Day 27 Thekkady to Allepey Backwaters May 8thFirst stop of the day is at Abraham's Spice Garden where we are introduced to Mr Abraham Kallummakul, the owner, a man of 58 wearing the traditional Dhothi cloth (to us a sort of oversized nappy) and a western shirt. He has thick grey hair streaked with white and black and thick black tufts of hair sprouting out of both ears. He tells us how his grandfather started the garden in 1952 and died aged 93 without ever going...

Day 23 4 May Travelling to Tanjore Long bus journey today stopping off at Pondicherry a former French colony. Still a French atmosphere to it even though it was handed over to india in 1954. We visit the former home (now a shrine and museum) of Sri Aurobinda a former freedom fighter turned philosopher who was a contemporary of Gandhi. Yet another Indian philosophy to try to get our heads around! The books on sale relate his thoughts on peace, war, women, busines...

Day 22 Mamallapuram 3 May Off at 8.30 on a cycle tour! Cycles are quite new but 1930's "sit up and beg" style and not good for my cool image. Saddles are of the same type we had earlier in the tour and gave me a serious case of saddle soreness! So I am adjusting my posterior to make sure the same thing doesn't happen again. I dread to think what I must look like as we wobble off down the road like a group of ugly ducklings following mum for their f...

Day 21 Mamallapuram south of chennai 2 May Overnight train from Mysore to Chennai gets us in at 7.30 on schedule. We spend an interesting evening talking to an Indian newly wed couple from Chennai. They are intelligent and interesting people and clearly well off with the best designer luggage labels. They have been in the mountains enjoying a 4 day honeymoon. They share the story of their wedding and the 7 day celebration that leads to the big day. He is 30...

Day 20 1 MAY Did the walking tour today around a local fruit and veg market, quite interesting to see different things displayed on the floor mainly but all very colourful, some colourful characters too. Then on to an art gallery in a former small palace. Quite run down but images of the British Raj illustrate how good the officers had things out here. Not so good for the ordinary soldiers in the sun and heat! Then to the Maharajahs palace, absololutely huge a...