern that it's difficult to believe that this is the same city. Adyar, where my sis has a flat, is a very nice kind of place. The houses are usually just 1-2 storey high, and the roads are tree-lined and quiet. It reminded me of our place in Bangalore 10 years back.

We did some sightseeing, including the mandatory visit to Spencer Plaza which is the biggest mall in the city. Spent one early morning at Besant Nagar beach. It's smaller and not as famous as the Marina Beach, but it's also less crowded and therefore less dirty. But my favourite outing was the half day trip we took to Mahabalipuram. More on that later, perhaps in a separate post.

Sis took us to some wonderful joints as well. The first evening, we went to the Park for drinks and dinner. They have a very popular bar called the Leather Bar. The furniture is leather, the floor is covered in leather ( or was it faux leather?? couldnt make out in the dark), and even the pillars are covered with the same stuff. They have these rather cute guys in tight black tees and leather pants ( what else??) who bring you first a lit candle, then your drinks. Quite nice. But as we 3 ladies were by ourselves, we seemed to be attracting some curious stares. Apparently unaccompanied women at pubs and bars are a rarity in Chennai. But still, unlike Delhi, the men don't sit back and leer at you non-stop.

Park also has a very nice rooftop restaurant called Aqua. They have these canopied beds arranged around the poolside, and the sound of the water is apparently really soothing. They have a live band on Wednesday nights. Unfortunately we went on a Wednesday, when it was not just loud because of the music but also crowded because of a large Korean group. Too bad. Maybe next time.

The best discovery of my trip? A tiny place called Painted Platters, somewhere around Poes Garden. It's this tiny eatery in the backyard of an equally tiny French place ( La Madeleine if I remember correctly), with small benches and tables and a picket fence, beyond which you can see mango trees. They specialise in desserts. And when I say specialise, I mean that they only make desserts and they make them so beautifully that it leaves you breathless. We had the Mississippi Mud Pie, and I was in a chocolate-induced coma for the rest of the evening. It was like nothing I'd ever had before. Anyone visiting Chennai must visit this place.

One place I missed visiting this time was Bike and Barrel. It's a TGIF kind of pub, and I love it bcoz the DJ plays great rock music. And because the management takes very good care of unescorted ladies, which is something I don't usually see in Delhi.

Anyway, it was a short 4 day holiday but very relaxing. And now, I have loads of work to catch up on. But my next post will be about Mahabalipuram. And hopefully ( this is for my friend Amit L ) i'll put it up in just a few days' time. Ciao for now.

My birthday is coming up in a couple of days. And I've already started getting all quiet and introspective. Why the hell are birthdays so depressing when you get older???