India - Things I love or hate about India!




Mumbai, India

India is such a melting pot of experiences that many will return to my memory at odd times - here are just some of them:

Commerce:
Industry is alive and well in India - from the latest technology to the humble shoe repairer, umbrella repairer, the seamstress on an old fashioned sewing machine, the hardware store that is so small yet has just about everything, the Fisher folk with their nets cast just offshore,  the tuk-tuk drivers, the men on bicycles that still have those old-fashioned racks on the back, last seen in the 60's!, the hand-drawn carts carrying goods, these  Indian people are all entrepreneurs, each in their own small way. It's wonderful to see and takes one back into an era that has been forgotten, such is the pace of modern life in many Western countries where many of these skills have long been forgotten in favour of modernization.

Beach Meditation:
If you spot an Indian man squatting on the beach, gazing at the Arabian Sea, please don't go up to him, thinking that this is a meditating guru.
It works like this:
Make a little hole in the sand close to the high tide water mark
Squat down and expose the buttocks
Gaze longingly at the ocean in front of you
Once you have completed your ablutions, get up and walk away, leaving a little pile for the waves to wash away at next high tide.
We grew up with LONG DROPS as kids at our beach house long before flush toilets happened. These work well - all you need is a spade and some effort to make a very deep hole! Not rocket science? To be fair, these folk are fishermen and live and exist near the sea so their outlook is most probably more in tune with nature than mine is!

Umbrella Romance:
The Indian population has no chance despite the government pleading to keep the family at one or two kids.
Little black umbrellas dotted along the shore mean that these are courting couples - snogging or groping, they all look young enough to still be at school!
It's so funny to see them huddled together under these tiny umbrellas.

Horn Please:
Most vehicles have this painted on the back - Sound Horn -  it's a way of life in India - the HORN.
Perhaps a thorn in the side of those worried about sound pollution?

Beach Clean-ups:
Alleppey needed beach clean ups quite often due to the very large crowds that descend on the beach. The next day, the ladies were out in force picking up litter. With red and white striped umbrella's over their heads, they made a pretty early morning sight.

Is America next to Africa?
We had this question posed to us from a family outside of Kerala. Our driver (with a degree) was most shocked and hastily explained some geography to this chap. Apparently, most "white" visitors are deemed to be either from America or Britain. Yet South Africa features in cricket and most Indians LOVE their cricket!
The majority of those who asked where we were from, seemed to know about South Africa, mainly through sport.

Friendly, so friendly:
The favourite question from most folk who asked where we were from, was also "What is your name" I really did not grasp the significance of this - perhaps they are looking for some different names for their kids one day?

Caste System:
The caste system is still very in place but nobody really wanted to explain this to us. The closest we came was the explanation that the "name" suggests the caste. We did see an article on cricket where the "backward" caste was mentioned. What an awful name and rather sad in this age of democracy.

School Uniforms:
The school children in Alleppey all wear very smart uniforms and always look extremely neat. As mentioned previously, literacy is alive and well in this province with many English Speaking schools. These children are most polite and friendly - it's says much for their upbringing.

I loved the total mayhem of traffic in India - it's organised chaos at its very best.

I loved the vibrant colours of India

I loved the little boy who we helped to swim in the pool at Panoramic Sea Resort, Alleppey. He  came to thank us, chatted about the India cricket against Australia and shook hands when his family were leaving. Making sure that he found us on two separate occasions. Beautiful English and wonderful manners.

I loved the smell of spices in Munnar, the Hill Station where the weather is cooler and not humid.

I loved the natural forests of Kerala and the beautiful waterfalls

I loved the wide open beaches of South Goa

I loved the many fishing boats dotted on the shores of Kerala

I loved the fact that so many Indians ASK to have their photograph taken

I loved the fact that Indians ask which country we come from

I loved the service from the staff at Panoramic Beach Resort, Alleppey

I loved the crazy, bumpy rides in the well-worn tuk-tuks

I loved the South Indian food and especially the buffet dinners at Holiday Inn, Goa

I loved the casual dining experience at Dreamers, Beach Road, Alleppey

I loved the ride on an Indian Elephant

I loved our time and conversations with Aneesh, our graduate driver in Kerela

I was grateful that I did not have to endure Delhi Belly

I loved the reporting in the "Times of India"

I loved the friendly smiles of the Indian people and the children who wanted "photo please"

I did not enjoy:

Mumbai International Airport - its horrid, totally horrid with virtually no seating or restaurant if one is too early for check-in.

The fact that foreigners cannot drive in India (mind you, it's a wise move on their part!)

The humidity at all coastal places that we visited - Mumbai, Goa, Alleppey.

The garbage littering some places

The stares from some Indian males in Mumbai

The fact that water is not drinkable

The men using the beach as a toilet

Whist we were very sceptical about visiting a country so very different to everywhere we have travelled to date, it was an incredibly interesting journey.

Don't rush around from place to place, stop and experience the people and their way of life - it will be well worth your while.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

India - Alleppey to Mumbai Airport, (26)



Alleppey, Kerala, India

Sadly, our last night in Alleppey and India.
After 4 glorious weeks, filled with life in India we have to start packing to leave!

16th October 2013 was a Muslim holiday so the beach suddenly became packed after 16.30 hrs with everybody catching up with friends and family and the welcome sea breeze. To witness this is something - the buzz of many people, the horns of the tuk-tuks, the ice-cream carts doing brisk business, the street vendors, all this makes for total local atmosphere. We headed for our final meal at Dreamers - sitting upstairs in this open-air restaurant which is so rustic, one has a bird's eye view of the beach. Once darkness descended, the people started trying to get back home. Yeh right!!

Traffic jam so that even the scooters struggled to make their way out of this area. It was total chaos and took ages for the traffic to clear. The downside of  celebrating on the beach but nobody seemed to mind - they sat on their horns and jostled for that minor gap before the tuk-tuk's squeezed through. Crazy to watch and made for a memorable spectacle on our last night. The food always good, the staff excellent at Dreamers. Thanks guys!

Our last day dawned - after a late breakfast, we had a shower and did the last minute packing before our 2 hour drive to Cochin Airport.

Our thanks to all the staff at Panoramic Sea Resort for very good service, always delivered with a smile. Unfortunately, Aneesh was unable to drive us to the airport as his 6 year old daughter was taken ill.

The drive took forever as we were so sad to be leaving this peaceful place - yes, despite the honking horns and squawking crows!

We did not have too long to wait at Cochin Airport as there is not much too see from the waiting area. We had to pay for 5 kg of excess luggage at IR 250 per kilo with Jet Airways. It pays to read the small print prior to booking!!!

The pilot was a very young looking lady which freaked me out. Don't worry says James, she has 4 stripes so must be competent!
Fair do's the flight was fine and the landing pretty good!

After 4 wonderful weeks in India, we get to Mumbai Airport. Domestic from Cochin looked fine but one has to catch a shuttle bus to International. Nobody tells you that there is NOTHING at Mumbai International prior to check-in. Not even chairs to sit on. Small coffee bars have no seating and virtually no food choice either. So do not ever get to the airport more than 3 hours before your check-in as you will end up sitting on a trolley or standing for hours on end. It is totally pathetic for an international airport and leaves a really bad taste in the mouth.

To make matters even worse, we ended up at "Spice Bazaar" where they totally ripped us off for a tiny beer which they charged USD 8. And 450 IR for a beer is criminal. To add insult to injury, they dish up change in Rupees!! Now nobody is supposed to have rupees once they have checked in for an International Flight.

It seems that there are double standards here and the owner of the franchise is rather suspect when they make up their own exchange rate. A rather disgusting end to a holiday in India and extremely off-putting to international travellers.

Oh well, I suppose things cannot always go smoothly. Feeling very ratty and still have to wait for hours for our flight.....

Eventually, on the plane back to South Africa. As the plane only takes off at 02.00 we wondered if we would be fed. I was so tired by this time but we did get beers and food at the ridiculous hour of 03.00 or thereabouts. Our flight steward was  a bundle of smiles and energy, most probably having slept for the entire day! He offered me a Kingfisher - great, I thought only to be told that he could not possibly promote Kingfisher on an SAA flight so it was Castle or Hansa!!

Eventually, lights out and then the uncomfortable 8 hours or so. The flight was fine with a very smooth landing in Johannesburg. The same steward was just as chirpy at breakfast and when the couple in front of us asked for mugs of milk, he said with a totally blank expression that the cows were on strike in South Africa! This same couple also asked for 10 bottles of water - his reply was " Yes, when we land you can buy it all at Makro" His dry sense of humour was a breath of fresh South African air and made for a pleasant flight despite cramped condition in cattle class. Oh to be so rich as to be able to afford a business class seat one day......

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

10 Tips for Travel to India

The Chaotic Traffic near Crawford Market, Mumbai, India

India travel is very diverse given the enormous country - I am only commenting here on Mumbai, Goa and Kerala.

1 - Hotels: If you are a semi-luxury or luxury traveller or just enjoy very decent rooms, do not book anything less that 4* in India.

2 - Don't be in a hurry - travel is slow on the roads in India due to traffic congestion and the design of the roads.

3 - Enjoy the Indian people - they are friendly and very welcoming.

4 - If you are using a Travel Agent, get EVERYTHING in writing, including any cancellation policies. Get the hotel names specified on the quote and check the Trip Advisor Reviews before committing to payment.

5 - If using Jet Airways internally, ensure that you only have 15 kg of luggage! Otherwise, stuff as much as you can into your hand-luggage for the flight.
Excess baggage is expensive on the budget class air-fares.

6 - Get Malaria Tablets for Goa or any other malaria area that you are visiting. Whilst inoculations are not compulsory, they do give peace of mind.
Medication for Delhi Belly is another safe-guard - hopefully, you will never need to use the tablets.

7 - If you suffer from Motion Sickness, bring plenty of tablets - the roads are torturous and even the locals have to jump out to get sick!

8 - Although swimming in the sea is not advised during Monsoon season, most hotels at the coats have swimming pools so don't forget the sun-tan lotion and swimming costume.

9 - If you want to be part of the local scene, walk around - don't just get taken from place to place for a quick photo stop. One cannot experience the Indian culture without mingling. Indians tend not to travel to places like Goa during season (November - February) Being the only Westerners in many of the places that we have visited, has meant that we could experience India with the Indians.

10 - Everybody says this - do not eat street food, drink only bottled water and make sure the cap is not glued on! But do heed this advice - it will keep you healthy!

Restaurants with good Trip Advisor Reviews are fine as are the better class of hotel. Hygiene is still a matter of concern in India so do not take any chances.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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India - Kumily/Thekkady to Munnar (24/25)

A torture chamber would most probably be a better option than the road to Munnar. Twists and turns, nausea inducing bends, never a straight line, it must be the worst road I have ever experienced - like a slippery, slithering snake it winds it's way through the forest - deadly in it's poison of perpetual motion sickness. Although the journey was only 140 km, I wished for a helicopter to airlift me up and away from this horrid feeling - bend after bend, U bend after U bend - it just goes on and on. Whoever built this road should be exhumed and submitted to excruciating terror for at least a month, if not more. The forest is green, the wild flowers sacred bells of beauty, the drivers manic, the curves never-ending and the villages along the way busy as in all of India.

Help me and get me out of here!

We passed many cardamom plantations where they have electric fences to keep out the wild elephants. There are also tree houses which they use to spot an approaching elephant - the guards then make loud noises in the hopes of chasing them away from the plantation. Unfortunately, we did not see any elephants on the road - this would at least have taken my mind off my motion sickness (despite 2 Sturgaron) The buses hurtle around the bends as if there is no tomorrow and we saw one that honestly looked like it was going to turn over at the next bend. Going very fast, basically on 2 wheels around every corner, it can only be called a "vomit factory on wheels"  One supposes that the locals are used to this crazy driving and don't get sick?

 

Tea Plantations, Munnar, Kerala, India

As we neared Munnar, the tea plantations started. The tea plant is actually a tree but is kept at very low height as they pick the new leaves very often. With roots firmly anchored into the soil, they are difficult even for elephants to pull out. Beautifully ordered in neat rows, they make interesting patterns on the hills. Every square inch is planted, some on very steep slopes. Very pretty and scenic and it makes it interesting for me, being such a total teapot!



There is a very narrow stretch of road where a van crashed into the wall and brought all the traffic to a standstill. We got out to see what the problem was and everybody wanted a photo with us as "whites" from South Africa. Lovely friendly people and honest. The driver left the car unlocked which naturally freaked me out but nobody interfered with anything even though our lap top bag and luggage was in full view. Amazing - in South Africa, the luggage would have vanished in a second, never to be seen again.

President Zuma, get your people to learn about honesty and integrity in order to make our country great. PLEASE?????

The impromptu shoot was good fun although I shudder to think what I looked like, all windblown and nauseous. Indian women are so pretty with their long black hair and the men are always game for a photo! Eventually, the traffic was cleared and we drove on.

Today is Buddha Holiday so the traffic is apparently much worse than normal as everybody wants to be out enjoying themselves. When we arrived in Munnar, it was crazy, traffic, traffic and more traffic. In a small place, this becomes even worse then Mumbai! The tuk-tuk's were all decorated with palm leaves and flowers, people everywhere enjoying their day off.

Our first touristy stop for the day was the Kannan Devon Tea Museum. Again, hundreds of Indians enjoying their own heritage and culture which is wonderful to see. We saw a 30 minute video on the history of Munnar and the start of the tea plantations. Amazing how the early pioneers discovered all these areas on horse-back to start up these tea plantations. There are many tea factories in Munnar but only one is open to the public. Tata joined forces with the British company, Finley but eventually the British sold out to Tata. Today the workers own most of this particular tea estate.

Tata, of course, has fingers in  many pies such a motor industry, tea plantations and numerous others. Being one of the 20 most richest men in the world is a substantial achievement!

Our hotel is way out of town so we had to brave the huge crowds in town again to get out. The traffic coming into town was still unbelievable, huge snake-like queues even though it was now late afternoon. The drive on muddy, pot-holed roads took us about 10 km's out of town up into the hills. We passed Blackberry Hills along the way, where we had asked to stay. Unfortunately, Munnar is very full and we have landed at a really crap hotel called Deshadan Mountain Resort.

Having booked and paid for 4* hotels, we are currently spitting blood!!!! The views are great but when you have no mattress protector, flat sheet, one chair for 2 people, no wi-fi, a dead bug on the wall, no decent lighting (how are we going to read?) a toilet that is so low down, I nearly fall flat on my face every time I venture to sit down,  the toilet cistern has a crack so every flush brings more water onto the floor, the shower curtain is hanging half on, half off so it's all a bit much. As they say, it's a long way to Tipperary, it's a long way to go - downhill and the bathroom smells!!!!! Yuck! 

Our driver, Aneesh, has phoned the tour operator who is "going to try his best" to move us. Sorry, NOT good enough. Why did he not inform us before we left that he had a problem getting a 4* hotel??? Not impressed!

Supper is buffet - fair do's it all looked pretty decent until a mother came in with a crying kid. Crying, crying, crying and she did nothing. Next thing, we have vomit all over the restaurant floor where we are sitting. Now if that's not enough to put one off one's food, then I don't know what is. So starving, we left the restaurant and  asked for our tea/coffee to be brought to the room. Luke warm tea was delivered just to add insult to injury. As they say, when one thing goes wrong, it all goes wrong and we are decidedly extremely fed-up with the Tour Desk at Panoramic Sea Resort for booking us into this crappy hotel without advising us of the shortage of accommodation in Munnar. Given the horrendous drive, to have to settle for this is just killing the great holiday that we have enjoyed so far.

Unless tomorrow brings really great sightseeing, I think Munnar is over-rated and not worth the hassle. Kumily/Tekkady - yes - a must see.

After a night of very little sleep as the sheet kept creeping up and exposing the mattress, we braved the breakfast!

As it only started at 8.00 hrs we had to wait. Enough said - let's move on and out.

Munnar lies at the confluence of 3 mountain streams and is situated 1600 m above sea level. This hill station was the summer resort of the British due to it's cooler climate and beautiful scenery. Rolling hills covered in tea plantations, natural forests and a very bustling town with hundreds of shops make for an interesting stay if one's agent had booked us into a decent hotel!

We checked out this morning so will have to cut out our sightseeing as we now have to get back to Alleppey. Most annoying, to say the least.

Our first stop was at a beautiful flower garden - loads of plants in pots or hanging baskets look very colourful. Most of the species are also found in South Africa. Entrance is IR 10 and it does not take very long to wander around. It is still a holiday in Kerala so everybody and their aunt are out in full force. Indians love to take photos of their family members in the places they visit so it is often stop and wait for the photo's to be taken. They don't just snap away, everything must be just right so sometimes this takes awhile. We do not mind as it's quite fun to watch this ritual.

Our excellent driver, Aneesh, stopped at a "honey tree" These are natural hives very high up. The honey must be harvested somehow as there are honey sellers on the road near this tree. Indians are very resourceful and will make a plan of some sort to earn a living. In Kerala, unemployment is very low as any unemployed persons can register with the authorities and a job will be found for them. There are many graduates doing work other than their field of expertise.

As Aneesh says, education is all about just that, education. It does not mean that one cannot branch out into another field and really enjoy the work.
Apparently, some very rich Indian families don't bother sending their kids to school as they have enough money not to have to work ever. Bad strategy and a very short-sighted vision. Money does not bring happiness and imagine not knowing anything about anything, just because you are wealthy?

With photo stops along the way, we headed towards Mattupetty. This is situated about 1700 m above sea level and is 13 km from Munnar. A large storage dam and lake are the main attractions. We decided to take a speed boat ride on the lake but what a long queue! The wait was very long and we had an elderly lady slightly ahead in the queue who kept coughing and then spitting. Huge blobs of spital - is that not totally gross??? Does she have TB  or something? In which case, don't come and infect everybody else, please.

Eventually our turn came for the ride. Life jackets are compulsory and mine was rather smelly! The ride was fast and fun although we did ask the driver not to do any rolling tricks! The roads are twisty enough without having a boat twist me around as well!

Next to Echo Point where it is alleged that one can hear your own echo. However, the road and entire area is jam-packed with stalls selling all sorts of goods.
Again, because of the Buddha holidays, the place is packed. Everybody is well behaved and walking around is no problem. Those souls who come to India to "find" themselves must have one hell of a task amongst thousands if Indians!

At Echo Point we turned around to to time constraints so we were unable to go to Top Station or Eravikulam National Park.

Traffic was basically 1st gear all the way back to Munnar as this holiday has brought out many large tour buses, the smaller Traveller buses, hundreds of cars but very few motor bikes. Indians love to get out and about as can be seen from the massive traffic jams. Honking horns around every corner are a must. I do remember my father hooting around every corner when we were driving over the mountain pass to Mossel Bay - strange that this memory has re-surfaced in India of all places! There is a move afoot to stop so much hooting and some buses and scooters now have stickers on them saying "Don't Hoot" The noise pollution is very high in India but I have my doubts if the honking will ever become a distant memory! Although the driving is crazy, the speed is low so there is usually room to pull over. Honking and driving here go hand in hand. If it keeps the roads safe, then so be it.

The road in Munnar and on the way to Alleppey was very bad. Being polite, I said to Aneesh that the roads were really bad. No he said, they are not bad, they are TERRIBLE! But it's all part if the Indian experience and even the traffic did not phase me - going slowly in India is par for the course as the roads are so twisty and turny. As I said before, slitthery, slippery, horrid snake!

There are some beautiful waterfalls in this area - there is no shortage of water in Kerala and one can see why.

The road was long...... and slow......with many towns along the way, selling their goods. Some towns have more modern shops, others are the normal, small stalls. We eventually got back to Alleppey at about 18.30 hrs. A long day for the driver and for us. Alleppey beach was packed, hundreds of cars and even more people, even though it was now dark. The holidays have certainly been enjoyed by all.

Panoramic Sea Resort welcomed us back with open arms, from the Manager, to the Reception Desk, to the waiters. It was like coming home with so many welcoming smiles.

A cold beer was a must and then to Dreamers for a light supper.

Thankfully, a decent bed tonight!

 

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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India - Kumily and Thekkady (23)

On the way to Kumily - the ever present Tuk-Tuk!

Kumily has many hotels and home stays. A young chap started talking to me when I took a photo of the "Don't Throw Plastics into the Forest" sign. He said that people don't obey the rules here and throw litter around. He was also telling us that the home stays are very good - clean, basic rooms within a family home. Kumily is all about tourism now with the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. We visited a shop that sells all the Hindu gods and there are many of them - each one has a different purpose. Their 2 shops have been around and in the family for 25 years and were the only 2 shops originally plus a grocery store. The town has certainly grown since then with many tourist shops now. His shop has beautiful goods, but expensive so we only bought a small silk painting of an elephant which we will frame back home.

Unfortunately, there is alot of dust down this one road which has many lovely spice shops - the spice smells tantalize the taste buds! There are loads of spice plantations in this area. Down the road, all the shops have had to move backwards as they have encroached on the highway (!!) so much that it became about 7 metres wide instead of 10 metres. So there is dust and noise everywhere as they move themselves back and re-build their stores. Once that is done, the road will be repaired. At least these people have taken heed of the warning before being bulldozed into the ground!

In a lake near Alleppey, 2 resorts are having to bash down their buildings as they are on government land and illegal. That's loads of cash lost as the one has over 25 rooms plus it's public areas. Crazy tales. The government does not take no for an answer so destroy or be destroyed.



Martial Arts Show, Kumily, India

We are now off to watch the Kalaripayattu performance. This is the oldest form of martial arts and is known as the mother of martial arts. Originating in South India, training is holistic and aims at co-ordination and control over mind and body. Kung-Fu comes from this originally and draws its inspiration from the strength of  animals such as lion, tiger, elephant, wild boar, snake and crocodile. Although Kung-Fu originated in India, it sort of got claimed by China.

Originally, Kalaripayattu form of martial art was shrouded in mystery and was taught by the masters in total isolation and away from prying eyes.

This is one show that one simply cannot afford to miss if visited Kumily. The holy area where the performance takes place is below the seating of the spectators and I was totally riveted to my red plastic chair and totally enthralled by these 4 guys and their superb performance. When one sees sparks fly from daggers, it's scary! They are so flexible that some of the body positions shown are beyond my understanding and unfit limbs. The performances with fire were spell-binding - such total concentration and skill has to take years of practice and total concentration. My face was screwed up in terror most of the time - one slip and an arm or leg would have been sliced off. Simply mind-blowing.

Tomorrow we are eventually off to Munnar ......140 kms and most probably 5 hours or more......

Cheers!

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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India - Kumily Thekkady, Kerala (22)

After a brief rest in our hotel Green Forest, Thekkady, we headed to the Mudra Cultural Centre for a display of the Kathakali Show. Kathakali means story-play and is a dance drama which originated in the 17th century in Kerala. The elaborate costumes take ages to put on and if one arrives earlier at the show, you will be able to view this practise. Unfortunately, I did not take my camera as I thought the extra fee was IR 200 - it turns out this was for video only! Artists are trained for 6 years in this form of dance and they can start training from 10 - 12 years old. There are 9 basic expressions used to convey the feelings/emotions and these were demonstrated. Anger, love, sadness, fear, joy, happiness, excitement - all emotions have to be acted out with only facial expressions and hand movements. The lady rolled her eyes every which way to the drum beat and it was hysterical to watch - I did not realise that eyeballs could move in time to music and so rapidly from side to side or up and down! Hand gestures are known as Mudra and are common throughout Indian dance. Two different types of drums plus cymbals make for an exciting beat to all this silent action. A non-dancer also sang, mournful yet very much part of the performance.

Truly something very different from anything we have seen before - as in all cultures, the various forms of local dance such as Maori, Greek, Spanish are always so interesting to witness.

Supper in the hotel - Vegetable Korma for me as it was not supposed to be hot and a capsicum dish for James. Well, what I thought was a red pepper was actually a chilli so burn, burn, burn!!! We ended up swopping food. I should have stuck to my first choice of veg moussaka!

The electricity supply in India can be rather erratic and the lights go off at the most inconvenient times. I got up during the night for the toilet and half-way to the door, the power went off. Total darkness in a new room so I was frozen to the spot with a bursting bladder. Thankfully, the lights came on fairly soon afterwards.

The weather is much cooler here yet there are still hundreds of mosquitoes. They seem to love me, they set me on fire in an most unpleasant way and I hate them! Biting through socks or shorts is no problem for these horrid little pests. Mosquito rage has me in its grip - does anybody know what their beneficial use is? I certainly cannot see the benefit of these blood suckers.

Saturday dawned clear so no rain, thankfully.

Our first excursion was a trip on the Periyar Lake within the Periyar Tiger Reserve. I have my doubts that there are any tigers left but they do have elephants. Foreigners are charged IR 300 to get into the park, whilst locals only pay IR 25. It's a huge difference and rather unfair? Perhaps 50%  or even 100% more would be acceptable. So rather a rip-off. As usual, there were only about 5 Westerners on board - the rest all Indian. They are certainly tourists in their own country which is fantastic.

The cruise on the lake was lovely except for the smell of diesel  from the engines. We were allocated seats and were not allowed to stand up during the journey. Life jackets are compulsory since a bad accident approx. 4 years ago where 35 people died. The boats were always over-crowded and this contributed to the fatal accident. Since then the government has regulated the number of passengers and life-jackets must be used. This lake is man-made and there are still many dead trees in the lake. How they have not rotted away is incredible. The scenery around is of forest, forest and more forest so it unlikely that many animals will come down to drink unless it is very hot. We did spot a baby elephant, some deer and birds nesting on top of the dead trees.

One can also do jungle treks, night treks etc if staying in the area a little longer.  Th e tourism department has various accommodation options plus one right in the middle of the lake! Apparently, this needs to be booked at least 6 months in advance as it is very popular.

Next came an elephant ride. Whilst we are very used to elephants in either Addo Elephant Park or Kruger Park, South Africa neither of us has ever ridden an elephant before. Elephants have featured in Indian mythology for over 3 thousand years and so it seemed fitting that we ride on this gentle Indian beast. Ganesha, the elephant headed Hindu god is the god of good luck and prosperity and don't we all require that? Elephants are used in special Hindu celebrations and many temples have their own elephants. Forestry operations still use elephants.

The elephant camp that we visited has 3 trained elephants, a male and 2 females. They listen so very obediently to their trainers who don't use force, only verbal commands. Our ellie kept wanted to stop and browse but he got called back  the path! Shame! They can eat whole bunches of bananas, skin and all. Apparently, they don't enjoy peeled bananas. With funny pink ears and hairy backs, this ride was something special. Luckily for me, I have been exercising in the pool these past 3 weeks so I managed to get my leg over and across the very wide back of the elephant. Without those stretches, I think I would have torn a muscle - you know how wide an elephants back is????? I am very proud of  myself that I could sit astride an elephant's back without a problem! James battled!

Such a fun time - 30 minutes was just too short! A very cheeky sms came from a friend who wanted to know if the elephant will OK after having to carry my weight. D and L, come and try it so that I can laugh!!!!! Loved the sms though - " Is the elephant OK?" Bloody cheek! To be honest, I have put on weight in India with all the delicious food. The buffet suppers are the best - one can try various dishes and go back for those one truly enjoys. Dreamers in Alleppy has also been so good - really tasty food without being hot curry.

Next stop was to a sample of spice plants and a spice shop. The chap was very informative and gave us much information about various plants. Indian has so many different spices which are used for all sorts of ailments from diabetes to jaundice, to high blood pressure or cholesterol. Our guide is a qualified mechanical technician, looking for work. Sadly, it seems that persons with tertiary education cannot always get jobs locally in their fields.

A cyclone is hitting the East Coast of India (Bay of Bengal) and hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated. Luckily, India is so big that we should be OK on this side in Kerala. We hope so.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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India - Alleppey to Thekkady (21)

On the way to Kumily, Kerala, India

Up early this morning, we were amazed to see a rainbow over the beach, a soccer game in progress and many people taking a brisk walk. Shows what all we miss by sleeping too much!! Although we were a tad early for breakfast, the staff were very obliging and got us fed in record time.

We set off at 09.15 hrs with driver, Aneesh. Such a pleasant chap, well-spoken, well educated (BSc Degree) and we can understand what he is saying. Thankfully! The trip to Thekkady is 145 km and took us 4.5 hours!!!!! OK, we had about 4 very brief photo stops, the problem is narrow roads, much traffic and twists and turns as one proceeds into the hills.

Through Alleppey one passes shop upon shop, tuk-tuk's as always, people everywhere, then suddenly we came upon a "lake" which of course, turned out to be rice paddy fields. The fields are covered in water until the rice is ready, then the water gets drained off. Apparently, there is not enough rice cultivation from individuals anymore, so a corporate has been formed to increase production.

Kerala is known as "God's Own Country as they have a plentiful supply of water all year round, beautiful scenery and no natural disasters. Even the horrendous tsunami a few years back, left Kerala untouched. The roads are pretty good until one gets up into the hills, then there are pot holes every now and again. Our driver says that one should first train in a circus before driving in India - it is chaotic and nerve-wracking but I am pretty used to this now and just hope we remain safe! There are signs such a U-Turn ahead (for curved bend), High Accident Zone with a 24 Hour Hospital just below the road, wear helmet, ya right!! Apparently, 2 wheel drivers can lose their licences if they drive without helmets but it seems that nobody polices this as most drivers wear no helmets and their pillion passengers don't either. Women often sit side saddle holding a child or some shopping.

We passed huge tracts of rubber tree plantations - these owners are very rich despite the 25 year wait for the tree to mature. Thereafter, all is pure profit The  houses along this stretch are palatial homes  - very large and the best we have seen so far in India.

As we started climbing higher, the views were glorious - valleys and with hills covered in natural forest but still the tuk-tuk everywhere! Every now and again a village or town pops up. We have not yet encountered a long stretch of road without habitation - this is everywhere. Understandable, given the huge population in India.

Buses come hurtling down the road, often on the wrong side as they take the corners. The Indians must be born without any nerves or else they learn the ways of the traffic while still tiny toddlers. Nothing else can explain the total disregard of any sort of road etiquette. It's like playing dodgem cars in real life.

We  also saw a large slope of pineapples (these are so sweet here in India), tea plantations, coffee plantations and many spice plantations are we got nearer to Thekkady.

What a very long drive for 145 km!! Thankfully, the Stugaron kept my motion sickness at bay although I don't think I would have managed to go much further.

We have checked into our hotel called Green Forest. Very nice room and bathroom, some Western type food on the menu tonight AND we are able to get Wi-Fi!
Panoramic Sea Resort in Alleppey has been without connection for over 4 days - very, very frustrating.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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India - Alleppey (20)

Panoramic Sea Resort hosted 2 coach loads of kids last night. With only 24 units. heaven only knows how they are fitted in! Both girls and boys of various ages, some couples holding hands! School kids? I would say, lock up your daughters! Anyway, they were very exuberant and the teacher had to shout to make herself heard! Luckily, we were not at all disturbed and woke up before the 2 coaches started up this morning.

The staff seemed eager to go off duty from Breakfast this morning as they phoned us at 8.10 to ask when we would be eating. Can't say I blame them, up late last night and early this morning.

Marari Beach Fishermen, Alleppey, Kerala, India

We decided to take a tuk-tuk to Marari Beach this morning. The hotel called the tuk-tuk (IR 550) and off we set at frightening speed. The forms of transport have been so different - in Colaba, South Mumbia - taxi's only but at fairly reasonable rates. No tuk-tuk's at all in this part of Mumbai - not surprising as the traffic is so crazy without them - it would be murderous with the added tuk-tuk population! In Goa, we had very expensive taxi's or local buses. Again, no tuk-tuk's in this part of South Goa. Now in Alleppey, Kerala, we only have tuk-tuks - no taxi's in sight although perhaps there are some? There are hundreds of tuk-tuks though - like buzzing bees, they swarm all over, all hoping for business. That's not to say that they suffer in any way, the locals use them all the time, from school kids, to couples, to families piled in so that there is not an inch of space between them. Frankly, this amazes me, as we just about fit into a tuk-tuk!!

The driver took off at a cracking pace so one has to hand on for dear life. With the natural flow of air, it was actually quite chilly in the old-fashioned non-ac vehicle! The drive goes thru town and the heads towards the beach, passing many and varied shops along the way. How these tiny stalls make a living is amazing, yet they all seem to be happy with their way of life. Smiles, smiles and more smiles for us crazy Westerners!

Closer to Marari Beach, there were much larger houses with walls in front of them - apparently, this is quite a wealthy area. It reminds me somewhat of Goa - lush and green with the houses surrounded by trees and foliage.

The drive down was pretty nerve racking as the driver seemed hell bent on getting us to the beach quickly. Dodging people, large trucks, 2 wheelers and other tuk=tuks is all in a day's work. Hanging on for dear life, I prayed that we would make it to the beach in one piece!

Luckily, we did and got out thankfully. This beach is supposedly the "swimming" beach but the waves were huge and breaking very close to the shoreline. Sounding like thunder claps is putting it mildly so  neither of us were brave enough to venture into the sea. There are no life guards on duty and I did not feel like being swept out into the Arabian sea. We decided to walk as we had come this far (to swim!!). Setting off at a brisk pace, we soon spotted some fishing boats in the distance so we headed towards them. The sight on this beach puts Paternoster (West Coast, South Africa) to shame. At least 30 or more very large, dug-out type boats line the shore. Many had fishermen working on repairing the nets and they were all smiles and happy to have their photo's taken. The boats have very colourful flags and some even have a shrine on the bow to keep them safe at sea. It was high tide so maybe they only fish at low tide? Communication is not always in English and sign language is open to various interpretations!

Fishermen mending their nets on Marari beach, Alleppey, Kerala, India

Dripping sweat by now due to the humidity it was very annoying that we could not swim. When salty sweat starts pouring into one's eye's it's hard to focus on taking photo's!

We eventually reached the breakwater after an hours walk. Across from the river, there was another beach but as we had walked far enough, we turned around.
We watched a lone fisherman throwing his net into the sea, he then pulls it out again within a few minutes, hoping to have caught something.

A camera man was filming a young couple so I again asked if this was for engagement or marriage. Luckily, his English was very good and he told us that the couple had married earlier today and these were post-marriage videos. He filmed us as well - oh my goodness!!!! Not a pretty sight with sweat drenched hair sticking up like stalks, and shirts molded to our backs. It seems a common occurrence in Alleppey for videos to be taken on the beach. These are always with the couple - no extras allowed!

We headed back to our starting point but endeavoured to cool off somewhat by standing in the waves. The water is divine, cool and refreshing just too scary to enter further. I would imagine that it's safer at low tide?

A group of about 6 guys approached me, shook my hand and said "Welcome to Kerala" They asked my name and where I was from and then offered me a shell. At first I thought they were after selling me the shells so I shook my head. However, one youngster, pressed a shell into my hand and wished me a good holiday.

The spirit of friendliness in all of the places that we have visited so far has been incredible. No hassles, just friendly smiles or waves 95% of the time. A chappie on his bike, carrying goods yesterday actually slowed down so that I could take a photo and James could video. Smiling broadly, he waved to us and carried on amidst the crazy traffic.

This friendly spirit within the Indian people makes this country worth visiting. The staff at Panoramic Sea Resort are simply amazing - the smiles are so genuine and they aim to please at all times. So even though this is nowhere near a 5* resort, the service and total friendliness has made it a wonderful stay.

People also leave their clothing etc on the beach, it appears to stay there until they return!!!!

The most common bird here is a black "crow" They are all over, squawking away. I was fascinated to watch their behaviour on the beach today. Two crows were stripping a coconut of it fibre - one assumes to build a nest somewhere. Later on we watched in total awe as about 4 crows tried to catch a fairly large crab. They would swoop down and grab it, then let go as the wave approached. The poor crab tried scuttling between my feet and then got swished up by a wave. The crows waited for the water to recede and then swooped again. Unfortunately, for them our presence upset their catching strategy and the crab got washed away by the next wave. Fascinating to watch although I did feel very sorry for the poor crab getting pecked at by these large black birds.

We got back to the parking area where a group of youngsters were "swimming" in the shallows and having fun. Even they did not venture much further than their ankles!

The tuk-tuk driver was much more relaxed on the drive back so there was no desperate clinging and the natural AC was a blessing as we could cool off somewhat.

Back at the hotel, a 30 minute swim in the pool got the temperature back to normal levels.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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India - Alleppey (19)

Alleppey, Kerala, India

Alleppey experienced rain and very load thunder overnight so we woke to fairly cold weather this morning. Having booked a tuk-tuk to go to Marari Beach (The Silent Beach) we decided to cancel this outing as it was IR 700. Instead we went into town and experienced life in the shopping district of Alleppey. Tiny shops with all sorts of goods interspersed with some modern clothing or appliance stores, it's quite an eye-opener. One chap with a small stall is a "hardware shop" Everything hanging all over - barely enough space for him! James got chatting and told him that we only have huge, modern hardware stores in Cape Town so he admitted to being a dinosaur! Doors, windows, chips, water, plastic goods, seeds, flowers, umbrellas, shoe repair services, shoes, and the ever-present traffic.

There do not appear to be any stop signs in Alleppey - whoever hoots the loudest, seems to have right of way. As pedestrians, we first stood and waited for traffic to stop or slow -  do we really want to become fossils?? No - so take the bull by the horns and act like a local - walk right into the oncoming traffic and pray that it either swerves around you or you are fast enough to dodge. I am very proud of myself, having negotiated a number of hairy crossings and survived to tell the tale.

Many of the men were lungis - white cloths wrapped around their waists. These are very popular and apparently, there are more fancy ones, with a different name, for special occasions. The office or hotel workers wear slacks - however, it seems these are discarded at home for the free and easy comfort of the lungi's. We have found the people so friendly and many are willing for us to take photo's. An elderly chap, on a bicycle delivering goods, actually smiled and slowed down so that both James and I could film him. Such generosity of spirit is amazing to witness. At no stage have we ever felt threatened - even though we realise that we stand out like sore thumbs. I am not sure where the other Western tourists go but they certainly don't seem to walk around in India like we have done.

The humidity increased as the day went on and we had a 5 km walk back to he hotel. We always look like total idiots as we get drenched in sweat, hair sticking up all over, and shirts sticking to our backs. The Indians don't ever appear to be at all hot - very frustrating!! They all look cool and calm - it's no wonder we get strange looks - these crazy Westerners, sweating like pigs on a VERY cool day in Alleppey!! I have never taken so many showers in my life!

Some spring rolls for lunch and we hope to get to Munnar tomorrow if the Travel Desk guy gets his act together. He acts as if there is no tomorrow - maybe he is fed-up because we cancelled the Backwater excursion which was IR 5500 for a few hours.

There is still no Wi-Fi at the hotel which is even more frustrating. Shades of Telkom SA?

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

India - Alleppy (18)

News Snippets - 8-10-2013
The Indian Government has decided that tourism is vitally important to the country and has therefore passed a motion that citizens from over 40 countries would be able to obtain a visa on arrival. Travellers over 60, from all countries would also be eligible for a Visa on Arrival. This news from the "Times of India"

The State Bank of India (SBI) has made history by announcing it's first woman chairperson in it's 206 year history!! Arundhati Bhattacharya is the first woman to head an Indian Fortune 500 company and the sole female CEO among the Fortune 500 companies. Certainly history is being made here and this will perhaps open more doors for higher positions for women in India??

On the subject of women, Betty Karan, wife of the late Ravi Karunakaran, opened a huge museum in memory of her husband. The coir business was started 100 years ago and is still going today with approx. 800 employees. A long history of coir making in Alleppey! Ravi died in 2003 and the museum opened in 2006. It's an incredible collection of art works, curios, porcelain, ivory, glass, carvings, antiques and more. Betty started collecting items at the tender age of 13 and it appears that she is still on this mission at 75. A world traveller, with recent travels to South America and Antarctica,  this must be one incredible lady with connections all over the globe. There is the most beautiful, porcelain globe from China amongst the  3800 pieces in over 10,000 sq ft of vast space. This museum was specially built and Betty has her own private entrance to it all. Beautiful pieces do need to be constantly admired, would you not think?

A large mural adorns one wall - this has the names of 194 countries and took 8 months of work y 3 artists from Kerala. Made with only natural colours such as lime, yellow ochre, red ochre, black lamp soot, blue from some leaf (can't remember!) this was all done with a Arrow Grass Brush. Some of the finely carved chests come from Burma and there are exquisite pieces from all around the world. It's a total treasure chest spread over numerous rooms and 2 floors.

As one enters, a large 1948 Buick is on show, looking in mint condition. There is just so much to see that it is difficult to take it all in. A personal guide takes one around and no photos are allowed. The words of Sree Narayanu, One Caste, One Religion, One God for all humanity have not taken root sadly. There is a manuscript written on palm leaves although I have no clue what is written on this - imagine writing on palm leaves?

The wealth that surrounds this family stem from coir. Coconut palms, then the husks of the coconuts = coir fibre which is spun into Coir Matting. Products are then manufactured from this. This industry has allowed Betty and her late husband, Ravi to travel the world seeking artistic treasures. It seems that Betty has not yet satisfied her desire for travel and there will most probably be some new additions to these incredible collections.

The entrance fee was IR 500.00 so not a cheap outing but really worth seeing.

We walked back in the heat, watched the booms come down for the train which hurtles past at great speed. There were people walking on the track in the distance - how stupid can one be? The guard at the crossing was frantically waving them to get off the track. Once the train had passed, they came sauntering along as if this was a lovely, pedestrian walkway! Takes all sorts!

A swim cooled us down - I love being able to splash right into a warm pool. Despite the warmth of the water it is still cooling and refreshing.

James massage went off better than mine - I doubt he will sport massive bruises. Lucky man!

The hotel phone lines are down so no Wi-Fi - we hope its restored soon.

On that note, beer time.....

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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India - Alleppy - (17)

Alleppey seems to encourage "blob" days - it's so laid back!

 I am also finding the humidity rather draining if walking during the day. Bring on some rain, please! So a taste of some Ayurvedic Massage should bring some more relaxation to the day? The centre at Panoramic Sea Resort does women one day and then men on alternate days so James could not experience this at the same time. I chose the Head, Neck and Shoulder massage. Firstly, my clothes had to come off (top only) and then I was seated on a step type seat. The lady poured oil on my head and pulled my hair up and down. Not very relaxing at all - in fact, rather painful! The brief head massage that my hairdresser gives me, is more relaxing! Anyway, next came the shoulders with more oil. Then onto the bed for the back massage. As I am not an expert on massage methods, I found the back massage painful rather than soothing. The lady also pinches the flesh - OK I know that I am overweight and there are many folds hanging, just waiting to be pinched, but still.....! It was with great relief that this all came to an end after 30 minutes. To put the cherry on the top, her cell phone rang 3 times during my allotted 30 minutes!  I did feel relaxed but not so relaxed as to require sleep. Looking like Sputnik with this oily hair sticking up on all sides was rather hysterical - thankfully, the camera was hidden so there is no record of this horrid sight.

Imagine my shock and horror to find huge bruises on both sides of my body after a few hours. Painful to sleep on and is this really supposed to do me some good? I have my doubts. One wonders if everybody is properly trained in this method of massage? So rather a disappointing experience after the huge hype that seems to surround Ayurvedic Massage in India. Luckily, James has not been put off by my experience so it will be interesting to hear his tale tomorrow.

All I can say is "Imagen" in Pinelands with my friend, Celia will be on my list of  to-do's when I return to South Africa. Her touch is soothing and relaxing and always gets rid of my tense muscles!

In the afternoon, we took a wander up into Alleppey. School was out for the day and many children passed us on their way home. Most walking, some on bicycles, a few in Tuk-Tuks. So friendly, they all wave and say "Hi"  The boys are somewhat braver and asked for a photo. These children are very well dressed in very smart uniforms - they truly look a credit to their school, their parents and their country. Eventually, I suppose they will all turn into honking drivers but for now, they are  somewhat quieter! Walking along the road is always a noisy affair as everybody hoots when passing - perhaps this is taken as a warning signal in case they do knock you over?

By now rather hot and sweaty again, the cooler air on the beach was welcome. However, the beach is full of litter after the busy Sunday. Some has been swept into piles but not picked up. Quite a marked change from the first day we saw the beach. The after school/work crowd were having some fun in the water, despite the dangerous rip. Maybe the locals know the safer spots as foreigners are told not to swim at Alleppey Beach.

Let's see what tomorrow brings.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

India - Alleppy Backwaters (16)

Alleppey Backwaters, Kerala, India

What an amazing day in the backwaters of Alleppy. We were going to get the normal Indian Ferry for IR 10 but were stopped by a guy touting a private cruise for 3 hours at IR 1200. Looking at the ferry boat, which was packed and didn't look too comfy, we decided to take the small motor boat. A very good choice, even though it sounded as if it would stop in some crazy place, never to go again. The chap took us through tiny backwaters where the larger boats cannot go so we could see how the locals live. It is quite amazing that these people live and breathe by the back waters. They scour their pots in the water, they wash their hair in the water, they bash their washing on their washing stones, they bathe in the water - in fact, the water is their life-line. It's just incredible. Whilst the waters don't have litter floating, one has to wonder how clean it actually is? Fishing was also very evident - from an old granny to a young boy, they stand with just their fishing sticks.

Alleppy Backwaters, Kerala, India

People are so happy and most of them love having their photos taken. Often, the children will run out and wave just so that one can take their photo. Smiling faces, happy faces - it is wonderful to experience this abundance of joy  in these peoples lives. The houses on these canals are on a narrow strip of land abutting the rice paddy fields. Apparently each house has a section of paddy field so they have  steady income. There were only a few women working the fields today as it is Sunday. However, being Sunday, it gave is immense insight into the lives of these people living along the canals of Alleppy.

Our "driver" had to contend with an oil leak and water hyacinths clogging his propeller, and trying to turn the boat around at a very narrow spot. He managed this with finesse and despite our misgivings, gave us a fantastic tour. He apparently earns IR 6000.00 per month and has been doing this job for 20 years. Thanks, Joseph for an amazing day. 

The backwaters have miles and miles of waterways and there are many various boats around. The houseboats are from 1 - 3 bedroom, there are the day-tripper boats, much bigger than our little chug-a-long and many locals in dug-out canoes getting from place to place. The backwaters are the reason that most people visit this area and we hope to enjoy another trip soon.

To get to the boat jetty originally, we took a new 4 wheeler tuk-tuk for IR 50.00. On the way back, we got a normal tuk-tuk - wow - bouncing, can't see much and it's the same price as the new ones! The driver could not really speak English! We had to wait at the train crossing for ages before the train went by at speed. The way back was thru some really grotty, dirty areas - in fact, the backwaters looked cleaner than these particular streets in Alleppy.

We arrived back in our room to find the bed decorated with frangipani flowers, which smell simply heavenly and some incense burning to give the room a wonderful fragrance. As I have said before, the service here is top-class even if the accommodation is only basic Silver Crown. 

Dinner at Dreamers again, watching the very busy beach. Being Sunday, the locals were out in force enjoying the sea breezes. All appeared very well behaved, just being out and social. The beach is huge so it does not appear totally over-crowded. Dinner was good.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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India - Goa to Kochi and Alleppy (15)



Averina Beach, Goa - stunning resort!

Sadly, our last day at Averina Beach, Goa. The rain, which has been very co-operative so far, is now saying "don't go"! The hotel is very busy now with 2 conferences and an Indian wedding on Saturday. It seems that this becomes a very noisy affair so just as well we are leaving although I would have loved to witness an Indian wedding in India.

The drive to the airport is so slow, with many speed breakers in the road, plenty of twists and turns and the inevitable two wheelers (scooters)
We arrived early so could check out seat numbers. Our cases were over-weight so the check-in chap suggested that we put some extra things into our hand luggage. Quite a performance this was in the airport but we managed to shuffle things around so that they accepted our bags without forfeit of IR2500.

It is rather crazy that Jet Airlines expect international travellers to only have 15 kgs of luggage. Lesson - check the fine print BEFORE buying the ticket!

Goa airport is a very busy spot. Located on 2 floors with not much to do, watching the planes takes on a life of it's own. No photography is allowed of the exterior areas so we could not video this live action! I did spot quite a number of Indians taking photos with their cell phones though. Admittedly, the notice is rather small - I had not noticed it but James is always aware of these things as he goes thru so much security whilst travelling in West Africa.

What was totally fascinating was watching the planes landing and taking off as a road crosses the runway!! The boom goes down and the traffic has to come to  halt while the planes land or take-off. Once the plane is out of the way, the boom is opened again and the two wheelers go zooming along. It's the funniest sight to watch and certainly made the time pass quickly while waiting for our flight.

The first flight was 50 minutes - by the time they have reached their altitude, it is time to start descending again. This plane started descended ages before landing - not pleasant. The 2nd flight to Kochi was only 40 mins! Luckily, the plane did not go too high so the flight was good.

The driver was waiting for us with a tiny car. One of the bags had to go on the roof - luckily, it was not raining! The drive to Panoramic Sea Resort is 90 km and it takes 2 very long hours! The traffic is crazy, the drivers are far more rash than even in Mumbai and we saw 2 accidents along the way. First accidents in 2 weeks. Kochi at night looks very modern with large, new looking buildings. Many have streamers of light hanging down in various colours so it looks like early Christmas. We passed loads of beautiful furniture shops, new car showrooms, enormous electronic shops with washing machines etc, gyms, clothing stores, brightly lit and clean looking restaurants and supermarkets. Unfortunately, we came to the end of this eventually and entered into an area more like the India we have come to know - tiny, roadside shops and not much else.

Although the driving is so very bad and they all drive as if they are totally drunk, there is a very strict "No Drunk Driving" law and drivers are breathalysed at traffic lights!!! The mind boggles - with such bad and dangerous drivers on the road, other measures should be in place regarding safety, in my humble opinion.

We eventually reached the hotel and were shown into a tiny room which was awful. We asked for a change and received another of the same size but marginally better. Supposedly partial self-catering, their is not a plate or knife and fork anywhere to be seen. The location is just opposite the beach so the beach road is busy - thankfully, traffic did stop during the night! We ordered some Kingfishers and Spring Rolls and were sitting on the porch enjoying these when a beggar came to the fence and just stood staring at us. He would not budge so James went to call Security who chased him away.

For the first time, there are Tuk-Tuk's outside the hotel so I think we will try one at some stage. Although how we will manage to stay in this room for 2 weeks, I have no clue! Only Gold Crown Resorts for us in future - this is supposedly Silver Crown??? 2 star maybe - which is not my choice of accommodation!

One thing I have to mention here is the fact that the staff are extremely pleasant, willing to assist and so friendly. In all the chaos of the luggage unpacking at the airport, James managed to lose his key for his case! "I always keep it in my laptop bag, dear, so why must you put it with your keys?" is the stock answer I always get. My keys are in a little drawstring pouch, inside my bag - safe and sound. But no, men must do their own thing so he ended up at 21.30 hrs with no keys to his suitcase!!! Just a little thing to add to the stress of the day.....

The resort made James sign before they would break open his lock this morning but it is now unlocked so he can take his pills and put on clean clothes!

Let's see what the rest of the day brings......

Breakfast OK but nowhere near as good as Averina Beach! However, it filled the hole and we then wandered off with cameras to Alleppy Beach. The beach is huge, there is litter in places but not all over and our eyes nearly popped out of our heads when we saw camels on the beach! There is just no way I am getting onto a camel but there were some takers. Camels on a beach - anything goes in India it seems and there is a surprise around every corner. We also came upon a "shoot" - a couple standing in the water with 2 guys taking photo's. He did tell me what they were doing but I still don't know what he said. I am finding the Indian accent very difficult here in Kerala which is not good. Anyway, we joined in by taking photo's of the couple, all beautifully dressed in red. Perhaps pre-wedding or after wedding? Further down there was another couple but they only had one camera man - he must be somewhat cheaper? They all seem to take pictures of their feet and then them walking away.

Unfortunately, one cannot swim at this beach as it is too dangerous with a strong undertow.

The ladies are very colourful and walk with sun umbrellas which we sorely needed. The sky is blue and it's hot. We wandered further to the fishing boats but eventually had to turn around as we were both ready to melt. Talk about lobster red faces. Back at the hotel, a cold beer whilst sitting on the cool veranda went down a treat. Even just watching the passing traffic is interesting.

The pool is sort of 3/4 full - don't ask me why and it's as warm as a bath. Anyway, we enjoyed a swim and then time for a nap in the heat of the day.

Supper time loomed so we went down the road to Dreamers Restaurant. Up very narrow stairs to the top floor with a view of the beach.

Lovely cool breeze and mosquito bites! The waiter brought us some spray - how is that for service? The food - simply delicious. I enjoyed a vegetarian dish with amazing sauce and James raved about his Chicken Masala. Some "Special Tea" to compliment the food, is served in a large mug!!! Hope to get down the stairs in one piece again. There were 2 Australian ladies and an Indian couple with a small child. Otherwise the restaurant was quiet. Excellent service from a waiter who loves his soccer and was sporting a number 11 jersey.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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