Now, instead of boring you to death by going on and on about how lovely Kerala is, I thought it best to just add some photos and let them to the talking instead...
Weather:
Now we knew we had booked to go to Kerala during the Monsoon, but when our first day looked like this, we thought we might be in for a long week!
The residents of Kerala always carry umbrellas - following their lead was essential, but cartoon characters aren't essential! (This man was about 60!)
These are the famous Chinese fishing nets, where you can eat freshly bought fish, and have a go at pulling the nets up yourself... however, not in the rain!
Our bus trip to the beach:
We woke up to a sunny day and decided to head to the beach, so we hopped on a ferry and headed to the correct island, then realized we had no clue how to get from the terminal to the beach, until we heard a guy shouting the name of the beach; 'Cherai, Cherai, Cherai, Cherai' we followed the sound and found ourselves on our first Indian bus journey!
A slightly confusing and chaotic hour later we got to the beach, helped by some very nice bus passengers! The beach was lovely, though again - don't forget your umbrella - this time to save yourself from the Keralan sunshine!
Keralan Cultural Show:
I kinda don't want to spoil the surprise is case anyone goes to one of these, but I'd highly recommend it, but try not to get the giggles!
Elephants!
We have come across a few elephants since living in India, some at temples, some walking down dual carriageways, but Kerala offered us two new elephant experiences.. bathing in rivers and wild elephants.
At first 3 'baby' elephants came down to the river with their handlers, but we only really realized they were only babies, once 'daddy' turned up.... Watching this walking up the bank towards you is quite an experience!
Once you've had a hard morning washing your elephant, you should always relax with a sneaky cigarette!
The wild elephants were spotted on the far side of the river bank, so not the best photo, but a whole family; Mum, Dad and 2 babies.
Munnar and the Tata Tea plantations:
After Fort Cochin we headed up into to the hills for a few days in the tea plantations, which were stunning... and the tea was pretty nice too!
Random photo:
This made me laugh.... When your speakers are larger than your vehicle you know you've gone too far!!
Ayurvadic Massage:
India is famous for these massages and they are supposed to treat all kinds of conditions (including polio!?), but we were just hoping for a nice relaxing, slightly pampering treatment - that is not what we got!
We were escorted separately into rooms that looked like torture chambers, and requested to remove all clothes - no paper pants or towels here! All very odd. The oil was heated up on an open cooking gas, slightly worrying when it fell over! The actual massage was ok, but the ayurvedic oil used does not smell good! They use loads of it, leaving me feeling like a pakora! I was looking forward to the steam bath though, until I realized that the iron lung in the corner was the 'bath'. The steam came from the open hob and pressure cooker and a tube into the bottom of the 'bath'.
I'm sure ayuvadeic massages can be nice, but I have never wanted a shower soooo badly! I had to wash my hair 5 times to get the oil out!
I'll leave you with one final picture: Two young Indian men on a day trip with their friends to see the view from Kerala across into Tamil Nadu, and found themselves in matching tank tops, but it didn't seem to bother these guys - or maybe they planned it!
Love from Delhi, xx
Weather:
Now we knew we had booked to go to Kerala during the Monsoon, but when our first day looked like this, we thought we might be in for a long week!
Our bus trip to the beach:
We woke up to a sunny day and decided to head to the beach, so we hopped on a ferry and headed to the correct island, then realized we had no clue how to get from the terminal to the beach, until we heard a guy shouting the name of the beach; 'Cherai, Cherai, Cherai, Cherai' we followed the sound and found ourselves on our first Indian bus journey!
Keralan Cultural Show:
Elephants!
We have come across a few elephants since living in India, some at temples, some walking down dual carriageways, but Kerala offered us two new elephant experiences.. bathing in rivers and wild elephants.
At first 3 'baby' elephants came down to the river with their handlers, but we only really realized they were only babies, once 'daddy' turned up.... Watching this walking up the bank towards you is quite an experience!
The wild elephants were spotted on the far side of the river bank, so not the best photo, but a whole family; Mum, Dad and 2 babies.
Munnar and the Tata Tea plantations:
After Fort Cochin we headed up into to the hills for a few days in the tea plantations, which were stunning... and the tea was pretty nice too!
Random photo:
This made me laugh.... When your speakers are larger than your vehicle you know you've gone too far!!
Ayurvadic Massage:
India is famous for these massages and they are supposed to treat all kinds of conditions (including polio!?), but we were just hoping for a nice relaxing, slightly pampering treatment - that is not what we got!
We were escorted separately into rooms that looked like torture chambers, and requested to remove all clothes - no paper pants or towels here! All very odd. The oil was heated up on an open cooking gas, slightly worrying when it fell over! The actual massage was ok, but the ayurvedic oil used does not smell good! They use loads of it, leaving me feeling like a pakora! I was looking forward to the steam bath though, until I realized that the iron lung in the corner was the 'bath'. The steam came from the open hob and pressure cooker and a tube into the bottom of the 'bath'.
I'm sure ayuvadeic massages can be nice, but I have never wanted a shower soooo badly! I had to wash my hair 5 times to get the oil out!
I'll leave you with one final picture: Two young Indian men on a day trip with their friends to see the view from Kerala across into Tamil Nadu, and found themselves in matching tank tops, but it didn't seem to bother these guys - or maybe they planned it!
Love from Delhi, xx
The man with the speakers is a touch of class! I saw (& heard) one in Nicaragua, but they did fit in the van, filling it completely. I've commented as annon., but Helen you can guess so easily!
ReplyDeleteI know this is bad - but I can't work out your identity 'anonymous'? Please help! xx
ReplyDelete