Here’s a portrait of a map outlining the empire of the Chola Dynasty that ruled South India and parts of South East East Asia under Rajendra Chola one in the 11th century. This map lies lost in a thatched shed which homes the museum too. And the thatched shed is in a forgotten town called Gangaikondacholapuram, the erstwhile capital that once ruled over this whole empire. Today the city doesn’t exist, excepting an half finished enormous Brihadeshwara church that is like the one in Thanjavur, built by Rajendra’s pa, Raja Raja Chola. Here’s a painting of the king, Rajendra himself – in the same museum.

Overall: Portugal is one of the most laid-back European countries. It’s not too fast, not too slow, safe, clean, convenient, and easy to get around. The people are casual and unpretentious and we felt very comfortable as soon as we arrived in Lisbon. Better yet, we continued to feel relaxed and at-home in the other towns that we visited. Continue reading →