Lighthouse Beach

Went on a trip to Lighthouse Beach. About a mile from the Ganesh.
Has a lighthouse. Built by the British, along with many others along the coast, (not just cricket then, eh).
A typical looking lighthouse, red and white stripes. Still a working affair. Pay a small fee and you can get into the lift built in its core, or use the stairs, 160 odd steps. Took the lift up and the stairs down.
Had a look round the beach, and went for a cup of tea.
Booked a room overlooking the beach for Friday night. Two double sliding patio windows opening onto a large balcony. Very nice, and not a lot at £20.
So slummed another day on the beach and in the sea.
Again, very commercial, built for tourists. Worth a visit just for the beach. The sea bed drops suddenly about 100 metres out. This causes some quiet large waves. Fun to dive through them, and body surf back in. Further out is a strong rip tide. Every year people are swept out, some lose their lives. The lifeguards keep a keen eye on the unwary.
The last hour before sunset the waves are given over to the surfers. They do surf during the day, but always give way to swimmers.

Had to leave early the following morning. Up at 6, walk to the bus stop, catch the 7 o'clock bus to Trivandrum, catch the 8 o'clock bus to Kochin, local bus to the quay, the ferry to Fort Kochin, and finally a tuk tuk to 'Kevin's Placid Homestay'. Arrived at 3 pm. About 225 km. Total cost for both about £5. And that's our month almost up. 

We are here for two nights. Catch the first of two planes home on Monday morning. Forced to use a taxi to get to the airport, no alternatives!

Leave you with some photos; the top bit of the lighthouse; Yvonne at the top; Mike at the bottom; balcony part of our room; Yvonne crashing through the surf. 

Kovalam

Madurai to Trivandrum, 300 km, then 16 km to the beaches at Kovalam.

It was a good job that we booked the 23.10 train. Sleeper class, discount for over 60's. About £5 for the pair. Every place was occupied. We had upper bunks. Takes 6.5 hours.

Mike had one Street chai too many, which resulted in an explosive bowel. The prospect of a lengthy rail journey with toilets not much better than a Weatherspoons pub, was not an attractive idea. Out, or should I say in with the imodium.

On the upper bunk, adjacent to Yvonne's, and next to Mike's, was a rather large, in the obese sense, gentleman. He seemed to have melted onto the mattress. It was almost as if he had no bones.

Now Indian trains are not the quietest of vehicles. The wheels clatter, the ceiling fans whirl, and every join on the track bounces the carriage.

Then the gentleman went to sleep. How could we tell.... He could snore. He could snore for India. He could snore for the human race. He could snore for our arm of the milky way.
To say he was loud would be polite. Reminded Yvonne of the large male sleeping seals in New Zealand, in sound and form.
Both had never heard such loud snoring. At one point he suddenly stopped, Mike thought he had died, or swallowed his nasal tissue. Alas, no, after a brief interlude it started again.

Even so, both managed to grab some sleep, and so we arrived.
Caught the local bus to Kovalam, then a tuk tuk to 'The Ganesh House', our Homestay for the next 3 nights. It has a kitchen and a washing machine we can use. In fact so impressed that we extended our stay by a further night. Just to laze on the beach, replenish bodily fluids the traditional way (beer), and generally doss.

Beer can only be brought in two places. The first is in restaurants. If it's not 5 star then you have to hide the bottle under the table. You can also buy beer and wine at the government outlets. Understandably called 'British shops' by the locals. Half the price, and the Ganesh has several fridges on the premises, win, win.

Leave you with some photos; Yvonne on her upper bunk; Ganesh Homestay; Yvonne on the balcony; Mike's feet on the beach.

Madurai

Madurai is around 6 hours on the direct bus from Munnar. Unfortunately only  three buses go direct from Munnar, and the times don't suit us. However, lots of buses go to Thenni, and lots of buses go from there to Madurai. So that's what we did.

The first bus nice and clean. Dramatic views coming down the steep, winding, precipitous narrow roads.

The second bus was more the archetypical Indian affair; dirty, smelly, and overcrowded. Luckily it was only for 2 hours.
Both jammed in ear buds; Mike with best of Pink Floyd, Yvonne with UB40. Soon arrived in Madurai. Temperature very much higher in the mid 30's.

Staying at a palace compared to WTF hotel. Nice and cool and clean, called the 'BG residency'. Over a restaurant. Well used by locals. Food tasty, served on a banana leaf, eat with fingers.

Madurai is famous for its large and colourful temple complex, Sri Meenakshi Temple. Has 4 main gates, and concentric courtyards. The outer two anyone can visit; the inner ones are for Hindus only.
No cameras allowed, although bizarrely, mobile phones are, with which one is allowed to take pictures for an additional fee.
No footwear allowed. We went at 9 am on Sunday. Nice and quiet. By 11 am it was getting crowded. 

Later went to the Gandhi museum. Was mainly a potted history of the British rule under the Raj. Listed many of the bad things about British rule. Didn't even mention that we gave them cricket. Saw a pair of Gandhi's sandals, allegedly.

Leave you with some photos; stunning landscape; a ten minute bus break; picking tea; one of the four main temple buildings; a smaller temple in the grounds; hotel above Ariyas restaurant, no widow's to the front. 

Munnar

On to Munnar. A town in the Western Ghats mountain range. Home to the Lakkam waterfalls, and tea plantations. However, it's been quite dry, so 'waterfall' is a trickle.
About 2,500 metres above sea level. Population of 150,000 in the area, 90% of which work on the tea plantations. Temperature in February is 24 °C during the day, and below 13 °C at night. No need for fan/air conditioning.

The bus takes 4.5 hours. Up narrow, winding roads, shear drop of thousands of feet on one edge, and high walls of the tea plantations on the other. Yet our bus driver still manages to overtake cars and buses with inches to spare. We keep expecting to see the crushed and burnt out remains of vehicles in the valleys below. Didn't see any, they must be expert at quick removal...

Arrived safe and sound. Didn't book any accommodation as many places are a little over our budget at £300 a night. Not too bad, as you get an electric heater thrown in. It does get quite cold, dipping to 9 °C in the early hours.
The only accommodation we could get is a so called hotel, the ' Dhurga Inn'. If you ever find yourself in these parts, avoid it like the plague. Had a run in with one member of staff who attempted to give us one towel as it is "one room". Had to use simple language to evoke the concept of a double room, for two people.

Not every problem has a solution. The only solution for this guy is to go back in time in order to suggest contraception to his parents on the eve of his conception.
Well, things only went downhill from there. The other employee of this establishment would only give us the code for the internet if he put it into our devices, withholding the password from our view. Place is run by control freaks.

The sink and toilet are a movable feast, not properly attached, with leaking plumbing. Two of the pillows are just covers stuffed with straw. It is lucky that we have our own liners and pillows with us. It's the one time that Yvonne wished that the mattress still had its plastic cover on.
Find later that the architect actually built an echo chamber. It's like St Paul's, the slightest sound is magnified and rebounds.

Can't wait to review it; of course for the American version we will give it a glowing report!

Went to the Tea Museum, looked around, had a cup of tea, then left.
Mike likes to go into the local tea and coffee places, for a cup of masala tea. The best one yet was at a bus station 12 km from Thekkady, hot, spicy and sweet.
Leave you with some photos: why the bus driver wants to drive fast; road on one side; road on the other; tea at a bus station; Mike; Yvonne; Hotel WTF.

Tea Plantation

After breakfast of rice noodles with banana mashed in with a little milk, topped with a spicy curry and boiled egg, washed down with sweet black tea, (yep, it tastes as good as it sounds). Yvonne didn't fancy the egg and curry, so Mike had double portions. Off we matched to the bus depot. 

Today's delight is a visit to a commercial tea plantation, 12 km from Thekkady. Two choices, a taxi at stupid money, or a local bus where they almost pay us. It's one road out, and all the buses pass this tea estate. They will drop you right outside the gate. 17 rupees each.

Now we know what you are thinking, ' dirty, grubby, overcrowded, stinky bus', eh! Wrong, buses are very clean, airy, and comfortable.

Remember, this is spice land; spice farms everywhere. The fragrance is in the air, all around. Okay, some of the small towns have issues with sewerage and waste disposal... But out on the open road a different story.

As english is the common language we have no problems with communication, apart from strong accents. A bit like understanding Glaswegian, once your ear is in, 'nay problem Jimmy'.

Mike and Yvonne even have the Indian head wobble almost off pat.

The tea plantation is called Connemara, walked around, had a cup of tea. Took some photos and left. 

Well, we did look at the processing as well. Takes a day from picking to packaging. Picking is all done by women, the more they pick the more they earn. The men do the planting, and sit in the shade.

As we walked into the small town, there was a demonstration, all women; seeking equal rights and pay.

On the way to the plantation Yvonne noticed an organic spice garden, so on the bus back, we decided to hop off and pay a visit. Very delightful and knowledgeable elderly lady took us round, lots of tastes.
Brought some organic whole black pepper, and tumeric.

There are no bus stops as such, you just put your arm out and the bus stops.
Time for a cool drink, and a nap.

Our last day here. Weather good again, roads dry. Tomorrow off to Munnar. 100 km, about 4 hours on the bus.

Leave you with some photos: on the bus; Yvonne's new job; Mike after a hard day in the shade; women pickers after a hard morning; marching for equal rights; a giant lemon; oh, and the construction next to our homestead.

Thekkady

Got up early to catch a local bus from Trivandrum to Thekkady. Eight hours on the bus and we arrive.
We have climbed high into the hills, passing spice and tea plantations.
At a place called Panthalams Homestay.
Much cooler at about 1400 metres above sea level. Can get quite chilly at night, 16°C. Blanket time.

Went to a spice garden; cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, tamarind, nutmeg, clove, pepper, coca, and coffee. Family run, very enthusiastic about explaining medicinal properties.
Spice shops all over the place.

Took a hike and bamboo raft ride into the Periyar wildlife sanctuary and tiger reserve, a tropical forest. Only permitted entry with guides, and a gunman. Hiked to a lake where we paddle around, then hiked back. About 16 km.
Saw lots of monkeys, wild boars, and bison. Plenty of elephant tracks and dung. Squirrel type creatures, and many different birds.
Man with gun (a shotgun) only used to deter charging elephants as they are very protective of their young.
Has quite a large, and protected, tiger population. Didn't see any, but plenty of evidence of their kills.

That evening it rained. In the morning it rained. In the afternoon it rained. We were due to move to Munnar, famous for its tea plantations, but didn't fancy the road conditions. So staying where we are. There is a renowned tea plantation not that far from Thakady. So will catch a bus there tomorrow.

Leave you with some photos: our accommodation; view from our room; spice garden; in the reserve; rafting lake; rain.

Trivandrum

Caught the train to the capital, Thiruvananthapuram, formerly known as Trivandrum. Was a trading post for spices, sandalwood and ivory. Now a major IT hub, and technological center for learning and research.
Colleges, libraries and book shops all over the place.

Is famous for the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. One of the, if not the richest, Hindu temples in the world.
Has around £18 billion in gold and precious jewels in underground vaults.
Only Hindus are allowed in, and there are strict dress codes. The men must wear a dhoti, and no top.
Needless to say the temple makes a killing charging the faithful for all the gear, changing facilities, bric-a-brac, and statue's of Vishnu, the diety the temple is devoted to...
ka-ching.

Had a look at the royal palace, which is next to the temple, and while an important part of the collective history, is left in increasing disrepair.
It's not that they are short of a rupee or two to get it fixed.
Still, why invest all that gold and stuff when you can keep it buried in vaults. One vault they are terrified to open because it has a mystical seal.
Much of the stuff in the other vaults predates the Roman empire. There is a three foot six inch statue of some diety made of solid gold! 

No photographs allowed inside or close up. No problems with the temples up north, big no no with this temple. Probably think we were casing the joint. Wonder if they have heard of telephoto lenses. 

Leave you with some pictures: Padmanabhaswamy Temple; palace nextdoor; in the palace grounds; tearing down the old; on the bus to Thekkady.

Varkala

On the train, window seats, nice and breezy, can even lie down for a nap. Mind you doors are left open as train thunders down the track. A health and safety nightmare. 797 people were killed when they fell out in 2014, and that was on the Mumbai railway. The numbers killed crossing the track are truly astonishing.

Two hours to Varkala, or in Mike speak, three cups of chai.

Varkala renowned for its cliffs and black sand beaches.
Our place for 3 nights, Divine Bliss Beach Resort.
Fan room. Evenings are cool in February at 16-17 °C.
100 metres from the cliffs and beaches.

On one edge of the cliffs is certain death, with 100 metre drop, on the other are shops, restaurants and Ayurvedic treatment centers. Mike didn't know which way to turn. Yvonne, however had found scarf heaven.

Lots of French, Germans, Italians, some Brits, Irish and Scots. The Scots are obvious as they are the ones with red hair and very little epidermis left. Look like they have been slowly roasted.
Oh, I forgot the Americans, you can hear them long before you see them.

It is all very 'nice'. Most of the traders come from North India and Kashmir. End of April they go home. Too hot for tourists and the storms start to build.

People come here for treatments, meditation, surfing, and just to relax.

Leave you with some photos: Mike on the train; shopping or certain death; Mohito; Yvonne in the surf; main beach. 

Night on the lakes

There are hundreds of house boats, all vying for business. Two main ways to secure your boat. Book via an agent, or go to the dock at around 9-10 and pick your own, negotiating a price.
Agent most expensive way, and you don't know what you are getting.

It so happened that the owner of the white pepper funky art guesthouse also part owns a houseboat. We discussed a price, and made no commitment until we viewed it. When we did, concluded it was a good deal.

Some boats have two or more bedrooms , and no balcony.
Our boat had one air conditioned bedroom, and an upstairs balcony at the bow,  (pointy bit, or front of boat).

The deal includes lunch, dinner and breakfast, with snacks, coffee/tea.
No beer on board, but the captain made a detour and picked some up. Mike thought that was worth a tip; keep some beers on board!!

The boat chugs through the main channels which connects to the lakes that the region is famous for.
Stop for lunch. More chugging around.
Moor up early evening. Stroll around the local area before dinner.
After dinner a couple of beers, then bed.

Boat chugs back to base in the morning. End of trip. Cost 7000 rupees, say £85.
Both enjoyed the experience.

Left the harbour, caught a tuk tuk to the rail station, two tickets to Varkala. Famous for its cliffs and black sand beaches.

Definite lack of problems. No solutions necessary.

Leave you with some photos: Boats at docks; our boat; on one of the lakes; steering at bow; Yvonne having morning coffee on balcony.