Mamallapuram

OK so the photos aren't working too well but i will keep trying as i write this. We are now gonna be heading to Chennai where we will be getting a 20 hours, yes 2-0! hour train ride to Bhubaneswar where we can then get to Puri. It's gonna be quite the test, I'm not really sure what of yet but probably a test of something. The days here in Mamallapuram were not really spent doing a whole lot. But that was both up our alleys as we both got a little sick (well really i got sick and then got Justina sick but those of course are just minor details). So due to the lack of energy we spent some time sleeping in and enjoying our large bed and very clean room, and hanging out at the many rooftop louge restaurants or chillin on the beach. Sounds tough i know. But we are by now feeling quite a bit better and i think we will both agree in as the 11-12th hour on the train comes around that we will be very glad that we are not sick. I still enjoyed a really nice birthday though, got a nice card, a book that i just have to read as well treated to a relaxation message from Justina. All very nice presents. Because of course i was feeling just so stressed out. It was a little interesting getting massaged by a man with sort of rough hands totally naked, and switching positions, lying down, up, sitting, etc.. but it was really nice and i know i probably thought about it a lot more than he did. Although he kept asking if Justina was gonna come back to get one too, but hey i can't blame the guy for wanting to massage girls, could you? We also spent some time on the beach enjoying the late sun. I got a lot of really nice bday emails too, could have a little to do with the hint i put in the blog but they were really well recieved anyways, so thanks to all. For my birthday dinner we actually tried the seafood here (as in the stuff they catch that day) and it was really nice, some jumbo prawns and tuna steaks. And we even drank 3 beers! I know it doesn't sound like much but here that's quite the milestone. One day we vistised the Five Raithas temple complex that is another world heritage site that can be checked off the list. It was fairly small but you just had to remind yourself that all those structures were carved from one solid piece of rock and that ain't easy. Today we went shopping as this place is a bit of a sculpture capital (see Justina's blog title) and actually did very well. Of course you could buy so much more as many of them are truly remarkable but there is only so much that can be carried and only so much that can be shipped. One that was really interesting was that had Laptop Ganesh and even a bunch of Desktop computer Ganesh. Again it's amazing how they depict their gods here, whether it be laptop Ganesh or all the flahy lights and things, to us it makes them seem much less holy and to a point disrespectful, but they love it here. Just more crazy India.