Coasting in Kerala

5 to 11 January, 2019 - Alappuzha, Kochi - (India)



This whole trip started with us getting a flight that worked with Kochi, and our plans had all revolved around visiting the Kerala backwaters. So, it would have been an ironic twist had we not got there. And we nearly didn't. We were so enjoying the lazy pace we had taken up in Tamil Nadu, and we were tempted to add a couple of in-between stops from Kodaikanal to Kochi.

We bit the bullet, and took an overnight bus from Kodai to the coast, and then another bus to Allepey (Alappuzha). Here we organised a house boat for our anniversary and it was a highlight of the trip to punt around rather casually for 24 hours and be waited upon.

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Kingfisher Surveying a Fish Farm
I guess a fish farm is like a food mall for a kingfisher. there are still gaps and holes in the net, and he seems to know where all of them are.


Our House Boat...
..and a random boy who insisted on being in the photo.


To Get our Anniversary Started
A variety of fruits greeted us when we got on board. We were Lord and Lady Much for 24 hours.


Now, THAT's a Prawn
Bought fresh and cooked for our lunch, each one was a meal in itself. We had a chef and a "captain" to look after us.


Other Houseboats
Other houseboats plying the waters near Alleppey.


Where We Spent the Night
We tied up at a village, close to where the chef lived. He spent the night at home with his family.


Boats in Alleppey
Tour boats lined up in Alleppey.


Scene from the Ferry
We took a ferry some of the way south from Alleppey. While it did not go in the back waters, it did glimpse river life and activity a bit differently.

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And our final few days were in Kochi. It's back on the trail, with (relatively) large numbers of foreign tourists. With that comes touts and souvenier shops. Prices for food and services slip out of proportion, but choice and variety expand.

We sight-sawed a bit, and we lazed a lot. We did a cooking course. We had seafood on the waterfront where we ate two amazing dishes - calamari stuffed with prawns and cashew nuts, and a fish cooked in banana leaf that may just rate as one of the best fish dishes we have ever eaten.

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A Nap on an Old Doorstep


Clocktower in Kochi
Clocktower at the Kardesi Synagogue.


Chinese Fishing Nets
The large Chinese Fishing Nets are, we believe, an unofficial symbol of the city of Kochi. Four men are needed to work each of the nets.


Richard Makes Aloo Dum
While in Kochi, we did a cooking class with Maria. Some recipes given out, some discussion about what should and should not be mixed together. The best part was learning some of the techniques: waiting for the moisture to leave the mixture, and for the oil to form around, before moving on to the next step; adding the powders over the top of the mixture and folding it through, rather than just mixing, so the powders don't burn; searing the marinated meat before adding it to your mixture, so the raw flavours from the marinade don't go back in your sauce. The aloo dum is a North Indian Potato dish.


Jo Kneading the Dough
Maria showed us how to make a variety of parathas and chapatis with the same basic dough. We focused on an aloo paratha, a potato stuffed version.


Looking Up - Santa Cruz Cathedral
Interior of Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica in Kochi.


Dutch Cemetery, Fort Cochin


Possibly the Best Fish Dish Ever
The remnants of what was possibly the best fish dish we have ever eaten. Served in a banana leaf on the shore at Fort Kochi. We also had squid, stuffed with cashew nuts and prawns. A fantastic final dinner for our time in India.

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Thanks, India, for another wonderful trip. Especially the food!

Around Tamil Nadu

28 December, 2018 to 4 January, 2019 - Thanjavur, Chettinadu, Madurai, Kodaikanal - (India)



I really don't know if people change their habits based on catchy phrases, but there are obviously some in India who believe that to be the case. While some focus on social etiquette and responsibility, the majority of these appear along the roadside in order to change driving and riding behaviour. We have dubbed these the "safety rhymes".

Our favourite non-road sign is "Your Country will Salute if You don't Pollute."

Some gems from along the road:
- "Don't be Rash, Lest you Crash".
- "Text or Call can Wreck it All".
- "After Whiskey Driving's Risky".
- "Be a Safety Hero - Accident Zero".
- "Normal Speed Meets Every Need".

Another generic observation of India is the amount of employment that can be created when labour is cheap. Even the smallest cafes and shops seem to have small teams of assistants. Larger supermarkets have an employee on hand waiting at every aisle. We went in to one tall building and encountered a man employed to sit in the elevator and push the buttons for visitors. Mid range hotels have a host of staff, including security and doormen and porters and someone for this little job and someone who takes care of that. It is good to see that the owners of all these businesses, which could run with one or two less people each, see the value of employment from both a social responsibility as well as a service provision point of view.

So we have spent a week or so crossing around the southern state of Tamil Nadu. An overnight bus from Mysuru had us in Thanjavur for its old Chola temple and palace.

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It's not our job to stop them!


Brihadishwara Temple
Also called the Big Temple, Tanjore


Inside Schwartz's Church
Is a comment needed?


Female and Male...
Lion-esque figures, Royal Palace of Thanjavur


Can we get a photo with you?
At least they did not all want to take selfies, one by one.


Bell Tower, Royal Palace, Thanjavur


and maybe it won't...

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From there, we headed to the the region of Chettinadu. It is not a single town, but a small region of Tamil Nadu. The fortunes of some of India's wealthiest turned mid last century, and the hundreds, if not thousands, of mansions (some bordering on palatial) still dot the region. We stayed in one of the heritage homes.

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Our room at The Chettinad Heritage
Nemathan Patti near Kanadukathan.


Breakfast at The Chettinad Heritage
We ate small amounts of so many things for both breakfast and dinner. We were staying at The Chettinad Heritage in Nemathan Patti near Kanadukathan.


Dinner at The Chettinad Heritage
Nemathan Patti near Kanadukathan.


Some of the Former Glory of Kanadukathan
The Chettinad region has thousands of mansions from eras gone by. They are in a variety of state of repair - a handful are immaculate and can be visited or stayed in, but many are ruins or close to. Kanadukathan has a good sampling of styles and has a couple that you can go in to.


Inside CVRMCT House, Kanadukathan
One of the Chettinad mansions that can be visited.


A vista over Kanadukathan roofs

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Before including the photos from Madurai, I want to note the modern obsession with the selfie. Now, this is not an Indian thing alone, we know that, but Indians love to invite us to be included in their selfies. More on that later. However, I did not want to judge, but felt it a little unusual, when I saw a pair of muslim ladies with veils on taking a selfie - they may have been doing duckface, but we will never know.

In Madurai, we visited the palace. Signage indicated it was closed from 1:00 till 1:30. After looking around, and deciding to leave the palace at 1:10, we discovered that being closed did not mean being kicked out - it meant nobody could come in OR leave, until 1:30. So we had 20 minutes more to enjoy the building before being allowed out.

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Carving above a Shop, Madurai
There were a number of beautiful details above shop fronts - if you kept your eyes up.


Panorama Inside a Palace
Tirumalai Nayak Palce in Madurai.


Selfie Time Again
Locals are frequently asking us to be in their selfies. Generally, guys want me in theirs, and girls want Jo. Sometimes, we are both included. But they don't want someone else to take the photo - it is always a selfie.


Imposing Columns and Arches, Tirumalai Nayak
Around the main courtyard in the palace of Tirumalai Nayak in Madurai.


Impressive Horsemen
Pudhu Mandapa in Madurai.


Seamsters in Pudhu Mandapa
The hall may have once been a temple - certainly a lot of gods and goddesses are represented on the columns. Note the triple breasted Meenakshi (pre marriage - one breast fell off when she got married). Now, the hall is dominated by tailors and seamsters, as well as traders of books and brassware. This market had a wonderful hum amongst the tall columns.


View over Meenakshi Amman Temple
This "temple" in Madurai is more correctly a number of temples in a compound. Photography inside is strictly prohibited, so we had to rely on these shots from a nearby rooftop to capture something of it. The tallest structures are the gates, and there is a glimpse of the gold dome to the right of the picture.

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Another of the joys of modern technology that smart phones has brought, in addition to selfies, is mobile music. On long bus trips, for hours, we can be entertained by three or four different styles of music, all at once, as people near us each decide what they want to listen to. Mainly bollywood sounding dance numbers, but variety comes in the form of some sitar strings, and even from a bit of western pop. Although, it turns out when one song was interrupted by Queen singing "Flash", it was just the phone ringing.

So, on to Kodaikanal, a hill station, for our last stop in Tamil Nadu. Over 2000 metres in altitude, it was far more brisk than we had anticipated encountering. 6 degrees or so overnight, but pleasant high teens during the day. A couple of days here was great - a change of scenery with some nature, and a chance to get the blood pumping by putting our legs in to action.

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Looking Down from the Heights of Kodaikanal
The plains are lost in a haze below.


Vattakanal Falls
A pretty stop on our walk to Dolphin's Nose from Kodaikanal.


Jo Standing on Dolphin's Nose
A rocky outcrop. The photo in no way shows just how high and sheer this is.


Me, Bravely Edging Out
Again, this is Dolphin's Nose. And again, the scale of the drop around the rock formation is not actually translated well in to pictures. But my not-so-at-ease expression may say a lot more.


500 Year Old Tree, Kodaikanal
This tree was so beautifully atmospheric. Standing at its base, looking at the twists and gnarls, the light seeping through the holes, it was easy to attribute spiritual qualities to such a thing.

It was not on any maps, and was not signposted. And the handful of locals we asked could not help us locate it. But I found some hints online to its location, meaning we could avoid paying a guide to take us here.

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India - Where Regulations and Mayhem Collide

23 to 27 December, 2018 - Bengaluru, Mysuru - (India)



Arriving in Bangalore, the chaos which is India was only mildly mitigated by the fact that it was 2 am. Add a layer of officialdom; there are few other countries we could be in.

Even before we made it out of the airport, we were reminded of the excessive bureaucracy that is such a part of this place. Visa processing was slow and protracted despite the fact that we had done all the paperwork in advance. More forms with the same information on it, not to mention the dodgy finger print device that took 15 or more attempts to register Jo’s prints. Finally, we thought it was all done. We snaked around to the next uniformed official, who confirmed that our paperwork was indeed in order. Queue for the next step in the process – a sort of pre-customs check. After which, we collected our bags, cleared final customs, and suddenly we were officially in India.

Once again, technology foiled our plans to be cashed up with uncooperative ATMs wasting 20 minutes of our morning. So, we changed $50 to rupees. Straightforward? Of course not. Forms, visa checks, passports photocopied, thrice verified, and then a handful of faded and torn notes made their way in to our possession.

Days later, we have a plethora of stories of the unique way that India blends red tape with mayhem. This combination is best exemplified by the overuse of a whistle. Throngs pushing and pressing, heads craning, no concern for right of way or order of arrival, and then multiple shrill blasts by a khaki clad employee because of an infringement – a child out of line, or a family sitting by the wall.

Which leads to discussions about personal space, or more correctly, not having any. Strangers manhandling us while we visit shrines and palaces. Placing hands on our shoulders and trying to move us aside, or creating wedges with their hands as they just push on forward to the front. Heaven forbid if you are not pressed hard against the person in front of you – that is a space that someone will fill the instant you leave it.

We had a couple of days in Bangalore to settle in. Markets, the main palace, the old fort. Bought some fabric for curtains. While having hems sewn in to our new purchases, we met a local man, who invited us to his home for Christmas lunch or dinner. We had already written Christmas day off as a non-travel and non-sights day, but already had other plans. We decided we could at least drop in.

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Piles of Kumkum
In the city market, Bangalore


Tailor in City Market, Bangalore
In the city market, Bangalore


Hanging Out in Bangalore Fort
We had a marvellous afternoon in the small but atmospheric fort in Bangalore. Some intriguing carved stones from various temples are incorporated in the walls. One or two on the risque side. I'm too embarrassed to put them here...


Bangalore Palace


I can Feel the Indignity
Inside Bangalore Palace, a taxidermed elephant head has become a roosting spot for pigeons. Oh, the shame...

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Church attendance was a priority for Christmas, and we found an appropriate service at Bethel church.

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Christmas Day - Bethel Church Bangalore
It was nice to go to a service on Christmas Day.

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From there, we headed to our lunch. We had made a reservation at an upmarket restaurant which was offering a very classy buffet lunch, with an option of all drinks included, which we took up. There must have been 50 or more options for entrée. We both did a number of visits to this part of the table, particularly when the 15 cm prawns made an appearance. The devilled eggs with truffle, the duck mousse, the cheeses and prosciutto; these all were tackled multiple times by the pair of us. I only made one round of the main courses – primarily focussing on ham and a turkey drumstick. And then, a few return trips to the desserts. Christmas cakes and puddings, mini cheesecakes, and various other bite-size festive treats. With cocktails, I tried to stay on the seasonal ones. Eggnog, mulled wine, cinnamon infused mixtures. But when I finally settled on a hot rum and apple cider cocktail, I knew I should have started my tasting from the bottom of the list.

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First Round of Entree
Plate number 1 of many. Christmas Day at Olive Bar, Bangalore.


Christmas Day at Olive Bar and Kitchen, Bangalore
Still going with entree. Cocktail trolley doing the rounds.


Sampling Sweets...
Starting Christmas desserts, Olive Bar in Bangalore.

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And after lunch, we dropped in on our new market friend, Surya, and his family. We were exploding from our lunch, so stuck to chai and conversation. It was so nice to have a social element to the day.

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With Surya and His Family
It was so nice to spend some time with new friends on Christmas Day. Surya invited us to his home after we met him at the market.

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After travelling by train to Mysore, we visited the palace exterior on the evening we arrived. Tens of thousands of globes strung over and around the edifice made it an outstanding affair. The next day, we joined thousands of on-holidays Indians in the interior. One child was encouraged by his father to go under the rope to stand in the middle of one of the palatial halls, for a photo. A blast from a whistle indicated this had not gone unnoticed, and seconds later the owner of that whistle was making the aforementioned father delete the offending photos from his phone.

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Mysuru Palace at Night
A very impressive sight.


Public Durbar Hall
The public durbar (reception) hall of Mysuru Palace.


Mysuru Palace Private Durbar Hall

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And to finish this entry, a couple of random shots from Mysore.

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OHS?
Using a jackhammer to demolish the concrete balcony you are standing on - Nothing could go wrong here, surely!


A Place to Keep your Clocks.
I'm sure they are punctual, too.

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