The November of 2013 took us to our long awaited trip to Singapore. I can’t believe it was finally happening. I and my wife both had postponed this trip time and again for several reasons unexplained, and when it finally happened, we made sure to make the most of it; so also my little girl Sharbani.

We decided to travel through Chennai as there are regular flights from here and the time taken is about four and a half hours. We had to take a day break in between and so, it was the right time to explore Chennai as well. We obviously chose Marina Beach as it the signature of Chennai. Here are few pieces of my journey put together for you all.

We decided to stay close to the Airport, especially for the fact that it makes the Airport transfers more feasible. We felt that the luxury part can be compromised a little bit, considering the flight timings, reporting timings for international flights, and documentation process involved.

We took a taxi from our hotel and moved to Marina Beach in the morning. It was just 25 mins drive from the hotel and the nuisance of the peak traffic was made up for with the superb aesthetics around the periphery of the beach.

The Marina Beach is the longest natural beach in India. The beaches adjoining the ‘Bay of Bengal’ are particularly less exploited in comparison to the ‘Arabian Sea’, because of the fact that the ‘Bay of Bengal’ sea has the tendency to pull inward, whereas the ‘Arabian Sea’ has a tendency to throw outward. This can be understood with the coastline. In ‘Bay of Bengal’ seas, wherever you move along the coastline, you will find a sudden dip in the shore, which means a novice trying to play around in the waves will be suddenly pulled inward. It is always a good experience to enjoy the sunset along the coastline.The beach entrance showcases an arched structure with the effigy of Shri C N Annadurai, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, in between, that attracts the attention of a first timer.

As we walked in, we met with the memorial of Shri C N Annadurai, a pillar carved out in black marble, almost 25 feet in height. The ever burning lamp at the memorial signifies his glory.We started walking further along the artistically designed pathway with tapered passage gates surrounding a green patio leading to and out of the MGR memorial. The landscaping of the entire area is fabulously designed and thought over and is worth a click.

The MGR memorial is a structure with ten arched pillars inclined inwards and the memorial beam made in black marble, supported on a central column. The base is a stable structure with a lamp lit to burn continuously.

As we walked out, my daughter wanted to do some photography and the result is this beautiful click. The angle itself indicates a photo taken from near ground level, and my wife and I could not stop giggling about it, as our daughter kept changing positions for that perfect click.

It was time to explore the beach and the weather along the coast was at its best. Considering the safety factors, the best way to enjoy was to sit next to the beach and watch the roaring waves. Especially for my 4 year old daughter, the experience was remarkable as she had seen a sea coast for the first time.

The sun was about to set and we had to reach our hotel to check out and move to the Airport. Though it was a trip in a short time, yet the experience was remarkable. It was time now to prepare for the next journey…

Continued…..