I was the main lecturer on the 4 week course on biological membranes sponsored by UNESCO in the School of Biological Sciences at Madurai Kamaraj University, organised by the head of the School C. Rajamanickam. The 4th week was The II International Symposium on Biomembranes: Structure, Biogenesis and Transport, organised by Rajamanickam. There were 12 students on the course, one from Iran and the others from South Asia.

The University is in a rural area about 14 Km from the centre of Madurai with its a world famous Meenakshi temple.

Madurai is in Tamil Nadu, South India. I flew to Madras, thence to Madurai. After the conference I went by bus to Kerala to a beach resort (near Kovalam), then by train to Cochin, flying home from there by way of Madras.

I spent my spare time at the temple or walking in the surrounding counryside where I always felt welcome. This was the time of Halley's comet which we watched from the roof after my evening lectures when the electricicity supply routinely ceased for 15 minutes.

These pictures are from very old Agfa slides which become overcome by magenta which i have tried to correct.

To read complete diary of this visit click here for pdf

Kovalam, Kerala           Kovalam is a small coastal town in the southern Indian state of Kerala, south of Trivandrum (now Thiruvananthapuram).
I went to recover there after the 4 week course. A travel agent advised (lying) that the only place iIcould book in advance was an expensive beach resort at Kovalem. It was wondereful and used up my non-exchangeable rupees given me for running the course.