Onwards again we moved, further South, & inland a little, to a small town by the name of Kumily. Martina & I were slightly concerned at the ease of travelling by bus here, as we had the luxury of 2 seats to ourselves and a placid driver who calmly sped his way through the hilly tracks to our destination. For sure there were no complaints!!!
Kumily is home to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, and so with our bodies recharged we decided to set out for some tiger 
spotting. Arising at 6am we made the 4km walk from town to the park which we were told would be a fine opportunty to view wildlife. Tigers maybe not as we'd have been in for some trouble. Unfortunately any chance of animal viewing was crushed by the constant flow of traffic pounding into the park with horns honking & bhangra pop blaring at unappealling decibels. Keeping our spirits high we joined a farcical queue for the boat cruise and fought our way in to purchasing tickets. However, the sum total of animals on show was zero......could maybe learn a thing or two on game park etiquette from our African cousins!!!
spotting. Arising at 6am we made the 4km walk from town to the park which we were told would be a fine opportunty to view wildlife. Tigers maybe not as we'd have been in for some trouble. Unfortunately any chance of animal viewing was crushed by the constant flow of traffic pounding into the park with horns honking & bhangra pop blaring at unappealling decibels. Keeping our spirits high we joined a farcical queue for the boat cruise and fought our way in to purchasing tickets. However, the sum total of animals on show was zero......could maybe learn a thing or two on game park etiquette from our African cousins!!!The day being Mr Gandhi's birthday & an alcohol free day across the nation we decided to celebrate by watching the sunset from the fine balcony of our homestay.....accompanied by the odd Kingfisher picked up on the sly from a restaurant ever eager to sell to tourists.....good work that man!!!
Time to move on again & a standard 6 hour bus ride brought us to the West coastal town of Fort Cochin (Kochi)......the home of fine fresh fish, crazy Kathakali dances & fascinating disco churches!!!! Was also from Kochi that we ventured out into Keralan backwaters, a number of inland lakes connected by a network of canals. Aboard our man powered house boat we cruised leisurely along, taking in the tranquility, which we so often had to search long
& hard for in the North, observing the daily goings on of its inhabitants. Back in Kochi we were to stumble across a fine choice of fresh fish, brought to shore through the use of ancient looking Chinese fishing nets, cooked to our liking at a small but delightful shack by the side of the street.......no need for knives, forks, plates.....just a bowl of fine ocean fodder & our able fingers...naturally we were to return day after day!! What else of Kochi? Of course, the disco churches, with the finest, the Santa Cruz Basilica, located in the centre of the town and yet another religious site with a Disney facelift. This is Kerala, "Gods Own Country" afterall, so why not show it in style!!!! And then the Kathakali, an extraordinary blend of song, dance, poetry, drama, make-up application & traditional ritual......all of which combines to provide a mesmerising experience.....have a look should you ever get the chance!!!!
When the times are so relaxing & events run so smoothly it is sometim
es harder to put it into words.....or am I lazy....or have I just forgotten.....writers block perhaps.....am I even a writer???....think I need a holiday!! Regardless, for this past week I feel the experience is best viewed in the photos.....note the smiles & cleanliness of the two of us (well me anyway, as compared to usual).
Time to move on again & a standard 6 hour bus ride brought us to the West coastal town of Fort Cochin (Kochi)......the home of fine fresh fish, crazy Kathakali dances & fascinating disco churches!!!! Was also from Kochi that we ventured out into Keralan backwaters, a number of inland lakes connected by a network of canals. Aboard our man powered house boat we cruised leisurely along, taking in the tranquility, which we so often had to search long
& hard for in the North, observing the daily goings on of its inhabitants. Back in Kochi we were to stumble across a fine choice of fresh fish, brought to shore through the use of ancient looking Chinese fishing nets, cooked to our liking at a small but delightful shack by the side of the street.......no need for knives, forks, plates.....just a bowl of fine ocean fodder & our able fingers...naturally we were to return day after day!! What else of Kochi? Of course, the disco churches, with the finest, the Santa Cruz Basilica, located in the centre of the town and yet another religious site with a Disney facelift. This is Kerala, "Gods Own Country" afterall, so why not show it in style!!!! And then the Kathakali, an extraordinary blend of song, dance, poetry, drama, make-up application & traditional ritual......all of which combines to provide a mesmerising experience.....have a look should you ever get the chance!!!!When the times are so relaxing & events run so smoothly it is sometim
es harder to put it into words.....or am I lazy....or have I just forgotten.....writers block perhaps.....am I even a writer???....think I need a holiday!! Regardless, for this past week I feel the experience is best viewed in the photos.....note the smiles & cleanliness of the two of us (well me anyway, as compared to usual).Next stop Goa & the beach.....should be interesting.....very interesting!!!
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