to see the photos of Madurai at Divali festival, click on the link below
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009701&id=1112916442&l=f3d45a03f6
The bus from Kanyakumari to Madurai was slow and wet due to recent rains, and since we have been in Madurai it has been chaotic!!! Today (27th October ) is the final day of the Divali festival in the south of India. the workers get a month's pay as bonus at this time of the year, and then go on a shopping spree. It seems everyone gets new clothes, pots, pans, housewares, electrical goods and gold. Since it had been raining for several days before we got here, the hawkers and shops only had 3 days to sell their goods, and the public the same time to buy theirs. Madurai is a textile centre, so lots of people come here to do their shopping. The shops were still open at 5 am this morning, but now (midday) everthing is closed, and people have gone home to celebrate with their families and let off fire crackers!! The fireworks have been going off all day and night for the last 3 days and nights!!
The reason we came to Madurai was to see the temple, but it is undergoing renovation and all four towers are covered with scaffolding and coconut mats. Cant see a thing. The palace is also undergoing renovation, and the sound and light show advertised everywhere hasn't been going since Jan 2007. At least it hasn't rained, and it has been fun going out and mingling with the hordes. We are as much of an amusement to them as their celebrations and excitement are to us.
Having a quiet day today, and have finally got this blog up to date!! We will see if we can get a bus out with the crowds tomorrow.
to see the photos of Madurai at Divali festival, click on the link below
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009701&id=1112916442&l=f3d45a03f6
Monday, October 27, 2008
Varkala, Kovalam, Kanyakumari
to see the photos of the beaches at Varkala, Kovalam and Kanyakumari click on the link below
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009697&id=1112916442&l=0332e9d9ec
We left Alleppey on the ferry to Kollam, an 8 hour journey on the backwaters. About half way down, we went through a lock, travelling from fresh to sea water. Below the lock, much of the area had been devastated by the tsunami. Because it was salt water, we no longer had the displays of washing to keep us entertained, but saw more fishing and diving for sand and mussels.
Also passed the Hugging Mother Ashram. This is a number of multi-storey buildings, where anybody can go and live the simple ashram life, and maybe get to meet the Hugging Mother!! Also saw lots of Chinese fishing nets, but most of them were made of steel, rather than bamboo.
From Kollam we went by bus/autorickshaw to Varkala, one of the recognised beach resort areas in Southern Kerala. It was tourist central at the beach (the locals tend to live inland), with more foreign tourist than we had seen before!!
Stayed in a Bali style bamboo hut, and spent some time with Ulf and Maria from Sweden who we had met on the ferry from Alleppey. Varkala has a nice beach, and cliff top accommodation, restaurants, walks and the perennial shops and vendors. Unfortunately like most of India we have seen so far, it did not have rubbish bins, so rubbish was just tipped over the cliff edge. It was a shame to see such a beautiful place ruined by plastic bottles and rubbish.
From Varkala we travelled south to Kovalam, another beach, but no steps to climb down to get to the water. We decided to catch the train, a poor decision, since the 10.30 am train left at 1pm!!! Still we got there, were hijacked by a autorickshaw driver who took us to his preferred accommodation option. It worked out well as we got a room on the beachfront in a half-finished block for a very reasonable rate. We had great balcony, where we could sit and watch life on the beach!!! Lots of fisherman pulling in nets, also fishermen collecting mussels in boats made from about 4 or 5 shaped tree trunks and tied together with string. These were assembled to go fishing in, then broken down and placed on racks to dry after. Every restaurant had fresh fish out the front - Peter could choose a fish and get it cooked in his preferred style. Unfortunately, despite the garnishing being correct, the fish was usually very overcooked, and Peter gave up on the prawns!!! The last night we went to an upmarket restaurant where the cooks could cook seafood, and Peter had a great meal of mixed seafood shashlicks!!! During this stay, we were dodging the rain, but it didn't really worry us as we had our own private viewing balcony!!
One day we walked over the southern headland to see what was on the other side, and found a huge fishing village, with hundreds of boats, a fish market, 3 mosques and a huge Catholic church. The fish market was buzzing.
From Kovalam, we took a bus to the southern tip of India, Kanyakumari. One of the highlights of this place is to see the sunrise and the sunset, however in our 2 days there we did not see the sun!!! - let alone a rise or set. Also bought the second umbrella there. Even so, we were glad we went, they have a temple and a statue on islands just off the tip (ferry boat trip to visit), plus memorials to Gandhi and some other freedom fighter. Lots of Indian tourists here - it seems it is a place that is important for them to visit. Once again, we had a sea view, and could watch the fishing boats leaving in the morning and returning 2 or 3 hours later with their catches.
to see the photos of the beaches at Varkala, Kovalam and Kanyakumari click on the link below
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009697&id=1112916442&l=0332e9d9ec
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009697&id=1112916442&l=0332e9d9ec
We left Alleppey on the ferry to Kollam, an 8 hour journey on the backwaters. About half way down, we went through a lock, travelling from fresh to sea water. Below the lock, much of the area had been devastated by the tsunami. Because it was salt water, we no longer had the displays of washing to keep us entertained, but saw more fishing and diving for sand and mussels.
Also passed the Hugging Mother Ashram. This is a number of multi-storey buildings, where anybody can go and live the simple ashram life, and maybe get to meet the Hugging Mother!! Also saw lots of Chinese fishing nets, but most of them were made of steel, rather than bamboo.
From Kollam we went by bus/autorickshaw to Varkala, one of the recognised beach resort areas in Southern Kerala. It was tourist central at the beach (the locals tend to live inland), with more foreign tourist than we had seen before!!
Stayed in a Bali style bamboo hut, and spent some time with Ulf and Maria from Sweden who we had met on the ferry from Alleppey. Varkala has a nice beach, and cliff top accommodation, restaurants, walks and the perennial shops and vendors. Unfortunately like most of India we have seen so far, it did not have rubbish bins, so rubbish was just tipped over the cliff edge. It was a shame to see such a beautiful place ruined by plastic bottles and rubbish.
From Varkala we travelled south to Kovalam, another beach, but no steps to climb down to get to the water. We decided to catch the train, a poor decision, since the 10.30 am train left at 1pm!!! Still we got there, were hijacked by a autorickshaw driver who took us to his preferred accommodation option. It worked out well as we got a room on the beachfront in a half-finished block for a very reasonable rate. We had great balcony, where we could sit and watch life on the beach!!! Lots of fisherman pulling in nets, also fishermen collecting mussels in boats made from about 4 or 5 shaped tree trunks and tied together with string. These were assembled to go fishing in, then broken down and placed on racks to dry after. Every restaurant had fresh fish out the front - Peter could choose a fish and get it cooked in his preferred style. Unfortunately, despite the garnishing being correct, the fish was usually very overcooked, and Peter gave up on the prawns!!! The last night we went to an upmarket restaurant where the cooks could cook seafood, and Peter had a great meal of mixed seafood shashlicks!!! During this stay, we were dodging the rain, but it didn't really worry us as we had our own private viewing balcony!!
One day we walked over the southern headland to see what was on the other side, and found a huge fishing village, with hundreds of boats, a fish market, 3 mosques and a huge Catholic church. The fish market was buzzing.
From Kovalam, we took a bus to the southern tip of India, Kanyakumari. One of the highlights of this place is to see the sunrise and the sunset, however in our 2 days there we did not see the sun!!! - let alone a rise or set. Also bought the second umbrella there. Even so, we were glad we went, they have a temple and a statue on islands just off the tip (ferry boat trip to visit), plus memorials to Gandhi and some other freedom fighter. Lots of Indian tourists here - it seems it is a place that is important for them to visit. Once again, we had a sea view, and could watch the fishing boats leaving in the morning and returning 2 or 3 hours later with their catches.
to see the photos of the beaches at Varkala, Kovalam and Kanyakumari click on the link below
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009697&id=1112916442&l=0332e9d9ec
Alleppey (Alappuzha)
to see us lazing around in Alleppey, click on the link below
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009143&id=1112916442&l=4b055dc6b6
Took a 12 hour government bus ride from Mysore to Alleppey. This was a great improvement over the private bus we had taken from Mysore to Kochi. The government bus is allowed in the public bus stations, and make regular toilet and food stops, in comparison to the private buses which are often not allowed into the bigger cities, and drop you off at some intersection on the outskirts of town, and tell you to take a taxi the rest of the way.
Alleppey, the famous backwater town, where everyone goes for their houseboat trip. After arriving early in the morning, we found accommodation at Sona guesthouse, which was simple, but quiet, cool, and with a very helpful host Joseph. There is not much in the town itself, but it does manufacture umbrellas there - and we got to find out why.
We looked around town, went to the beach - watched the locals paddling, and walked down the beach past lots of fishing boats. Joseph asked us if we wanted a houseboat, and how luxurious we wanted it to be, then recommended us to a couple of boat operators. (and I am sure he got some commission for this, but it is better to go with a recommendation, than choose from the multitudes yourselves). One operator was unable to take us on the day we wanted, but the second one was available, and convinced us to take 1 2-night trip. We are easily persuaded, but it proved to be an excellent decision.
Our houseboat came with a crew of 3, the captain (who sat out the front, steered, and rang a bell when he wanted engine changes), the engineer who lay next to the outboard motor and responded to the bells from the captain!!!, and the cook, who prepared the feasts for us and spoke a little English. What was missing was the commentary in any understandable form, waving of arms and nodding of heads can be difficult to interpret!!!! The houseboat was comparatively small - only one bedroom with ensuite (some were up to 5 double bedrooms), a dining/lounge room at the front where the crew slept at night, and a pokey bit out the back where the meals were prepared.
We headed off into the canals. Near Alleppey, we seemed to be in a procession of houseboats, and it is not even high season. Because we had a 2 night trip, we ventured deeper into the canal systems, and so often were the only houseboat in sight!! The second day when we were more isolated was especially nice.
The canals are often higher than the fields, so it was strange to look down several metres to the people working in the rice paddies. There are whole communities in the backwaters, with cottages on tiny strips of land on the levies. The schools had boats rather than buses to get the kids to and from school, and there were lots of canoe-style ferries, and a few motorised ferries for longer distance travel. Life on the canal took place in front of us, which gave us lots of great photo opportunities. We regularly heard the crack of washing being flogged on the rocks. It seemed ongoing all day, not just a morning routine. Everything happened in the canal, daily ablutions, clothes washing, dish washing & pan scrubbing. The chooks, goats, cows, dogs and cats roamed around as well, there were shops, schools, lots of churches and church schools, adn then there were the workers - diving to the bottom of the river to collect sand and mussels, transporting rocks, hay, timber, rice, farm machinery etc. there was plenty to watch as we sat idly on our lounge chairs.
After 2 relaxing days we returned to land and the life of the budget traveller.
to see us lazing around in Alleppey, click on the link below
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009143&id=1112916442&l=4b055dc6b6
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009143&id=1112916442&l=4b055dc6b6
Took a 12 hour government bus ride from Mysore to Alleppey. This was a great improvement over the private bus we had taken from Mysore to Kochi. The government bus is allowed in the public bus stations, and make regular toilet and food stops, in comparison to the private buses which are often not allowed into the bigger cities, and drop you off at some intersection on the outskirts of town, and tell you to take a taxi the rest of the way.
Alleppey, the famous backwater town, where everyone goes for their houseboat trip. After arriving early in the morning, we found accommodation at Sona guesthouse, which was simple, but quiet, cool, and with a very helpful host Joseph. There is not much in the town itself, but it does manufacture umbrellas there - and we got to find out why.
We looked around town, went to the beach - watched the locals paddling, and walked down the beach past lots of fishing boats. Joseph asked us if we wanted a houseboat, and how luxurious we wanted it to be, then recommended us to a couple of boat operators. (and I am sure he got some commission for this, but it is better to go with a recommendation, than choose from the multitudes yourselves). One operator was unable to take us on the day we wanted, but the second one was available, and convinced us to take 1 2-night trip. We are easily persuaded, but it proved to be an excellent decision.
Our houseboat came with a crew of 3, the captain (who sat out the front, steered, and rang a bell when he wanted engine changes), the engineer who lay next to the outboard motor and responded to the bells from the captain!!!, and the cook, who prepared the feasts for us and spoke a little English. What was missing was the commentary in any understandable form, waving of arms and nodding of heads can be difficult to interpret!!!! The houseboat was comparatively small - only one bedroom with ensuite (some were up to 5 double bedrooms), a dining/lounge room at the front where the crew slept at night, and a pokey bit out the back where the meals were prepared.
We headed off into the canals. Near Alleppey, we seemed to be in a procession of houseboats, and it is not even high season. Because we had a 2 night trip, we ventured deeper into the canal systems, and so often were the only houseboat in sight!! The second day when we were more isolated was especially nice.
The canals are often higher than the fields, so it was strange to look down several metres to the people working in the rice paddies. There are whole communities in the backwaters, with cottages on tiny strips of land on the levies. The schools had boats rather than buses to get the kids to and from school, and there were lots of canoe-style ferries, and a few motorised ferries for longer distance travel. Life on the canal took place in front of us, which gave us lots of great photo opportunities. We regularly heard the crack of washing being flogged on the rocks. It seemed ongoing all day, not just a morning routine. Everything happened in the canal, daily ablutions, clothes washing, dish washing & pan scrubbing. The chooks, goats, cows, dogs and cats roamed around as well, there were shops, schools, lots of churches and church schools, adn then there were the workers - diving to the bottom of the river to collect sand and mussels, transporting rocks, hay, timber, rice, farm machinery etc. there was plenty to watch as we sat idly on our lounge chairs.
After 2 relaxing days we returned to land and the life of the budget traveller.
to see us lazing around in Alleppey, click on the link below
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009143&id=1112916442&l=4b055dc6b6
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Mysore Dasara
to see our photos of Mysore Dasara festival click on the link below
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009142&id=1112916442&l=a2ba06b9f6
The Dasara festival is a festival of lights, and the town was illuminated magnificently every evening.
The first day we slept for much of the day, then went to the flower show. The main exhibit was a flower elephant. You will notice there is an elephant theme here.
That evening we went to the palace for the evening concert. Getting in was the first problem. The show was scheduled to start at 6.30 but they didn't open the gates until nearly 7pm. The crowd was restless, and surged forward as the gates were opened. It was good to be through the gates and out of the press. Everyone was supposed to be security checked by a scanner, but the crowd surged through and either side totally out of control. The police stood back and watched.
The palace was amazing, lit by thousands of lights. No power saving lights here.
The concert was Hindu music ensemble, sitar, drums and wailing, then HIndu dancing accompanied by similar music. Volume was reasonable, so we had a pleasant evening.
The next day Pam succumbed to the Delhi belly, and spent the day in bed. Peter walked around town, visiting the market, taking lots of photos. That evening we went for a ride around town to see the lights. The city is magnificent, and most of the maharajah's buildings are now public buildings, impressive architecture.
The following day was the big parade - Pam was Ok, but well medicated to make sure she could last several hours away from the toilet. The paper said that there could be no mobile phones and no bags at the palace. We had bought tickets so we could have a seat at the palace and at the parade ground in the evening. We lined up and went through security - about half the people either had a bag or a mobile phone, and there was no attempt to enforce the ban. It seems that when it gets too hard, the police just sit back and let it happen. So despite the huge security presence, it was mainly ineffectual.
The parade was fantastic, lots of elephants, floats, bands, acrobats, marching soldiers, horses, white bullocks pulling carriages. It lasted over an hour. The military component - tanks, jet fighter on a trailer etc were not allowed in the palace, but joined on the end of the procession outside the palace gates. the patriotic crowd was very impressed with the military display of might.
We sat in our expensive seats (we had a gold pass for $A180 for the two of us), and watched the ceremony from under our shaded canopy. Watching the crowd was also entertaining, they kept on rearranging the plastic chairs, blocking walkways and creating typical Indian chaos. There were also plenty of police with their whacker sticks for crowd control.
After the parade, we went back to the hotel for a rest, then Nagendra, our guide, picked us up at 6pm to go to the parade ground for the grand finale. Getting there was a little traumatic - the vehicular traffic was completely gridlocked, so we had to abandon the autorickshaw and walk the last bit. We gathered outside one of the gates(locked), protected from the crushing crowd by a stationary car. The crowd continued to build, and it was oppressive for us, and must have been terrifying for the children there. Most Indians are short people, so we could at least breathe some fresh air. Still, the gates did not open, and eventually the police in riot gear decided to move the crowd away from the entrance. We moved on with the crowd, and were guided to another gate, which was open, but the security check line was huge. Nagendra managed to sweet-talk the police, and get us foreigners to the front of the queue. Once inside, a policeman decided that Peter's camera was a security risk, so he had to remove the battery from the camera and put it in his pocket before he was allowed to proceed further!!!
The highlight of the big finale was the army motor-bike stunt riding display, using Indian Enfield bikes. They managed to get up to about 10 people balancing on a bike. There was also horse show-jumping and dressage, mass dancing (Olympic opening ceremony style, but nowhere near as professional), laser show promoting Karnataka (the state), but we saw the reverse side of the screen. We stayed for a couple of hours, but left beofre the fireworks at the end. This way we avoided the crowd, and could get some dinner back at the hotel. We still saw the fireworks, but from the roof-top restaurant at the hotel.
Overall, Dasara was a great experience, we were very glad we went, and is one of the highlights of our India trip.
to see our photos of Mysore Dasara festival click on the link below
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009142&id=1112916442&l=a2ba06b9f6
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009142&id=1112916442&l=a2ba06b9f6
The Dasara festival is a festival of lights, and the town was illuminated magnificently every evening.
The first day we slept for much of the day, then went to the flower show. The main exhibit was a flower elephant. You will notice there is an elephant theme here.
That evening we went to the palace for the evening concert. Getting in was the first problem. The show was scheduled to start at 6.30 but they didn't open the gates until nearly 7pm. The crowd was restless, and surged forward as the gates were opened. It was good to be through the gates and out of the press. Everyone was supposed to be security checked by a scanner, but the crowd surged through and either side totally out of control. The police stood back and watched.
The palace was amazing, lit by thousands of lights. No power saving lights here.
The concert was Hindu music ensemble, sitar, drums and wailing, then HIndu dancing accompanied by similar music. Volume was reasonable, so we had a pleasant evening.
The next day Pam succumbed to the Delhi belly, and spent the day in bed. Peter walked around town, visiting the market, taking lots of photos. That evening we went for a ride around town to see the lights. The city is magnificent, and most of the maharajah's buildings are now public buildings, impressive architecture.
The following day was the big parade - Pam was Ok, but well medicated to make sure she could last several hours away from the toilet. The paper said that there could be no mobile phones and no bags at the palace. We had bought tickets so we could have a seat at the palace and at the parade ground in the evening. We lined up and went through security - about half the people either had a bag or a mobile phone, and there was no attempt to enforce the ban. It seems that when it gets too hard, the police just sit back and let it happen. So despite the huge security presence, it was mainly ineffectual.
The parade was fantastic, lots of elephants, floats, bands, acrobats, marching soldiers, horses, white bullocks pulling carriages. It lasted over an hour. The military component - tanks, jet fighter on a trailer etc were not allowed in the palace, but joined on the end of the procession outside the palace gates. the patriotic crowd was very impressed with the military display of might.
We sat in our expensive seats (we had a gold pass for $A180 for the two of us), and watched the ceremony from under our shaded canopy. Watching the crowd was also entertaining, they kept on rearranging the plastic chairs, blocking walkways and creating typical Indian chaos. There were also plenty of police with their whacker sticks for crowd control.
After the parade, we went back to the hotel for a rest, then Nagendra, our guide, picked us up at 6pm to go to the parade ground for the grand finale. Getting there was a little traumatic - the vehicular traffic was completely gridlocked, so we had to abandon the autorickshaw and walk the last bit. We gathered outside one of the gates(locked), protected from the crushing crowd by a stationary car. The crowd continued to build, and it was oppressive for us, and must have been terrifying for the children there. Most Indians are short people, so we could at least breathe some fresh air. Still, the gates did not open, and eventually the police in riot gear decided to move the crowd away from the entrance. We moved on with the crowd, and were guided to another gate, which was open, but the security check line was huge. Nagendra managed to sweet-talk the police, and get us foreigners to the front of the queue. Once inside, a policeman decided that Peter's camera was a security risk, so he had to remove the battery from the camera and put it in his pocket before he was allowed to proceed further!!!
The highlight of the big finale was the army motor-bike stunt riding display, using Indian Enfield bikes. They managed to get up to about 10 people balancing on a bike. There was also horse show-jumping and dressage, mass dancing (Olympic opening ceremony style, but nowhere near as professional), laser show promoting Karnataka (the state), but we saw the reverse side of the screen. We stayed for a couple of hours, but left beofre the fireworks at the end. This way we avoided the crowd, and could get some dinner back at the hotel. We still saw the fireworks, but from the roof-top restaurant at the hotel.
Overall, Dasara was a great experience, we were very glad we went, and is one of the highlights of our India trip.
to see our photos of Mysore Dasara festival click on the link below
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009142&id=1112916442&l=a2ba06b9f6
Kumily, Kochi and Kannur
to see our photos of Kumily, Kochi and Kannur, click on the link below
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009141&id=1112916442&l=8d0e2282b5
Kumily is adjacent to the Periyar National Park, so we got up early and took the 7am boat trip on the dam there. This is the best chance of seeing wildlife, and we did see some elephants in the distance, some bison by the water, wild pigs and a few birds. It was a pleasant 2 hours on the water. Then we were convinced to do a "Cloud walk". This meant we were driven by autorickshaw up a hill until it was too steep for the rickshaw, and then we hiked about an hour to the top. I retired about halfway up the hill, no view was worth the climb. Peter and the guide walked to the top. The view was quite nice, but didn't compare with the views in Munnar. We then went back to our accommodation and lazed around talking to tourists and drinking tea.
Periyar is on the main tourist trail, and is very nice, but Munnar is spectacular!!!
The next day we then took a bus down to Kochi, and went out to Fort Cochin, the main tourist area.
Went to a Kathakali concert - this is where they have elaborate makeup, and very stylised dancing, much of which is eye movements. Interesting to see once. Came home past the Catholic cathedral - all lit up and decorated Indian style.
Fort Cochin is quite touristy, so we had french toast with fruit, and coffee for breakfast at an art cafe. It was the first place we have been that could be relocated in Australia. We then toured the sights, the Jain temple, Dutch palace, Jewish synagogue (Peter not allowed as he was wearing shorts). That afternoon, visited the rest of the sights, Dutch cemetary, the old fort, and finished up at the beach. Half of the population of Kochi seemed to be at the beach, waiting for the sunset. Although the beach faces west, they rarely see a sunset over the water horizon as there are usually too many clouds over it. The folks were all dressed up in their finery, the cows were chewing their cud in the middle of it, children were trying to fly kites. We were as big an attraction to them as they were to us.
The next day saw us on our first train ride - to Kannur in the north of Kerala. We had booked seats in an Air-conditioned coach. Very relaxed trip - progressed about 50km an hour, and the best thing about the train is that it had a toilet (always a problem on long bus trips).
In Kannur we stayed at the Mascot Beach hotel, which had been grand in its day, but was in need of some serious maintenance. But it was on the cliff overlooking the water, and our room had water views, so we are not complaining. Each evening they set up the tables and chairs on the walled cliff walk, and we dined in style.
Kannur is the location where they had the only Muslim king, and the area is still very Muslim. Not a beer in sight, even at the hotel. decided not to have the local alcoholic poison (toddy) which can send you blind.
Also very little English spoken. About a dozen european tourists staying at the hotel, as they run Aruyedic massage courses there. We decided we should finally try one, so were oiled from head to toe for an hour. It seemed more a circulation massage, but was not unpleasant and I am sure is good for the skin. Difficult to stay on the table when you are greased from head to toe.
We had an outing to the river about 20km north of town, to the Hindu temple on the river and saw a Theyyam performance there. Also visited the local snake farm (snakes ok, but it was also a sort of zoo, including a "persian cat"). Like all zoos in Asia, it was better left alone. Also did a 1 hour trip on the river amongst the coconut plantations to kill some time between the snake farm and the theyyam.
Then it was time for another night bus ride, this time back to Mysore, for the Dasara festival. The road was atrocious, and we got to Mysore at 4am.
to see our photos of Kumily, Kochi and Kannur, click on the link below
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009141&id=1112916442&l=8d0e2282b5
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009141&id=1112916442&l=8d0e2282b5
Kumily is adjacent to the Periyar National Park, so we got up early and took the 7am boat trip on the dam there. This is the best chance of seeing wildlife, and we did see some elephants in the distance, some bison by the water, wild pigs and a few birds. It was a pleasant 2 hours on the water. Then we were convinced to do a "Cloud walk". This meant we were driven by autorickshaw up a hill until it was too steep for the rickshaw, and then we hiked about an hour to the top. I retired about halfway up the hill, no view was worth the climb. Peter and the guide walked to the top. The view was quite nice, but didn't compare with the views in Munnar. We then went back to our accommodation and lazed around talking to tourists and drinking tea.
Periyar is on the main tourist trail, and is very nice, but Munnar is spectacular!!!
The next day we then took a bus down to Kochi, and went out to Fort Cochin, the main tourist area.
Went to a Kathakali concert - this is where they have elaborate makeup, and very stylised dancing, much of which is eye movements. Interesting to see once. Came home past the Catholic cathedral - all lit up and decorated Indian style.
Fort Cochin is quite touristy, so we had french toast with fruit, and coffee for breakfast at an art cafe. It was the first place we have been that could be relocated in Australia. We then toured the sights, the Jain temple, Dutch palace, Jewish synagogue (Peter not allowed as he was wearing shorts). That afternoon, visited the rest of the sights, Dutch cemetary, the old fort, and finished up at the beach. Half of the population of Kochi seemed to be at the beach, waiting for the sunset. Although the beach faces west, they rarely see a sunset over the water horizon as there are usually too many clouds over it. The folks were all dressed up in their finery, the cows were chewing their cud in the middle of it, children were trying to fly kites. We were as big an attraction to them as they were to us.
The next day saw us on our first train ride - to Kannur in the north of Kerala. We had booked seats in an Air-conditioned coach. Very relaxed trip - progressed about 50km an hour, and the best thing about the train is that it had a toilet (always a problem on long bus trips).
In Kannur we stayed at the Mascot Beach hotel, which had been grand in its day, but was in need of some serious maintenance. But it was on the cliff overlooking the water, and our room had water views, so we are not complaining. Each evening they set up the tables and chairs on the walled cliff walk, and we dined in style.
Kannur is the location where they had the only Muslim king, and the area is still very Muslim. Not a beer in sight, even at the hotel. decided not to have the local alcoholic poison (toddy) which can send you blind.
Also very little English spoken. About a dozen european tourists staying at the hotel, as they run Aruyedic massage courses there. We decided we should finally try one, so were oiled from head to toe for an hour. It seemed more a circulation massage, but was not unpleasant and I am sure is good for the skin. Difficult to stay on the table when you are greased from head to toe.
We had an outing to the river about 20km north of town, to the Hindu temple on the river and saw a Theyyam performance there. Also visited the local snake farm (snakes ok, but it was also a sort of zoo, including a "persian cat"). Like all zoos in Asia, it was better left alone. Also did a 1 hour trip on the river amongst the coconut plantations to kill some time between the snake farm and the theyyam.
Then it was time for another night bus ride, this time back to Mysore, for the Dasara festival. The road was atrocious, and we got to Mysore at 4am.
to see our photos of Kumily, Kochi and Kannur, click on the link below
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009141&id=1112916442&l=8d0e2282b5
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