Early to Rise...Early to Bed...
Our morning started early today, even before the sun came up. During dinner the night before, we were offered a special “early morning tour” to visit the flower markets of Maduri, and as you can imagine, I was immediately “in”. I planned to go by myself, so as to not pressure my Dad or PJ to feel obligated for this 5am wake up call and 6am departure…but PJ was genuinely excited about going….so he joined me. Our early departure was due in part to the fact that these well known flower markets are only open between the hours of 5am and 8am - and then all of the flower vendors close up shop and either move to a different location…or back to their farms. These market vendors serve many temples, restaurants and hotels…as well as residents of the town of Maduri. Though I had pictured something slightly different in my mind, the early rise was well worth it…especially for the senses.
As you can probably imagine, I took MANY more pictures than I’ve posted here…but I think you probably get the point. Rows upon rows of beautiful, vibrant colors. And - to be sure the smells weren’t left out - they actually burn any leftover flowers and herbs overnight that were not sold the day before…so that was a sensory experience all on its own.
We took a short tour through Maduri on our way back to the train, which was just shy of the morning rush. There was a quiet and calm that isn’t typical to this big bustling City, but one that would change very quickly.
We have jumped over a state since our last adventure, so we are now in the state of Tamil Nadu, which is where the City of Maduri is located. It is the third largest city in Tamil Nadu, but is considered by many to be the “heart and soul” of the state. Maduri has existed for over 2,500 years….so as you can imagine…it is also one of the oldest cities in India. In its very early years, Maduri was well known for its Literary Society, called Tamil Shangam. Present day, it is a major hit for regional, national and International travel and supports the city’s increasingly international population and commercial interests. While it’s IT and Technology sectors are becoming stronger by the day, it is also very committed to the traditional industry of cotton spinning and weaving as well as the manufacture of tobacco and sugar.
Our Tour Guide broke the City down quite simply as we moved through our abbreviated tour, telling us it was a City known for 7 very important things:
“A Temple City”: there are literally hundreds of temples spread throughout Maduri, including perhaps its most famous and most breathtakingly intricate temple: the Meenakshi Amman Temple, which at times can see over 25,000 visitors per day. Yes. Per day.
“The Cotton City”: dating back hundreds of years, this remains their traditional and most important trade.
“The Jasmine City”: this beautiful and fragrant flower is exported from Maduri and is considered to be one of its most desired trades.
“The City that Doesn’t Sleep”: we were told that New York City has nothing on Maduri. No matter what time of day or night you are walking the street of Maduri, you will always find people, parties and open markets.
“The Trading City”: this city is very deliberate about its trades and has a very organized system where each street represents a different trade. Rarely are they mixed together.
“Special Event City”: they have celebrations in the streets almost every weekend. The people here love a good celebration and the town pretty much celebrates everything, no matter what. Perhaps I’ve got a future here.
“The Cultural Capital City”: this is considered to be the hub of music and art in Tamil Nadu
Our welcome back to the train was unexpected but totally amazing. India’s version of a “Morning Wake Up Call” which was both strange and fantastic all at the same time. Plus, PJ was able to get a little dancing in which always makes for a good time.
After a little rest and a quick nap for PJ, we ventured out again in the afternoon for a visit to the Thirumali Nayak Palace. To be honest, we found that it was a nice departure from our “Temple Tours” and we had not yet been to a palace, so we were excited about the trip (with all due respect the the Temples). I could give you the very long history behind this Palace…or I could just tell you that it was massive, architecturally stunning, incredibly impressive in size and beauty, had a throne (because every proper palace should have a throne). Let’s just move on.
Given our early start, we were ready for an early bedtime. We have gotten into the habit of meeting our group of friends in the bar cart following dinner for a little night cap, but I just didn’t have it in me tonight. Though our little bed on wheels is not the most comfortable or stable sleeping environment - it was a welcome respite for us tonight. I don’ think PJ was horizontal for more than 30 seconds before he was lights out, so his post comes with a bit of a delay (the following morning).
And with that, I will throw it over to King PJ:
Hey, PJ here.
Much like the last post, I am suffering from a little bit of writer’s block, so this will be the exact format as the last one. I think it’s probably because things have been busy, we are moving around a lot and we are very much exhausted. The early bird gets the worm of a stable WiFi connection, but also a drawback of a longer day. I speak from experience, with waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back asleep.
The day today took us to the flower markets, which were very nice. I enjoyed the people in the market, the good smells…really just everything about it. We then took a couple hours off to rest and then went to a palace for a couple of hours. We had dinner, and then I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
That’s all I have to say. Goodbye for now!
