First impressions!
Trip Start
Jan 02, 2008
1
2
Trip End
Ongoing
Varkala, India
Saturday, January 12, 2008
9 days in India, and a lot of impressions. This is the country where people drive like crazy, so my finnish eyes barely dare to watch the road, where people always have an answer to your questions, even if it is not the right answer, and where strong spices and colours makes your tastebuds and eyes enjoy,enjoy,enjoy!
I arrived in Mumbai on the 3rd. Tired I took the connection flight to Kochi to meet up with anna and fifi, my travelmates for the next 1,5 weeks.
There I first realised the culture about giving answers which not necessarily are correct(better to say something than nothing at all?!). The guy in the tourist info directed me to take a taxi to the wrong side of town! So we were driving around in kochi trying to find a hotel which didn't exist there. After a while i luckily got hold of Anna who already was staying at the hotel, and we corrected the driving instructions.
Safe and jetlagged I arrived in Fort cochin, but already the next morning departed again. Now it was time for teaplantations, trekking and treehouses!
After a 4 hour drive up in kerala's mountains we arrived to Marayoor. There we got our first REAL indian food experience wich was great! Different kinds of breads and rice with nice spicy sauces. Ate with hands all 3 days there and many times bananaleafs served as our plates.
We made some trekking in the wildlifesanctuary of Chinnar. First day we went to a waterfall, second day we tried to spot the wild elephants from a safe distant but ended up sleeping in our simple treehouse without seeing a single trunk. Well the third day was a fabulous day for elephant spotting, since we saw three, and had to fast walk away from a few approaching ones(never saw th em, just heard them). Traveled back to munnar passing huge teaplantations and did some tea&spice shopping there aswell.
In the night we arrived to a small city outside kochi where we were supposed to take the train from next morning. Had the journeys first beer in a bar only visited by staring men and us. Not very much money put on making the bars cosy here...but it doesn't matter, the beer was great!
Arrived to varkala in the morning after 4 hours in the train, sitting in a car only allowed for women! Was pretty nice after realising that some men seem to enjoy feeling what a western woman feels like.(I decided long time ago that if someone grabs me, I will slap them, nothing happened to me yet, maybe the men saw it on my face:)
In varkala the beach, coconut palmtrees, and sea greeted us. We took deep breaths of salty air and smiled. The time here has been exactly as nice as I thought it could be. Lazy days in the beginning just enjoying beach life and great seafood, now I am enjoying a weeks ayurvedic treatment and a beginners class in yoga every morning. The food is included and very nice, as all of the Indian food is!
Otherwise our days have been filled with reading books, enjoying some lassis and good food but mostly talking a lot about the world, values and life! Tomorrow Anna and Fifi will continue for a few last days on a boat in the backwaters of Kerala mean while I will continue the treatrments, yoga and enjoyable life here in Varkala. Possibly I will do some cultural touristing. Where I will head after this, I am not yet 100% sure, but it has to be north since have friends to meet in goa soon!
Everything has it's time. Shanti,Shanti!
I am sending sunshine to you my friends!
ENjoy your times wherever you are!
from a happy traveller :)
