A policeman kept pushing back the men who were standing in rows along the inside walls of a huge temple, the religion of which I could not decipher as it was very different to any other temple I have seen. The women had been separated, and were standing in rows along the opposite wall. A row of five or six men wearing only a dhoti (a loose loin-cloth pulled up between the legs, and still commonly worn by a large proportion of southern men) thrashed out some loud and intense tabla drumming. A man wearing a large headdress, face paint, garlands, breastplates and a pattern of circles on his potelly danced around with various flaming props. He breathed in the smoke and gradually worked himself into a frenzy, after which it became apparent why the men were being held back. All were desperately trying to rush forward when the main man started to touch heads, make small offerings, and whisper answers to secretly asked questions.

This ritual, which is exclusive to North Kerala is called a theyyam and is so ancient that it pre-dates even Hinduism. The costumed man is believed to have lost his physical identity and become the voice of a deity, or an oracle. So people come to the ritual to ask his advice and receive blessings.

I am staying in the home of Mohan and his wife Sithala. My room faces a long empty beach, a few miles from the town. Mohan found me walking towards the coast from the railway station, pulled up his car and offered to take me to their "home stay" with home cooked food and not much else to do other than read, relax and swim in the sea. How could I refuse. This was probably what I was looking for without realising it, and a perfect opportunity to rest my injured knee for a few days.

The story so far was first posted over two weeks ago, on 31st January. It had been an interesting weekend, and I used that word since I suddenly became aware of weekends again. Christianity is more widespread here, so no-one works on a Sunday, although many Muslims also populate this particular area. And now I have returned to witness a local theyyam at the kavu (sacred grove) behind Mohan's house. I was not able to take pictures at the last one, as photography inside the temple was prohibited. But lasting three days, and often going on into the early hours, I feel much more privileged to get up close at this one.

As well as visiting theyyams, I have also walked up the coast along deserted beaches to a small fishing village. Here women and children greeted me, rushing to their front doors to say hello and how are you. Apart from these phrases, communication is not always easy. The few words of Hindi that I picked up in the north are useless down here. But Kerala is an incredibly friendly and laid-back state. There are many big houses, showing again that more prosperity has spread into the south than in the north. And Mohan tells me that there is no-one left here now that he knew as a child, most having gone to work in the big cities, or Australia, Europe and America. His children live in Bangalore and Sydney, and Mohan himself is a retired civil engineer who lived for many years in Dubai. He is also of the belief that his habit of smoking 40 a day and drinking half a bottle of whisky is a healthy lifestyle.

I have met a few interesting guests here too. Some are long-term visitors who see this as their second home. Jean-Pierre from Brittany is here for 3 months and has his own bicycle. Tim from Idaho is interested in sculpture and has been gradually carving a face into a block of limestone in the garden last winter. Anne, an English lady living in Portland, Oregon; and Laurence from Switzerland (who lived for 11 years in Guatemala) are both here for a few months to study ancient aryuvedic medical practices. And my second visit has brought me into contact with Andy and Nicki from Newfoundland, Canada who are yoga teachers and have given me a great deal of useful advice about the pains in my knee. The massage didn't prove to be a long-term fix after all, and Andy claims that the stretches he has taught me will lead to a more permanent cure. I hope so!