We left at 9.45 pm on June 10, 2005 to catch the Volvo to Chennai. We were quite aware that we are going to visit a place, which is caught amidst in the rigid roots of a Dravidian cultural orthodoxy and the tantalizing tentacles of modernization! We were well prepared to encounter Tamil speaking mass!!!

When we reached the travel agency, we were quite amused to see the crowd traveling to Chennai. We had to run from one Volvo to another to spot our bus...Finally we got into Volvo and the person who was collecting our ticket didn't return the ticket at all! Then the journey started! I mean the cold journey!!! Though the Volvo guys provided a sheet (as thin as lightening), the temperature maintained at the bus easily makes you feel as if you are in the cold storage!! Luckily, we had carried a nice, warm blanket from home, which saved us from frostbites!!! There's no problem we slept nicely...my wife was snoozing away to glory!

When we reached Chennai, I had to put in an extra effort to wake up my wife...she was unwilling to part with the blanket...when we reached the stop, we got the rickshaw who was willing to take us to.. (Forgotten the name of the place) he asked to pay 75 Rs. We went searching for the Reliance guesthouse...it was 6.30 am in the morning! It was getting humid already!

Chillness and the cold treatment given by the Volvo were slowly changing!

Removed our Jackets and sweaters.... we started feeling a bit weird! We felt as if our nose will be sore from smelling locale. At every other turn, you will be thrown on to a pile of humanity and at every alternate turn the pile of humanity will be thrown back at you. Basically, you see a lot people who are up and are prancing around their daily chores!!! We stopped at a couple of places to enquire about the address! Here's the funny part about Chennai, they have an old address number and a new address number... The streets are not sequentially arranged! You have 4th main after 7th main!!! Anyways, it was a Herculean task to find the guesthouse!

When we entered the guesthouse, we had a warm welcome by a Reliance associate, who was still rubbing his eyes! He showed our room and switched on the AC!!  Then we felt a little relieved. We had our coffee and took rest for a while! While browsing through TV channels, we were hoping to see some English channels!! We could feel the tremendous linguistic pride via TV also!!  Anyways, I got ready, had an excellent breakfast and called for a citi-tax to go the Emirates Airways client's office! It was a long journey again!! No AC in the Van, couldn't open the windows too coz of hot wind!!!

Somehow reached the office (little roasted and baked) and had an exhaustive and a very lengthy sessions!

Meantime, my wife used to call me up to find out what's happening!

Is it done, it's done?

Took the same cit-tax and reached guesthouse! My wife was ready and waiting for me to arrive! She was all set to do shopping but I was totally exhausted! Then I decide to take her to nearby beach! The taxi driver suggested going to Elllot beach...He said it's close. We traveled again for a long time to reach the beach! Don't ask me about the rates...it is damaging, very high price!!! As long as you are there in Chennai, you got to keep aside huge funds for traveling within the city. There is no place in Chennai where you cannot be cheated!

After oxygen, the most life-giving essence in Chennai is the beach!! Though many couples were engrossed about themselves, we were carried away with the enormity of the ocean. Walked along the beach and noticed tiny little crabs trying hide inside the sand!!! Spent some time watching the waves that were intensely hitting the shore!! Thought we will walk along its shoreline till we reach the end of the beach!!! But hardly there was time execute this thought!! We came out of the lovely sand and started looking for the cab we booked. Tried reaching him on his cell phone...his mobile was switched off!!! Cursed our bad luck and the driver, found an auto guy who demanded a lot to reach us back to the guesthouse. We dropped the idea of doing any shopping, rushed back to the guesthouse. Had our dinner and started waiting for the taxi!! It was only twenty minutes left to catch our train, when the taxi driver arrived at the guesthouse. We were in a hurry to catch the train, and the taxi driver got out to discuss about the address confusion.

We reached the railway station exactly three minutes before the train starts to Bangalore. We ran like nobody's business and got into our compartment without bothering the stinking platform. The train journey was just ok and reached Bangalore at early morning!! It was cold and felt at home!! Reached home safely!!!! This is what Chennai is: the old, orthodox and piously religious intermingling with the strong, competitive and determined. Despite all the culture shocks it held for me, and all those auto-rickshaw fellows who cheated me, it was a fruitful trip to Chennai coz I got an excellent offer from Emirates Airways.