We spent a week in Vellore, which was quite an interesting experience. The town is surrounded by low hills on all sides - the visual impact is of a city cradled up in the mountains. Soon we realised it is one of the warmest places in South India. The hills store up the heat and block any breeze that might come in the town.

We looked up in the net about Vellore before reaching there. One quote described Vellore as "A river without any water, A Fort without a King, A temple without any diety, and Women without any Beauty". Well, the first two are quite true. The river is dry. The fort looks impressive from outside but once you get in, it seems so unlike a fort - all you see are Government offices, chaotic traffic, and a maze of un-fort like british period buildings. There is a jail in one part - a historic place in its own right as it housed several freedom fighters in India's independence struggle in the last century.

We stayed in a fifth floor corner suite in a Hotel called Darling Residency. Quite a darling little place really. The view was terrific - lots of greenry with hills in the background. The roof-top restaurant was very popular - we had to book in advance to get any table. The food was very good (except for one day when the chicken sizzler was a disaster). The North Indian food tasted quite North Indian (The Dal Makhani did not taste of Sambher Powder). We were told that this North Indian influence was due to the fact that people come from all over the country for treatment at the local Christian Medical College Hospital and sometimes stay for extended periods in the local hotels.

We had a problem going out for our morning walks. The roads, even early in the morning, are chaotic, and we could not find any park near enough for the morning constitutional. The fitness centre in the hotel boasts of a treadmill - a creaking old machine which proved a ted difficult to tame - and an old fashioned stationery cycle.

Well it was a good week we had in Vellore.