Kerala

If you read about India, you will have heard how beautiful the backwaters are of Kerala. We arrived in Kochi and not even address of where we had booked to stay, so got a rickshaw to roughly the area and asked around - luckily a local man knew and pointed us in the correct direction. 

So after arriving 3hrs late, our guest home was a pleasant welcoming with a shower and clean clothes needed ASAP. We were met by Rajeev, who suggested some local sites and eateries. We changed and felt incredible, so ventured out to try to catch a local bus. They, alongside similar experiences in Sri Lanka, are renowned for being very fast, hardly stop at bus stops and get completely packed with hardly room to turn your head. But we loved them, all open sided with a bus conductor that has notes of currency in one hand between each finger and a satchel with lose change and tickets. I will never know how they monitor everyone who boards and gets the correct money from them; a minefield!

A suggestion by Rajeev was 'Fort Cochi'. A historic, colonial town with its heritage still in place but is used for tourism; a lovely town to walk around and eat. We then walked, about an hour, along the coast to 'Jew Town'. Where a settlement of Jews was founded in the early 1600's, it has the oldest Synigoge outside of the Middle East, very sacred and interesting. It's floor covered with tiles from China which an Emporer brought over around a similar time. Between Fort Cochi and Jew Town is a road named 'spice road' and yes, it's because it's where they make spices ready for around the country and deportation.  It smelt amazing whilst walking thought the streets...

We then came across an old building which sized Ginger for sale.  A huge courtyard where they dry the ginger in the sun before sorting it into sizes through a '2-lady' colander.

Just before getting to Jew Town, we came across some gorgeous children and managed to get this photo which we had to share...

The following day we made our way to Alleppey to go for a day on a backwater cruise.  It was as perfect and relaxing as we had read about. Meandering through the water and very narrow, just enough for the boat, waterways taking in the wildlife and sounds.  The boat was 'powered' by 2 men with poles (not a euphemism), which resembled a Venetian gondola, silently gliding through the water.

We stopped at a lady's house on the way round and she was selling coconuts which our boatman chopped with a machete for us to be able to drink the milk and eat the soft coconut inside! It was delicious.

We stopped for lunch and had our first Keralan meal. A fresh banana leaf, as a plate, with 3 small and neatly organised piles of different spices. A large mound of perfectly cooked rice in the middle of the leaf with a fish curry poured on top and finished with a small poppadom on the side. It was incredible; we eat it with our hands, as per local custom, a technique which we think we acquired by the end.  You have to get a small pile of rice, mix it together with other piles of spices etc, twist it around on the leaf and scoop it up with your thumb and forefingers (of your right hand only) and when you get it near your mouth move your thumb behind the food to 'fire' it into your mouth...easy! When you're finished you have to fold the banana leaf in half; towards you if you were satisfied with the meal and away from you if you were not.

We passed through some local houses on the way back to be shown how rope is made from coconut hair and where I spotted this young boy with his sister!

So now, we are on the train again but thankfully only a 4 hour journey down to Varkala, plus we managed to get seats in an air conditioned carriage, even though I am spending the majority of the time hanging out the train taking photos and enjoying the scenery! Varkala is a beach town, we decided we need a bit of relaxation ;)