South India Here We Come!
Early tomorrow morning, our group leaves for our trip to the South of India for temples, temples and more temples. We are leaving the computer here. When we went North, it was a nuisance because we could never could get on the internet because of challenges with electricity ! We will just have long tourist days, and I hope to have some tales to share when we return on April 17th. Some of us just had pasta dinner on the roof of the hostel, thanks to Giana’s mom “care package” and realized we will be going back to the US in just a month. The time has been wonderful and now seems much too short. We have fallen in love with India! One question to leave with you….Did you know that jungle is a Hindi word?
The itinerary is for those of you who want to follow our journey either before or after.
Nameste….T I I
PROPOSED ITINERARY FOR FIELD TRIP APRIL 6 – APRIL 16, 2013 FOR 13 PEOPLE (SELF, WIFE, 11 RENSSELAER ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS)
APRIL 6 – 13: coach for 19 with A/C
DEPART FOR SOUTH ON SATURDAY, APRIL 6
APRIL 6: Depart from Presidency Enclave by coach to airport (early morning flight to Chennai from Ahmadabad) arrive early to Chennai and meet with coach to explore the city
Visit: Dakshina-chitra, Kapeleeshwar Temple, St. Andrew’s Kirk, Fort Museum Beach, Check into hotel mid-afternoon
APRIL 6: Hotel for night of April 6 in Chennai
APRIL 7: depart for Auroville at 6am with stop at Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram)
APRIL 7 & 8: Hotel for nights of April 7 & 8 in Auroville
Visit: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Perhaps participate in Earth Building Workshop (8:30am – 4:15pm), Ashram/Commune complex, City of Dawn, featuring Matrimandir Auromodel Housing Community, Integrated Learning Center, Solar Kitchen, Visitor’s Center, Vikas Housing, Community Last School. Possible day trip to Pondicherry on April 8.
APRIL 9: depart for Thanjavur at 6am (stop at Chidambaram (Nataraja Temple) on way to Thanjavur)
APRIL 9: Hotel for night in Thanjavur
Visit: Brihadishvara Temple, Observation Tower, Royal Palace: Saraswati Library
APRIL 10: depart for Madurai – if possible, visit Srirangam on way to Madurai
APRIL 10 & 11: Hotel for nights of April 10 & 11 in Madurai
Visit: Minakshi – Sundareshvara temple complex, possible visit to Thiruparankundram, possible visit to tombs of Madurai sultans
APRIL 12: depart for Kollam
APRIL 12: Hotel for night of April 12 in Kollam
APRIL 13: backwater river tour at Alleppy, (3 hours)
APRIL 13: night in Alleppy
APRIL 14: 6am coach to Kochin airport for flight to Goa
APRIL 14: coach pick up at Goa airport
APRIL 14 & 15: Hotel for nights of April 14 & 15 in Goa (Panaji)
Visit: Beach, Panaji, Old Town
APRIL 16: Train from Goa to Mumbai (arrive at Mumbai VT station at 9:40pm) Bus transfer to Mumbai Central Rail Station. Overnight train to Ahmadabad departs at 11:25pm
APRIL 17: Arrive Ahmadabad at 5:50am
This is Incredible South India !
If you were going to India, where would you want to go? Do you want to visit why or why not? I have discovered that people either want desperately to go or they don’t! There seems to be no middle ground on wanting to visit India!
TalesAlongTheWay 
I’m always excited to hear of your tales in India! You bring it to life like no other! I would love to go there but my days of traveling long flights are over. 😦 I’ll live vicariously through others who visit these amazing places!
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Thank you for your kind comment. I hope you will be able to travel more after all your balloon is always ready and waiting! Anyway, with all the great blogs, it is indeed possible to travel from home! Big smiles. . . .
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My balloon. I love it!!!
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😎
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Have a lovely time Anne xxx
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Sorry , this was not clear. Some of my followers who weren’t followers when I was in India have requested that if reblog posts from India. This was one of them. I usually reblog one sometime during the week. We are terribly excited to be returning if all goes as planned with students for the spring semester of 3015! Big smiles. . . .
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Enjoy! Blessings, Natalie 🙂
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The iterlinary looks so full that you move from place to place almost every day!
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So finally I am back too from my south India trip. It was really awesome I must tell you. I visited Kerala and Tamil Nadu mainly. There we saw beautiful beaches of Kanyakumari, Kollam, Thekeddy and Aellepy. It was such an amazing journey. So finally I am posting those pictures on my blog, take some time out and have a look at them. 🙂
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Sounds as if we went to some of the same places. It is amazing how different it is in the south, isn’t it? My husband says he thinks it like the south the best but I am partial to the north !
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See there is no comparison of north and south in India. Here in south the lush green forestry is preserved in its pristine form but in North India that beauty is just loosing its essence. I will post some pictures of kerala’s dense vegetation and that thing you will never be able to see in north. Its like my best trip ever in India. Everything is so natural and beautiful and you feel so close to nature !!!!
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