Don't let the photo fool you.........every nature park in India claims to have tigers "somewhere" but when the guide you are with tells you that he has lived in the area for twenty years and has only seen tiger twice then you know that you are not going to be the one. That said we did spend a whole day on a nature trek (yes, reader, I walked for several hours) and saw elephant and wild bison ...at a distance! Did also see the endangered black monkey which is indigenous to this area of the Western Ghats. I also travelled on a bamboo raft held together by what looked like thin string. Have been staying one step ahead of the cyclone until now but finally got caught yesterday as I reached Kerela and the waterways which were being filled as we watched...............for ten hours continuously.........and I do mean rain. It finally stopped during the evening and we then enjoyed a sunny morning with a cruise in the rice barge and a self propelled canoe trip around the canals of the area. Just arrived in Cochin and will this evening visit an Indian dance festival which runs for 90 minutes for tourists and five houjrs for locals and as tonight is Devali the festival of lights to celebrate Rama's saving of his wife Sifa from the demon of the forest (getting up to speed on Hindu beliefs and legends) I guess it could be noisy as firecrackers seem to be the number one seller. Off tomorrow night towards Goa and Mumbai. More soon.