Abu Dhabi and Chennai

Abu Dhabi (29 December - 1 January)

 We flew from Manchester to Abu Dhabi on Etihad Airways. It was the first time we had flown Etihad and we were very impressed with the aircraft and service.  We arrived in Abu Dhabi in the evening and went straight to the wrong hotel. We went to the Millennium Hotel NOT the Grand Millennium where we should have been ! A quick taxi ride brought us to the right place. 

Our hotel was located next door to the Al Wadha Shopping Mall. The Mall turned out to be handy as there was a Starbucks which was a great place to grab a coffee and people watch, although it could have been a mall anywhere in the world. 

Next day, we set out to explore Abu Dhabi. There isn't a great deal to see in Abu Dhabi as a tourist, but perhaps the most impressive thing to visit is the The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, on the outskirts of the city. The design of the Mosque can be best described as a fusion of Arab, Mughal and Moorish architecture. 

Kris was required to dress in a burqa (which the mosque provided) even though she was already dressed very conservatively. 

The other thing we had been told that we HAD to do was afternoon tea at The Emirates Palace Hotel. The hotel was quite splendid.

On our last day, we spent a lazy morning in the hotel and then went for a walk along the beachfront area.  

As we were about to head back to the hotel, a dramatic and colorful display of aerobatics started along the beachfront. 

Once the display had ended, we headed back to the hotel and then out to the airport to catch our next flight to India. To our surprise, after some confusion finding the correct check-in, the nice man who checked us in upgraded us to Business Class - for free. He said it was a New Year present for us. Very nice !

Chennai ( 2 January to 4 January)

We arrived in Chennai (which used to be known as Madras) about 4:00 am. Although the airport was not terribly modern, it was very quiet and we were through the formalities very quickly. We were met outside by our driver, Hari and a courier, who took us to our hotel, The Vivanta by Taj. As we hadn't had much sleep, we were happy to get to our room and fall into bed. 

 The hotel was very grand and very much in the colonial style, but it was beginning to show it's age and wasn't quite as luxurious as perhaps it had been in years gone by.

 After a few hours sleep, Hari came to give us a tour of the city, together with a tour guide. We started in the Fort George area, which had originally been built by the British in 1644 to keep out the French. The fort is now mostly offices and military buildings but some of the original buildings remain, including St Mary's Church, which was built in 1680.

 There is a larger church devoted to St Thomas (sometimes called "Doubting Thomas" who supposedly died in Chennai. His remains were carried away by the Portugese, but they left behind a small scrap of bone and a Basilica has been built around his (now empty) tomb.

 Next day, we continued our tour of the area with a day trip to Kanchipuram, one of the seven sacred cities in India, with over one hundred temples. Fortunately, we only visited three.

 We stopped to see silk being woven, on looms which could have been used a hundred years ago.

In the afternoon, we drove to Mahabalipuram, a small town on the coast, with a UNESCO World Heritage site called The Five Rathas (or Five Chariots) carved from solid stone in the 7th century. Their original purpose is unknown and they are unfinished.

After our day of touring the area, we returned to Chennai, with Pondicherry our next planned stop.