Periyar - Day 10

In the cool Cardamon Hills  

Our quick departure from the beautiful backwaters of Kerala took us from humid tropical jungles to the clear cool fresh mountain air. No need for air conditioning in Periyar, at least not this visit!

After the Kalaripayattu show we returned to the Spice Village where our cottages were waiting. The room staff had been in, the beds were turned down, the screened windows open allowing a beautiful cross breeze. On the porch on either side of the door burned a mosquito coil. This allowed you to enter your room without bringing in those nasty little insects. I hadn't seen any but everyone worries so much about mosquitos when travelling in India it was one more reason to be completely comfortable at 'The Spice Village'. As you can see I recommend this hotel.

This morning we awoke to birds singing in the trees.  I took my sketch book and paints out to the porch, a perfect way to start the day. The staff were busy preparing cottages for arriving guests, but we were at leisure because India was on strike! No matter who explained it to me I just couldn't understand. I guess being from Canada is one of the reasons for this. Could you imagine your country going on strike for two days? I love India.

Strike in India: Reason behind Bharat Bandh

The strike meant only that we had to stay in Periyar. The shops in the town were not open, our driver was having a holiday.  We had a tour guide and he was willing to walk with us so after breakfast we met him in front of the hotel and we walked.  Everyone was excited we were going to see the elephants and if possible ride them. It was a pleasant walk, with  very little traffic and to our delight the monkeys came to the road to watch us.

The Elephant Junction

What a morning it turned out to be! Riding elephants, watching them have their bath, feeding them bananas and to top off the excitement, we each took a turn having the elephant bless us. How does an elephant bless you? You muster all the courage you have, stand before the elephant and slowly the elephant places his/her trunk on your head. In your mind you say, bless you, you smile and move so the next person may receive a blessing.

After watching all the blessing taking place in Rome this week I wonder if the Pope could use some help?

Our tour guide took us into the jungle to see where many of the spices we use came from. I was amazed when he stopped at a tree and scraped away a little bark. Smell here, he said, so we did... Cinnamon! I didn't know that cinnamon was a tree. There is lots I don't know but each time I travel I learn something new. I have to or my trip is not a success. This trip was a success, over and over again. Now to remember.

Back at the Spice Village lunch was being served. We had the option to eat in the main dining room or try the outdoor grill. The grill it was! The sign said "Prawns 800 INR'S", this is about $16,00 CAD so sharing with someone made the meal the right price. The prawns are huge and oh so tasty. While waiting we enjoyed the day, a perfect temperature, guinea fowl scampered across the lawn, the gin and tonic was cold and the chef in his tall white hat, under a canopy of orange flowers, grilled our lunch.

Back in my room my laundry was waiting. The Dhobi picked up my things in the morning and returned them clean and pressed, in a lovely wicker basket. You don't have to take too many clothes to India because this special service is available in all accommodations. Everyone wants to take the Dhobi home. I think we might have passed him while walking in the village. He stood at the side of the road, his iron heated by coals from a fire (this is the same iron we see in our museums that were used by settlers to Canada when there was no electricity).

The Dhobi does a beautiful job and for someone like me, who only irons when it is absolutely necessary, a big big treat!

Resting and relaxing in Periyar.

Periyar - Day 9

We woke to rain. With the air conditioning pumped up in the room and the heat and the rain outside the world looked like it was about ten shades of grey. While we slept the colours of the backwaters had washed away.  A strange feeling.

Life continues here as in most places of the world when it rains, the people of the backwaters could be seen moving along the shore heading to where their day would take them and we would be doing the same. Our driver was waiting for us at the prescribed meeting place so breakfast was served, our luggage collected and we left our boat for our journey to Periyar.

I wasn't pleased about this move as I was looking forward to the two nights and days on the backwaters. It is a magical place. Even though the weather was not our reason for leaving the rain helped us feel that moving on was a good idea.

Our van climbed up, around and through, switching back and forth as it followed the roads. The view out the window continued to be more expansive as we climbed and the valleys became further away. The trees along the road changed from a forest of palms to organized plantations of mango, banana and cashew trees.  The hill were planted (stepped) with neat rows of tea.

Periyar, our destination, is in the middle of a mountainous area of the Cardamom Hills. Elevation 2000 ft. The sun was shining and the heat of the lowlands was left behind. Our accommodation was an ecolodge called Spice Village. Our accommodation a thatched cottage in a garden. Perfect.

Our driver had pointed out as we passed through the village an opportunity to experience Kerala's martial-arts, Kalaripayattu.

From Kadathanadan Kalari Centre, Thekkady: "Kalaripayattu - the oldest of martial arts - is a gift to the modern world and known as the mother of all martial arts. Legend traces the 3000-year old art form to sage Parasurama, the master of all martial art forms and credited to be the re-claimer of Kerala from the Arabian Sea. Kalaripayattu originated in ancient South India. Kung-fu, popularized by the monks of the shaoline temple traces its ancestry to Bodhi Dharma - an Indian Buddhist monk and Kalaripayattu master."

It was an amazing performance. If you are travelling in Kerala and have this opportunity, don't pass it up. I almost did as I try to stay away from anything I feel is promoting fighting. This would have been a mistake on my part. The presentation was a beautiful dance.

The Backwaters of Kerala - Day 8

Good morning from Puducherry (once called Pondicherry), on the south-east edge of India.

If you have been following my blog you will know I am behind with the postings. Forgive me. India is a visual country and it is very difficult to move your eyes from what is happening around you, to spend time looking at this key board. I love sharing India with you and will continue to do so until you see a mini memory of us heading home. We still have almost a week to absorb this amazing place.

Back to Day 8 and our arrival in Alleppey!

We left Cochin, its wonderful Fort area and the Brunton Boatyard this morning after an early breakfast was delivered to our room just after 6am. We had a full day ahead of us and miles/kms to cover. Everyone was looking towards our time on the backwaters. On arrival in Alleppey, our driver decided we should see the beach so to the beach we went. (I think he was lost.) On the beach we found a camel who seemed a bit out of place. While some headed off to find the w.c., the rest stood on the sand looking out past the camel to the sea. That's when it started to rain. Slowly at first, so we just found shelter under a tree. But then it POURED! And we were soaked but happy. We must have looked very strange to our host when we finally arrived at the home of Rani John.

Arundhati Roy's novel 'The God Of Small Things' found much of its inspiration in this part of Kerala so we were excited to explore the unique landscape of this tropical town. The Preserve Alleppey Society is an organization that has been trying to restore the historic buildings, gardens and waterways of Alleppey. They had a huge setback when a horticulturist who was leading the way, passed on and without the support of the government they raise money and promote their dream by sharing Alleppey's history with travellers.

Rani John was away so another member of the society, Mary, was our host. We first gathered in Rani John's garden (worth the visit in itself) under the shelter of a garden pagoda. It was perfect! The sun came out. Our planned walking tour changed to a tour in the van which was a little disappointing for those who were looking forward to the walk. This was also the beginning of a  number of changes we were going to have to deal with over the next few days. This was a small one.

After an interesting tour of this faded, "Venice of the South", lunch was served in another beautiful friendly garden. Mary, also an artist, was the host for this part of our visit. It was a wonderful opportunity to enter two lovely homes and to experience what the Kochama house of Roy's novel would have been like before the lives of that family began to change.  It was a pleasant hour or so relaxing in this beautiful garden, sharing the company of two interesting women before we set off for our journey on the backwaters.

While we were in Cochin, news broke that an all-India strike was about to take place. During this two-day strike, called a bandh here, drivers of trucks, buses and boats would be unable to work. So our two-night backwater experience unfortunately ended up being just one night. We had to make a run for Periyar and the Tamil Nadu boarder if were to carry on.

As we boarded the houseboat, the rain stopped and the world smelled and looked crisp and clean. After checking into our rooms, we climbed to the upper deck lounge and settled in with our cameras  as we enjoyed a slow cruise past rice fields, palm trees and villages. Before dinner we boarded what is called a country boat (similar to a dug-out canoe) and were guided into a smaller waterway to be closer to the birds, animals and people who make the backwaters their home. Back on our boat the staff were preparing dinner as we stopped at the picturesque waterside St Mary's church. The sun was setting over the backwaters. It was heavenly.

Fort Cochin - Day 7

A day at leisure.

The Brunton Boatyard is a beautiful comfortable hotel. We decided not to rush out this morning. The view from our room  was a perfect place to start our day. The coffee was hot and the basket of fruit refilled each day.  It was our last day in Cochin and we didn't want to rush through it. I also needed to write my blog as I was getting behind. Once this was done and before it got too hot we decided to take a look at the colonial houses behind the Dutch cemetery that Ben had suggested as things we might like to do on our days off.

We walked along the water, past the fishing nets to the corner where we felt we should turn. We had the map from the hotel. There is so much to see when you do one of these walks it is hard to remember you have a direction. On the fence as we made the turn where large about 5' x 6', drawings of what I think must be members of the local political party. They were spectacular! This of course took time as we admired the artists talent. Then on we went still planning to see the colonial homes. A sign said turn here for Fab India, so of course we did. Neither of us needed anything as we had visited Fab India in Mumbai when we needed clothes while we waited for our luggage to arrive. But to pass up a visit to this store was too much. We stopped at a small cafe called the Vasco Homestay for a cold drink and took time for a mini memory before continuing our walk which now was a hunt for Fab India.

It was a very hot day and I must admit we just didn't make a correct turn, several times. We didn't find Fab India nor did we get to the Dutch Cemetery but believe me we saw a lot of Fort Cochin. As watercolour artists we were excited to find a shop where the owner had his easel set up and was enjoying a mornings painting. He sold art supplies and his work was also for sale. I was tempted but resisted.

It was time to get back to the hotel so we stopped a rickshaw driver (they call the motorized rickshaw a Tuc Tuc here) and ask directions to the Brunton. In less then five minutes we were back in our room watching the ferry arrive and depart. All that walking, we deserved ice cream, so we headed to the cafe, settled in under an umbrella for an afternoon treat!

It was a leisurely day, one that did all the things 'a day of leisure' is meant to do. We got some exercise, wandered where we had not been before and enjoyed every minute.

Fort Cochin - Day 6

Following breakfast we joined our guide for a walking tour of Fort Cochin. Our first stop took us to the Chinese fishing nets. The fishermen were more then willing to show us how the nets worked so members of our group took turns helping to lower and raise the nets.

Their catch... a plastic bag, two small fish and lots of smiles from the fishermen and each other.  While those who participated in pulling on the ropes cheered each other on, the rest of our group were doing some serious bargaining for serious souvenirs. Negotiations won a group member three strings of colourful little elephants. Something like the catch our fisherwomen made, the fun of the negotiation is worth the effort. We walked on along the harbour chatting and laughing.

On the serious side we had an informative visit to St. Francis Church, the almost final resting place of explorer Vasco De Gama. Vasco De Gama was originally interred in Cochin before his body was returned to Lisbon. We had a visit to Santa Cruz Basilica on our itinerary. On arrival we entered the front door and were informed by the caretaker that we must move quickly as it was time to clean the church! Always interesting being a tourist.

Southern Indians seem to be mainly Catholic or as they say, "Christian".  Almost every corner has a large church and the people you meet are proud to share their faith with you. The first thing someone will ask is, "are you Christian?" This amazes me as they also are proud to say that they vote for the Communist party. Kerala is, according to tour books, the state with the highest number of girls who have received an education and the highest literacy rate per capita in India. I can't say if this is true but I have seen more girls going to school and find that more people I meet, as I wander the streets, have learned to speak English. A great help to travellers!

Our last visit of our walking tour of Fort Cochin was to Mattancherry Palace. Now a museum, this palace was built by the Portuguese in 1555. It houses a private collection of art and sculpture. The religious sculptures are shared with the community for special celebrations, then returned to the museum and put back on display to await the next festival.

Lunch was on our own. This is always a chance to decide where and what we will eat. Today we took the guide's suggestion and went to the Hotel Fort Cochin, directly across from the Brunton Boatyard, as they advertise "The best prawns in Kerala!"  Those who had the prawns enjoyed them but to determine if the advertisement was really true we will need to visit more restaurants and try more prawns.  Prawns at every opportunity!

An afternoon free, then at 5:30 PM we headed to a local theatre dedicated to kathakali dance.  The first hour we watched the actors perform the ritual application of their makeup. We watched with cameras in hand as the makeup artist changed each actor from man to god. This ritual was followed by a demonstration of the hand signs actors use to tell the story. They are similar in some ways both to sign language and the symbolic actions used in silent movies, although kathakali dancers use more creative facial expressions and body movement!  India has so many languages and dialects that these symbolic gestures are a kind of shared language that everyone can understand. Even tourists! The performance itself was the retelling of a Hindu epic, a classic struggle between the forces of good and evil. Good won with slaying of Evil, we cheered, and headed off for dinner!

Dinner - our next epic as all meals in Kerala are presented at a slower pace making their length anywhere up to two hours - was at the Malabar House. Seated in the garden, by the pool, under the stars, we enjoyed every bite as a traditional drum and violin serenaded our party.

Goodnight beautiful Cochin.

Fort Cochin - Day 5

A 9:30 pick up by the local tour guide and our driver started our day. We walked through Eranakulam market, learning the names of each unknown fruit or vegetable. The people in the market were friendly and oh so willing to stop what they were doing to share with us. Many here in Kerala speak English so travelling around as tourists asking questions is not difficult. So many beautiful smiles! You felt an instant welcome.

After learning where and what is available in the market we went to Nimmy Paul's for a cooking lesson and of course lunch. I learned how to cook fish, fish that I who am not a fancier of fish, enjoyed every morsel. I have the recipe and will be trying it at home.
Nimmy had a great set up for her cooking school. The big mirror hanging up behind her cooking area let us see everything she was doing. She is a very pleasant woman ready to share her recipes as well as her home and her family. Her husband sat with us at lunch, the perfect host.

A little down time back at our hotel (it is quiet warm here and the hotel/ van air conditioning an important break) we boarded a small tourist boat at the hotel dock and had a pleasant couple of hours in the harbour giving us a chance to experience at a closer distance the fishing boats and harbour life.Our boat trip ended at sunset, perfectly timed so we were in the right place to photograph the Chinese fishing nets. My mini memory doesn't do it justice but I know down the road when I pick up this painting journal it will trigger this memory which my brain will then take closer to the real thing.

Skies on fire!

Back to you at my next Internet access. I don't think the backwaters will give me this opportunity but hopefully time to paint.

Fort Cochin - Day 4 (Continued)

Fort Cochin, our beautiful accommodation, the Brunton Boatyard. Each room looks out on the water through misty shears giving a rather magical feeling to the view.  It is a very busy waterway. Cochin and the new city of Eranakulam along with several other islands are connected by causeways and ferries. The ferry dock with a very busy schedule of transporting people and vehicles back and forth to the new city is next door to our hotel.

On arrival we met on the patio for a drink and a welcome to Cochin. It was sunset. A perfect welcome to this colourful South Indian town. A great way to begin our stay here.

Dinner was at the hotel. The chef went out of his way to prepare a special meal for us ending with a valentine shaped dessert that he poured a liquor over and set alight. A great smile was enjoyed by all, especially the chef.