All went like clockwork, starting with coffee at 6.15, changing planes incredibly efficiently at Dubai, a very comfortable Emirates plane, and the Uber turning up very quickly at Heathrow.
It was 19 hours door-to-door, so pretty tired getting home at about 8pm.
We had missed the worst of it, but what a contrasts!
As expected, we have ground to a complete and utter halt on our last day. So not a bad time for reflections.
Reflections – geddit?
We came here 3 weeks ago with high expectations and not a few anxieties. Expectations have been well and truly surpassed, and anxieties (mainly around tummies and loos) have to a large extent not been an issue.
If you look on a map, we’ve covered virtually nothing of India – just a tiny portion of the pointy bit at the bottom. So will we come back? Almost certainly yes, although perhaps to the northern part next time.
Highlights:
Food – it’s been so easy to be veggie, with some fish although that has tended the to be overcooked. The breakfasts and veggie curries (not too spicy) have been fantastic.
Cost of Living – absurdly cheap. Tuk tuks for £1 and meals out for about £3 (even with the low £) are ridiculous.
People – very friendly. Despite our colonial past (and quite a few atrocities) we were welcomed all over.
Service – very high standard throughout. I’m sure the internet and feedback in the tourist industry has concentrated minds, although it takes some getting used to having someone running around for you all the time. Need to be careful when we get home!
Roads – mental! Can’t believe we haven’t seen an accident – there must be loads.
Colour – see photos.
Smells and sounds – manic and not always pleasant.
Coffee – Keralan or South Indian – strong and milky and when done well (most of the time) is superb.
Weather – hot or very hot!
And a quick trawl through some memorable memories …….
Eileen’s Highlights
Lovely people and rich culture.
Temples – too numerous to mention – and palaces.
And some photos:
Indeed Groundhog Day. Morning watching the fishermen:
You can see two “tug-of-war” teams pulling at each end of the same net which arcs into the sea – and the guide man who spends the whole time in the sea.
Then sorting out the catch:
And the impromptu market at the top of the cliff – buyers waiting.
Local fauna is friendly and waves ….. :o)
Evening sunsets, dinner etc.
And a special bonus for the selfie cognoscenti!
To be fair I didn’t have my glasses on and I did manage to get Eileen swimming as well.
Last day tomorrow…..
Most definitely. And we hear that it’s below freezing and snow back home – which makes me mildly hesitant to complain that it’s probably slightly too hot here. Again, I’m not counting many sympathy votes.
But a lovely day.
Early morning while it’s less hot. And being close to the equator there’s not a whole lot of dusk or dawn. But here’s dawn:
With the fishermen very hard at work.
Breakfast – very healthy with eggs, fruit and wonderful (strong and milky) Keralan coffee.
Off down the High Street shopping, plus a break for elevenses:
No idea what Goa is or was like, but wouldn’t be surprised if there were similarities – lots of yoga and therapies etc.
There’s only one thing to do in the afternoon. Ahem …
The best of the lot. Some of the others might cause alarm … But amazingly warm and challengingly rough.
Dinner being a 20 minute stroll.
And according to our host ( who used to be a fisherman) the lights on the horizon are fishing boats 50kms from shore and 1km apart.
Might feel like Groundhog Day tomorrow – better than the Brexit farce at home – at least ours will have decent pics!
What was missing yesterday?
Beer:
And a swimming pool:
It’s the Arabian Sea, but it will do. And when I say the temperature was fantastic, this isn’t an English ( or Welsh) brrrrrrr and you turn blue – this was genuinely wade in and enjoy!
So we left Munroe Island and its flotilla:
On the way further south to our final stop before home on Saturday. Varkala – getting even closer to the pointy bit at the bottom of India.
And what to say? We continue to love India’s craziness – e.g. had to stop at a level crossing on the way:
Similar set up on the other side, so complete mayhem when the lights turned green.
And to our final hotel on the beach:
Short walk along the beach to dinner:
And if this were a selfie it would be the best ever!
Not sure what we plan to do for the next few days – might just sit here.
We were on the boat trip this morning – about 28 degrees, in the shade and with a light breeze. Perfect! Only problems are:
– would be nice to have a pool; and
– would be nice to have some cold beers. Kerala really is dry.
Just wondered how I’m doing garnering the sympathy vote ….. That’s today’s story – just loads of wonderful pics.
Boat trip – saw plenty of Kerala Sea Eagles and Kingfishers.
Canoe trip later in the say – including eagle.
It’s two weeks ago since we landed in Chennai and launched our adventure – and it really does feel like one. Time has just blurred into a mass of sights, smells and sounds, and we have had to refer back to the blog to remember what we have done!
Anyway, today was scheduled to be a bit dull as it is our last longish drive. But before that we finished off Kochi – especially the synagogue which obviously wasn’t open yesterday. Kerala is an interesting mass of religions, and everyone we speak to seems to agree that they all muddle along quite happily together.
Second stop was our favourite place for coffee – see pics from yesterday.
And then 4 hours south down the coast to Munroe Islands.
Not on the coast, but on a small peninsula between a lake and a river. We were dozing in the back of the car when we came unexpectedly to a car ferry – well sort of.
Essentially a couple of canoes with a platform nailed to them. But it worked.
And then sometimes you walk into a hotel room and decide you like the view.
Especially when it also faces west.
Boats and canoes tomorrow, and probably plenty of R&R.
This helps – we found our spot for coffee:
Afternoon beer:
And after dinner coffee:
And for whatever reason, this tiny piece of Kochi always has a wonderful breeze.
Met a few of the locals:
And tried so work out Kochi. All the maps are essentially useless for getting around – and it’s a pretty small place – so we reverted to tuk tuks. And maybe that’s the plan – make it so complicated that visitors have no choice. So you get one for an hour or so to take you places and wait, and it seems to be about £1. And I think they always seem to take you the long way round.
In no particular order, the Basilica:
A&E:
Some random art installations for their arts festival:
And the view from the back of the “air-conditioned Ferrari”:
It’s been suitably diverting. I think there is also a huge history that melds a lot of it together, but that’s Eileen’s speciality, not mine.
On the move again tomorrow.
And to update you on the geography, today we went due west to the coast.
I think it’s fair to say that today was the least inspiring of the trip so far, mainly due to Kochi not coming up to expectations so far, but more of that later.
First of all another decent sunrise.
Then a 4.5 hour 120km non-descript drive – not helped by me forgetting my iPad so had to turn back after 20 minutes which really didn’t help.
Said goodbye to Anan today. He’s driven us since the start at Chennai, so we’re on our own now. And he had a 7 hour drive home.
And so to Kochi. Didn’t help that we haven’t yet got our bearings, and have some minor worries about finding our way back. Maps are rubbish so a number of google map screen shots saved.
Although it’s grey today, it’s a bit warm. Am writing this at 10.00 and it’s 26 outside, and scheduled to stay there all night. Thanks for a/c.
But the day was redeemed by Salim and his tuk tuk. He stalked us for a while, and having told him where we were walking to for beer (above), he just happened to have dropped someone off as we walked out. So we got an impromptu tour.
Usual stuff which we will pick up tomorrow. But for some reason he included a tour of the hotel laundry.
Including a really old-fashioned charcoal iron.
Looking forward to finding out a bit more about Kochi tomorrow.
Meant to say yesterday that in 2017 the RoseGarden was voted the best HomeStay in Kerala, and in 2018 the best in India.
Early morning as usual – we have noticed that it has been misty every morning wherever we have been, but in the mountains it seems to stay for quite a large part of the day. Not sure what it is – pretty sure it isn’t pollution, although Eileen (and many others that we meet) have coughs. Might be the dust.
We had planned to visit the National Park, but it’s closed because the rare mountain goats are pregnant and mustn’t be disturbed. So had a trip to Top Station.
It was indeed a railway station until the floods in the 1920s washed away the tracks, and so then became rope transport for the tea. Views were pretty cool – it’s at about 5,500 feet.
Then stopped by a reservoir. Question – what are these people doing (not looking at)?
Amazing echos from across the reservoir. So at someone’s signal they would break into an enormous roar which echoed around the valley. Pretty harmless I guess!
And a nice walk – felt just like the woods at home on a gorgeous summer’s day:
… except we were in a tea plantation.
Anan found us a lovely place to have tea and cake:
£1.50 for the two of us! And coconut water for about 25p.
I think it says a huge amount about this holiday that even what might be a “humdrum” day turns out to be spectacular. Just hope it continues.
And dinner back at the hotel. £3.00 per head plus brought our own beer.
Off again tomorrow – 125kms and Anan says it will take 5 hours.
