Rock carvings and caves

First day in Mamallapuram and so far it's the best place I've stopped in yet. Just the right blend of culture, traveler ambiance and Indian life.

There is a cool breeze that comes from  the sea. It's lovely and although the waves don't crash they rumble in with a boiling intensity. An early evening snack in a thatched roof beach side open cafe is bliss. No Bob Marley or trance music just the sound of the waves punctuated with a dog barking and fishermens calls.

This afternoon I wandered into the monument area. A large public park peppered with huge rock formations similar to Hampi. Some the rocks have detailed carvings and a few have some cave Temples carefully chipped out of them.

And with hundreds of secret nooks and crannies to settle in, Indian couples settle in for some romantic moments. 

The main feature of the area is a giant rock that looks impossibly balanced on the steep hillside. The ideal spot for photos of brave tourists holding the rock up. Also the perfect place for an Australian theatre troupe called Humanist Clowns to put on an impromptu performance. Much laughter

A nice indian couple snapped  this for me

Caves are popular here

It's really more stable than it looks

A large bunch of Australian clowns clowning around