Kicking back in Kerala
Survived the 8 hour train journey to Kerala from Tamil Nadu. The only problem was as it became dark, we couldn't see the unlit station names so Kevin had to hang out of the carriage door at every stop after 11pm to ensure we got off at Varkala. We did and l was so happy to be met by our prearranged driver I nearly hugged him!
We woke to the beautiful reality of crumbling cliffs,a fantastic beach and plenty of surf. The Villa Jacaranda homestay was idyllic with a beautiful garden. Varkala has plenty of tourists and Tibetan and Kashmiri shops but also a Hindu temple, a large water pond built for devotees to wash in before visiting the adjoining temple and lots of Hindu holy men performing ancestral rituals under coloured beach umbrellas on the beach. We enjoyed eating fish on the beach although one night, there was a police raid and the boy barbecuing our fish ran off and the owner hide our beer. Obviously, issues of no papers or beer license but luckily order was restored very quickly with no arrests!
The town is a big centre for Ayurvedic medicine and spas and yoga. We both had massages but felt like walking oil slicks afterwards. Saw many Europeans parting with lots of money to undertake detoxes and purification procedures and consulting doctors and leaving with large tubs of tablets. Later learnt that Indians only use Ayurvedic remedies during the monsoon season when they feel the body is receptive. Feel that there are benefits to be had from the ancient medical knowledge but there are lots of people just making money. Those who read my last blog know that l was skeptical of ashrams. We met 2 young students who had stayed at an ashram run by Amma, the guru saint who hugs everyone. They were not so impressed, either. Seemed to be a glorification of her and she is surrounded by minions. She is also facing charges of financial impropriety among other things. I think l can safely say, you won't find me in an ashram anytime soon!!!
The day we arrived in Kerala, we took a taxi to a local temple festival at Parippally. What an experience!!! Hundreds of Indian families, 20 plus elephants all dressed up with men on their backs performing cheerleader manoeuvres with feathers, shaded by ornate circular umbrellas, musicians beating drums, massive bunches of helium balloons, tea and food stalls, bizarre kitsch floats with Hindu characters telling a story (my favourites were the 3 ladies in a jacuzzi spinning around as if possessed and a ferocious guy holding someone's head in his bloody hands), noise and lights. The climax was after dark as all the elephants approached the temple from different directions, with the drummers drumming frantically, burning torches being held aloft, bangers being let off, police trying to allow the elephants to get through the traffic and all the sightseers packed around the temple entrance. Chaotic but thrilling to watch.
After Varkala, we journeyed north along the coast as far as Kannur, staying a few nights at various home stays and on a houseboat in the backwaters. We travelled mostly by train and the short journeys were fine. Our route was Varkala, Kollam, Alleppey, Fort Cochin, Calicut, the hills of Wayanad and finally Kannur. I was taken aback at how beautiful Kerala is and it is so different from where we have been.The coast and backwaters are lined with palm trees, the beaches are stunning, and the people are open and friendly. It is a peaceful state although the forthcoming election is causing debate. They have their own language, Malayalam and many people work on the very fertile land. There are many religions practised in the state. Hinduism is throughout Kerala with its many deities and myths. Outside Kannur, we went to a temple at 5am to watch Theyyam, a ritualistic dance in which the 3 men dressed in costumes, (face paints, bracelets,breastplates, skirts, garlands and massive head dresses) apparently take on the human form of deities and receive offerings and make predictions for devotees.There was wild drumming, frenzied dancing and the head pulled off a dead chicken. All rather alarming!!! Went to some Jain temples which are much calmer in atmosphere as they renounce all pleasure and lead very ascetic lives. Many Muslims live in N Kerala so there is more sensibility in dress there than in the south. In the centre of the state, there are many Christians and branches of Christianity. We were amazed at the number of new Catholic churches in the backwaters and heard a beautiful melodic mass being sung as we walked through some rice paddies. Many of the churches have schools attached and a good education is highly regarded here. In Fort Cochin, there is the very un-PC titled 'Jew Town' with its very small old synagogue.
We slept 2 nights aboard a houseboat(old rice barges covered with bamboo roofs) from Kollam. We had 3 staff to look after us and the chef was great (how will we manage when we get home?) The guys were funny to watch as they all disagreed on how to moor the boat so there would be heated debate as we approached land and usually hit it with a thump! We crossed Ashtamudi lake full of Chinese fishing nets, fishing boats and watched eagles, kites, herons, cormorants and in the backwaters, the bright turquoise kingfishers. We were taken by canoe through the backwaters of Munroe Island and saw some some cottage industries, tasted the local chai, saw prawn fish farms, and saw large very colourful villas paid for by working in the Middle East.
The different home stays were great and we were able to sample great home produced food (all revolving around rice, coconut, banana, vegetables, fish and spices) and toddy, palm beer which is tapped from coconut palms daily which is an acquired taste. The families were happy to answer our questions and entertain us. It also gave us a chance to meet and swap stories with other travellers. One of the best was Green Palms, on Chennamkary, a man made island, 10kms from Alleppey. Anna, our hostess made her own delicious chai masala with cardamom, cloves and ginger. We walked on the dyke mud paths and through paddy fields, enjoying meeting locals on the riverbank especially the children. The babies all have kohl around their eyes, on their eyebrows and a big black spot between the brows to protect them from the evil eye. The bird life was fantastic, not least the sight of thousands of ducks being herded down the river by men in canoes. We took to the water ourselves by canoe and public ferry boats. Our host took a group of us walking and then sang Keralan folk songs in the dark as we drifted back by canoe. Sounds corny but was magical at the time. We learnt about the many uses of a coconut palm, saw boats being repaired, saw all the spice plants and learnt about the problems of water hyacinth. Outside Calicut, we saw lovely wooden dhows being made for Qatar. It apparently takes 100 men a year to make these boats by hand which they have been doing for generations. In Kannur, we stayed 100m from Thottada beach in a lovely homestay overlooking a lagoon.
We hired a driver to drive us from the coast up to the hills of Wayanad. It's a very scenic drive with plenty of tea plantations as you start to ascend. We stayed at Ente Veedu, a coffee plantation and we had stunning views from our balcony. The owner took us on a walk around the plantation which farms betel nut, pepper, rubber, spices, coconuts, bananas as well as coffee. We saw the ruins of an old Hindu temple and the new one that his family is building for the local people. We wanted to visit the 2 wildlife parks here but both were closed due to forest fires. So we went to climb up into the Edakal caves which have very old carvings and splendid views from the top. As a consolation for not seeing wild elephants, we rode an elephant nearby. However, that afternoon our driver decided to try and spot some elephants for us on a forest drive. Within 5 mins, he spotted 3 right next to the road hidden by foliage. As he backed the car, one came charging towards us so we sped on, stopped and waited. The reason for the charge became apparent when I saw a tiny baby surrounded by 7 adults. They crossed the road calmly just behind us and we watched them for 10 mins until they disappeared into the forest. After that we saw another solo elephant and 2 bathing in the river so a happy outing all round.
I really enjoyed our time in Fort Cochin. It is an old colonial fort town with traces of its Portuguese, Dutch and British rulers. Vasco da Gama lived and died here.It has beautiful colonial buildings and we enjoyed a walk around the historical sights. The waterfront is full of Chinese fishing nets, huge wooden contraptions that require 5-6 men to raise them. They are mostly there for the tourists at this time of year as the nets were nearly empty when we saw them being raised. However, there is lots of fish being sold next to the nets and we bought some and had it cooked by a nearby cafe. There are lots of restaurants, hotels and shops and we had a drink each evening in the XL bar(bars are very rare in Kerala). We visited the Dutch Palace and the Folklore Museum. The auto rickshaw drivers are irritating as they always try and take you to shops which they get some financial reward for. There are so many of them and most of the sights are easily within walking distance so it is hard to keep your cool when approached for the 20th time!!!! We enjoyed watching the locals play cricket on the parade ground one Sunday and I had a great chat in a curio shop with the owner who's father set up the business in 1947. Think some of the stock must have been there since then. We both enjoyed watching the Kathakali performance and seeing the 2 performers put on their makeup beforehand. They enacted a Hindu epic with a backing singer and drummer. The story is told by very precise movements, facial expressions and hand gestures. The costumes are very ornate and colourful and the whole experience is compelling.
Obviously, I'm a big fan of Kerala now but time to leave by bus for the bright lights of Mysore, Karnataka and the rest of our trip. Can't believe that we are only half way through our Indian journey as we have seen so much. Keep those comments coming xxx