Sticky in Chennai

While Esmerelda is off to the wilds of Cambodia, I will blog about a few trips we have yet to document - the most remarkable of which was my solo trip to Thanjavur.  The best part of visiting Thanjavur of course are the massive South Indian temples with stunning chola architecture, sculptures and murals.   Here are a couple of shots of the Brahadeeswarar temple which is truly gargantuan.  You have to see it to understand its scale.  When I was there the sun was high up in the sky; it was hot out.  And, as with all temples in India, I was asked to remove my shoes in order to enter.  Of course, as a world traveling hipster, this is no problem for me.  So I take off my shoes and head into the temple, my heart filled with expectation of a thrilling spiritual experience.  As I walk into the temple, absorbing the vast stone structure in all of its might and grandeur, the bottom of my feet begin to get a little uncomfortable.  And after a few more steps, they begin to outright hurt.  And a few seconds later my soles are outright burning.  The stones had become very hot from being in the sun - to the point that walking in the temple felt like strolling across a hot frying pan.  Try as I did, it was simply unbearable to stroll around the temple.  It was very ironic.  Months of anticipation, only to find myself convulsing in pain and fearful that I would end the day with serious burns on the bottom of my feet.

I developed a strategy of sprinting from shadow to shadow in an effort to see as much of the temple as I could. This approach did let me get around, but overall the visit will be recalled as primarily a physically painful event.  Such a shame.  The temple is gorgeous.  At least I provided some comic relief to some of the pilgrims who could not help but see the humor in the bald white man running, crying and laughing all at the same time in a desperate effort to reach the next patch of shady stone.