Kerala
Trip Start
Nov 13, 2006
1
11
Trip End
Jan 11, 2007
Trivandrum, India
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
We have been traveling through the beautiful and lush landscape of India's Southern province of Kerala for the last 2 weeks. We flew to Cochin from Mumbai on Dec. 15th and have been enjoying exploring small towns, serene beaches and soaking up all the sun, coconuts and palm trees we can.
Following our arrival to Cochin, we decided to explore the tea and spice plantations that the area is known for. We took a 6 hour government bus East to the town of Kumily. Being the first two on the bus we took the front seat (to try to minimize motion sickness - H) and quickly found that it was a good choice. The bus filled up from the back door (the front door was nailed shut) at every stop, of which there were about 40 of along the way. It was packed by the time we reached Kumily and as such we were obligated to share our "3 seater" - which was really only a "2 seater", with many locals that came on an off the bus. It was an experience.
Relieved to finally reach our destination, we were thrilled to discover that our accommodation was located on an island in the middle of the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. There we spent one blissful night, for the first time all trip, with the serene calm of only the wildlife as company. It was wonderful to escape the horns and noise that follows you just about everywhere in India. We were fortunate to see lots of wildlife while in the sanctuary including wild boar, deer, and numerous birds. We unfortunately did not get to see any elephants or tigers in the natural environment, which was a bit disappointing.
Back to the West coast, this time we opted to take a taxi, (which was exceedingly comfortable compared with the hard metal seats of the bus) to Kottayam. From there we hopped a local ferry down the backwaters at sunset. It was peaceful and picturesque, albeit a rather slow way (2.5 hours) to get from A to B - again the boat stopped every few meters to let people on and off onto tiny platforms on the river banks and only cost us 10 rupees each ($0.25).
From Alleppey, we made our way to Mankotta Island. Our two nights with Jai and Laila, our hosts at Mankotta, were a trip highlight. They live on a farm, where they grow rice and plenty of exotic fruits and vegetables, and have converted serveral old graineries and spare rooms into guesthouses to host travellers. Recommended to us by friends that have travelled India extensively, we were not disappointed. It was a serene paradise with delicious food, swaying hammocks, and warm hospitality. We were given a tour of the island on foot and by boat, Jai attentively informed us about each and every plant that grows on the island, including a lake that they fish from. The nearby town was small enough to witness real village life and an absolute treat to walk through and visit with the locals.
Although it was difficult to leave Mankotta, we were anxious to start our yoga retreat with Shiva Rea. Arriving at the resort where we would be spending a week, we were delighted by the setting; a pristine and quiet beach with crashing waves that we could hear from our bungalow. On the first night, all 40 yoginis gathered on the outdoor platform where we would be practicing yoga under the palm trees and scorching sun every morning from 9am-12pm. Each and every person introduced themselves and excitedly told where they were from and why they had come to the "Rejuvination Retreat". Not surprisingly, the majority were Americans and women. We were thrilled to meet several other couples that we had a lot in common with and enjoyed getting to know (sometimes intimately during "yogic squats"). The week flew by and turned out to be really enjoyable - for both of us. Though after our first experiences we decided not to take advantage of our complimentary daily Ayurvedic treatments, we did explore some of the "science of wellness" and especially enjoyed our morning yoga sessions with Shiva. We left feeling truly rejuvinated and having made some great friends.
From Trivandrum we travelled up the coast to a beach town called Varkala. Set atop of a cliff, Varkala is a tourist hot spot. Apparently busier that usual during this year's peak season (due to tourist redirecting from Goa apparently), the boardwalk filled with shops and bamboo huts was packed with foreigners, yet had a surprisingly peaceful feel. We spent several nights, including New Year's eve in Varkala, some highlights: dining at great restaurants (eating great fish curry), drinking Kingfisher, playing frisbee on the beach, body-surfing the huge waves, watching dolphin pods surface over breakfast, watching the last sunset of 2006 dip into the Indian Ocean.
Tonight we found ourselves back in Alleppey, though it's the first time this trip that we have "backtracked", it's for good reason. We'll be meeting friends from the yoga retreat tomorrow night for a farewell dinner and then the next day we'll be meeting friends from Norway that we'll be arriving to join us on a backwater houseboat to "float" for a few days together.
Kerala has been a wonderful place to spend the last few weeks, especially given that we're in the final stretch of the trip (at least for one!). We'll be heading up to Delhi on the 7th, where we'll spend a few days shopping and visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra.
