30 January 2012

We are getting used to the good life - getting up to a sunny morning, going for a nice walk and coming back to a nice breakfast without an iota of effort in preparing this good meal.  We will have to get ourselves back into the groove when we get back home.

Today, we have a car and driver coming to pick us up to take us to a few places where we will spend our morning. The first is a walk to Dolphin's Nose a rock formation some distance away from town. Lloyd will not be walking as Bala has nixed the walk for him, however he will drive to the start point with us and hang out there while the three of us do the walk. When we got to the start, one look at it caused Danielle to opt out as well. It was a scattering of large  rock quite dangerous for someone needing repairs to her knee. The path descended rapidly as we jumped from rock to rock for the first ten minutes until the rocks were replaced with a tangle of roots that snaked across the path forcing us to step carefully to avoid tripping ourselves. The path continued downward for about a half hour until we finally arrived at the rock called Dolphin's Nose. Our driver and guide John strode confidently to the tip of the nose which cantilevered over a 7000 foot drop (or so it appeared). Lynanne, holding John's hand, went almost to the end of the nose. For those of you who know her, that was quite a feat as she's quite afraid of heights. Bernie contented himself with staying behind and taking a picture of the 2 of them on the edge of oblivion. On our way up the hill, Bernie took a picture of some young folks sitting and dangling their feet on the nose. Of course, he got an email address to send to them. The way up was arduous to say the least and utterly inconsistent with the easy rating Bala had assigned this walk. Of course, we were at 7000 ft. and that probably had a bit to do with our huffing and puffing. Meanwhile, Lloyd and Danielle took a 1 hour stroll down the road where they met several young Israeli people, some of them were decompressing after their military service. We saw an Israeli/Italian/Indian cafe there, as well. The rest of the afternoon was spent doing errands in town and waiting impatiently for our British dinner on our westward gourmet trek.
Contrary to all expectations, our British dinner was spectacular, starting with pumpkin soup with an Indian flare, roast chicken in a delicious brown sauce, fresh carrots and peas from the garden, and British mashed potatoes. To top it all off we had trifle in the living room in front of the fire. Unfortunately the cheesecake from last night never reappeared. Our evening together was the perfect end to another satisfying day in Kodaikanal. See you tomorrow.

29 January 2012

We woke up in the beautiful cool of Kodaikanal and went for a long walk down the hill.  We are at an altitude of 7000 feet + which leaves us a bit breathless at times.  The walk took us to a look-out beside a Hindu temple from where we could look all the way down.  Upon our return, we all got together in the dining room and enjoyed a lovely western breakfast of granola, papaya, toast and eggs.  Our hosts suggested the Sunday market might be interesting and Vasu very nicely offered to drive us there.  We all enjoyed seeing all the fresh produce on display and Bernie was envious of the size of the kerela also know as bitter melon.

I decided we needed to go back with fruit and Bernie and I went to buy some.  When I asked the price of a pineapple and was quoted 30 rupees by the vendor, a bystander stifled a laugh so we sort of knew I was being had.  Nevertheless, I bought it.  Not to be gypped a second time, I saw a man who had already purchased bananas and I asked him how much he had paid for them.  I then proceeded to buy mine and paid even less without any bargaining at all.  The other three of our senior troupe were quite amused and approved of my purchase.

Our meal tonight was a fabulous Italian dinner because Bala and Vasu have us on a gourmet train taking us from East to West and ending in America.  The tomato sauce was so delicious, made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, fresh thyme and many more fresh ingredients from their own garden.  We are eating like Maharajahs.  Hope our clothes fit us till the end of the holiday.  You might think we were all full by now but no - a great cheese cake showed up, made from their homemade cheese, with a nice plum coulis.  It was out of this world and we are hoping to be served the left over tomorrow for dessert.

Note from Lynanne:
After dinner, Danielle regaled us all, including Vasu and Bala, with tales of her first trip to India. Her memories of that trip had us all in stitches. Anyone who wants details may contact Danielle. You just had to be there!

28 January 2012

Guess what guys.... another sunny and cool morning with birds singing and lots of people walking by on their way to their different jobs.  It is with a sad heart that we are preparing to leave for our next destination.  Anil and Jeeva have been super hosts and all of us seem to have grown very fond of them.  The Royal Mist has exceeded all of our expectations by miles.  Our breakfast was again delicious, we are packed and our driver has arrived.  It is now time for goodbyes and pictures so we can recall our wonderful stay in Munnar.

The drive was good and we made a stop at a spice garden which was most interesting.  The young woman taking us around seemed very knowledgeable about every plant and tree on the property.  She knew all about their properties and their uses in Ayurvedic medicine.  Every now and then, her little son would climb up a tree at incredible speed, with his bare feet and bring down a  sprig of leaves for us.  A monkey would not have done better.

Later in the afternoon, our driver pointed out a restaurant were we could stop and have a bite to eat.  Lloyd, Lynanne and I went to sit down but we noticed Bernie had stayed behind and was dealing with money at the cash.  We all assumed he was changing U.S. dollars to rupees.  We were all surprised when he arrived at the table and said he had had to pay for our meals before hand.  We didn't even know what there was to eat there as yet.  It turned out there was only one thing to have - a vegetarian thali.  It was good, very inexpensive and, every now and then, someone would come around and slop more food on our banana leaf.

We arrived at our new homestay in Kodaikanal mid-afternoon and were greeted by Balla and his wife Vasu.  Both are very warm and friendly and our stay should be great.  The rooms are very well appointed and the grounds are lush and green.  For those of you close to me, I must tell you they have a garden loaded with peas that I am allowed to pick and eat anytime I want.

The dinner was fabulous.  We had a Mediterranean meal complete with hummus, tabouleh, lamb shish and an absolutely delicious tomato salad - fetouch.  As if that wasn't enough, they had a lovely desert.

See you tomorrow.

27 January 2012

What can I say, it is another beautiful morning in Munnar.  We are up bright and early and will only be having tea and fruit before leaving for our hike into the valley..  Lloyd is doing much better today but will still rest his knee while being spoiled rotten by Jeeva..  Anil has offered to drive us to the beginning of the trail and Lloyd decided to come along for the ride.  The walk itself meanders through rows of tea bushes covering the hillside.  The scenery was too beautiful for words.  It zigzagged down the hillside through two villages where the local children came out to greet us and have their picture taken.    For some unknown reason, all the children we met during our trip ask for pens rarely money.  As the path was right up against the hillside, we alternated through shady and sunny sections which made it a very pleasant descent. We finally reached the waterfall where we stopped in a small green and red tea shack where we had a cup of sweet tea. The owner and her nephew were very happy to serve us, and offer us a large bag of cardomom for 200 Rupees. Danielle was happy to buy it, and I'm sure the lady was also happy. After taking their picture, we started our ascent to the road where we were to get the bus to take us back home.  Surprisingly the climb was quite easy, and it wasn't long before we were at the bus-stop.  As we got off the bus, we met Maria and Jorg with their gigantic backpacks.  Little Maria looked like a turtle carrying a much too large shell.  We were all so happy to see each other one last time. Lloyd was sitting on the porch in front of a nice food tray and warm cup of tea.  He did not seem the worst for wear.

After a nice shower and a good meal, we played Carom, a game Bernie has talked about for many years.  He grew up playing it and we all had a good time.   The fact that Bernie knew this game, did not result for a victory for his team.  I guess 40 years without practice makes one a bit rusty.

We are all so sad that this is our last night here.  None of us want to leave.  Jeeva and Anil have been incredible hosts and we know we will miss them.  But the trip must go on.  











 

26 January 2012

Today is Republic Day in India  All the kids have ceremonies held at their school for the occasion. Following yet another great breakfast we reluctantly left Lloyd behind to nurse his swollen knee while we took the bus into Munnar town. He looked quite happy with his book, iPad and newspaper as he sat on the porch, even if he was obviously in pain. The town was India at its best, with the cacophony of sounds, abundance of overpowering smells and chaotic traffic. It was very crowded, this being a holiday. The marketplace was overflowing with fresh produce, some unknown to Lynanne and Danielle, though I recognized some of them such as drumsticks and chickoos. We were on our way to the Tea Museum which was further away than we had expected. Everyone we asked along the way pointed us in the same direction. Regardless of  how long we had walked it seemed as if it was always a kilometer away. Several people along the way wanted their picture taken, with instructions as to how to send them a copy by snail mail.

 The Tea Museum was very interesting. Our visit started with a movie describing the history of the tea plantation from its inception in the 1800s.Their vision was quite progressive, with compounds for the workers complete with creches for the children since the women could work for the company, which made it possible to have two earners in the family. Schools and hospitals were also provided. Over time ownership passed to the Tata company, particularly when India achieved its independence, it was mandated by the government that at least 60% of the company had to be owned by Indian nationals.  Later on, the whole company was sold to its employees and its name changed from the Tata Tea Company to the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company Private Limited, or KDHP Company. Following the film, we wandered through the plant, learning how the leaves were processed into the tea we know and love. The whole experience was most interesting.

On our way out in the heat of the mid afternoon, we passed an elegant hotel which was a good place to stop for lunch consisting of stuffed paratha (gobi and aloo). We walked back through town with the intention of changing some USDs to Rupees, but a would-be money changer wearing a brown balaclava quickly made us change our minds and head for home.

Back at our home stay we were greeted by poor Lloyd who had rested all day and enjoyed a delightful lunch as he nursed his knee. Maria and Jork had already returned from their hike but were in their room. When they emerged for dinner, we saw that they were lobsterized by the sun into a bright red. Pictures to follow. They had been victimized by fake Indian sunscreen.

That's about it for our day.

25 January 2012

Here we are waking up to another beautiful sunny day and looking forward to our delicious South Indian breakfast.  I am always awake and reading outside by the time the sun rises.  It is enchanting to be sitting on our outdoor deck in the morning listening to all the different birds serenading me.  Every one else comes out before 8 a.m. to partake in the varied menu that is our breakfast.

Today, we have arranged to have a car and driver here to take us all the way to Top Station.  It is on the border of  Kerala and Tamil Nadu.  It is called Top Station because it is a high point from which a rope way was used to transport tea and other goods from Munnar to the valleys below in Tamil Nadu.  The drive was extremely picturesque and our driver made sure to point out the interesting sites.  Our first stop was at the Rose Garden but frankly there were many more flowers to be admired and not that many roses.  All of us recognized many of our flowers from home and agreed that our botanical gardens are much nicer.  Of course, here in India, the dust from the roads tends  to cover everything. At the garden, we had our first calamity and may it please be the last.  Lloyd twisted his knee coming down a step and can now barely walk.  We are quite the senior citizen foursome.  Lynanne started off with a cold and plugged ears (she is now better), followed by an eye infection needing antibiotic drops for Bernie and then Lloyd got hurt and of course, I have my bad knee to protect at all times.  Is there anyone reading this that would love traveling with us on our next adventure?  Should any one want to join us on our next trip, the pre-requisite is two good knees.  The evening conversation has been entitled "the organ recital".  With an injured Lloyd, we got back in the car and after a few kilometers, our driver stopped and told us to go see the honey tree.  To our absolute delight, there was this tall tree and on the branches, there were these huge hives (like large sacs) covered with, I am sure,  thousands of honey bees hovering and covering the big sac-shaped hives. It was just an incredible sight.  From there, we continued our drive passing at least 3 dams.  We also stopped at a beautiful lake and took a walk there with poor Lloyd hobbling along like a trooper.  I hope he feels better tomorrow.

That evening, we had the privilege to meet a young couple, Maria from Columbia and Jorg from Germany.   We had dinner together and spent the rest of the evening enjoying their company.  They are on a one year round the world trip.  They live in Brussels where Maria just finished her PhD in Biomedical Engineering and, after their trip, they have to decide where in the world they want to live.  Maria reminds us so much of Mireille. Her smile, her laugh, the way her mouth moves when she talks. It is uncanny.  They will probably visit Lynanne and Lloyd in Berkeley and plan to come to Ottawa next summer.

That's about it for today.  Let's see what tomorrow brings.  We definitely are enjoying ourselves so far. Come back to visit, because in time we will post some pictures.

24 January 2012

Beyond the vale, beneath the trees, our little house is there
And on the gentle slopes around, the tea grows everywhere
So I must rise at early dawn as busy as a bee
And start my daily labours and pick the leafy tea.     A poem from a box of tea.

Today we drove from Kochi to Munnar. It was a spectacular drive especially once we started climbing. The tea plantations covered all the hills in a neverending line of bushes that followed the contours of the undulating slopes as far as the eye could see. From a distance they looked like heads of broccoli arranged in neatly spaced rows from which the tea pickers reached over to pick the new growth.  Needless to say the whole scene was breathtakingly beautiful. Our day had not started that well because we had paid for a car and driver to take us and had expected the nice 7 seater car that had picked us up from the airport but got an old wreck, without workable seat belts - really not the best for Indian roads. Nevertheless, we got here safe and sound.

We reached our Munnar homestay mid-afternoon and were greeted by Jeeva and Anil, the owners of the Royal Mist.  They are the nicest couple, most welcoming and accomodating.  Our rooms are very nice with great showers which was a welcome relief from our previous homestay.  Immediately upon our arrival, a tray filled with hot tea, warm milk and cookies was brought up to our room which opens onto a nice covered veranda where all our meals are served and what meals!  South Indian food is really good.

Around 5 p.m., Anil introduced us to another couple living here, Paul and Lisa  from England.   They were delightful.  We then all left with Anil to go on a walk up the mountain .  The flanks of this mountain are covered with tea plants and, as if that was not beautiful enough, we were there for the most incredible sunset ever. On that walk, Anil pointed out wild cardamon pods, peppercorns, pomelos, told us to stay clear of wild elephants roaming the region and brought us back home to a wonderful meal of rice, chapatis, chicken curry and spinach curry.  After such a busy day, we all retired around 10 p.m.  Life is good, people  and we are all happy to be together.  See you tomorrow.

23 January 2012

We, Bernie and Danielle were up at 5 a.m. and out of the house by 6.  We walked for a couple of hours since this is the only cool time of the day.  We went to see the Chinese Fishing Nets  and we even helped pull in the catch, such as it was.  It hardly seems worth the effort to us.  They put the nets down and leave them there for aout 4 minutes.  These nets in Kochi are the only such nets outside of China and are reputed to have come here with Kublakhan, during the 12th or 13th century.

After breakfast, we all met up with yesterday's rickshaw drivers, John and Babbu.  They took us to "Jew Town", the old Jewish section of town which is suppose to date back to when the first Jewish people settled here with the Spice trade.  We then went to the Dutch palace which is really Portuguese.  They then took us to the Ginger Factory, an old Portuguese wharehouse supposedly 500 years old.  There is ginger as far as your eyes can see, drying in the sun and used for medicinal purposes.  The smell there is so potent and the lime dust that the poor workers have to breath in all day, is inhumane.  They must all suffer from lung desease.  We finished our day with them back a t the Chinese Nets since Lloyd and Lynanne had not seen that yet.  We said goodbye to our drivers and went to have lunch and here we are.  See you tomorrow from Munnar.

22 January 2012

This is Lloyd speaking this time around.

The sounds of the birds at 6:00 am are amazing, not melodious- raucous. We got up at 7:30 and had a breakfast of toast, fruit and a vegetable stew with dosas. We planned our day to start with a long walk, but within a quarter of a mile of walking, we were engaged in conversation by a rickshaw driver named John. After a spirited session of our saying, "No we want to walk,"  we were in his cab (and that of his buddy, Babbu). We set off to get some of B&D's money exchanged into rupees. Riding in a motorized rickshaw is hair raising because people are diving in and out of lanes on foot, bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, hand carts and giant busses, as well as cars.
John took us to a guy's house to exchange money, because the offices were closed on Sunday. Pleasant guy and cute kids; mission accomplished easily. We then had greater confidence in John. So we set off with him to see the Basilica, then the Church of Vasco di Gama and then a walk on the beach. There were also stops to see a large communal laundry, the Dhobis. it's run as a cooperative enterprise, and fish and meat market. We stopped at the Jain Temple (very nice peaceful place, especially after the fish and meat market). We watched a big wedding at another church and then were delivered (with our consent) to a government crafts store. Much to our surprise, we each bought a rug, which will be delivered, we hope, directly to our homes. We know the story, i.e., that John will get rewarded by the store, but it was ok. We were now hungry, so John took us to the Krishna Cafe for a late lunch of masala dosas, which were tasty and cheap. We headed back to Beena Homestay and made arrangements with John to pick us up at 9:30 the next morning. I am writing this at 4:30 as we rest up before dinner.

21 January 2012

We finally arrived in Kochi around 4 p.m.  It was a grueling trip and the thought of having to do it again to come back home is a real killer thought.  We had been traveling since the 19th with a 10 hour lay-over in London.where we checked it to a very down market dayroom where we sort of rested.  The flight to Mumbai was packed to the gunnels without a single vacant seat and many babies crying.  It was not an experience you look forward to.  The homestay people had a driver waiting for us at the Kochi Airport.  We were an hour late, beat and fed-up.  We have never had to line up so often during one trip.

The drive to our homestay was about an hour long and it brought us right back to our last trip to India, 25 years ago.  The crazy traffic, the smells,the constant noise, the dust and the crowds were still the same organized chaos.  Our friend Lynanne was overwhelmed and I could really empathize with her. She is fighting a cold and after such a tiring trip, it was the icing on the cake.  The homestay itself is adequate, sort of minimal but the owners and the guests make it a very positive experience. Upon our arrival we were greeted by Beena with a warm and friendly smile.   She and her husband Sudish are very pleasant  people. We were very exhausted so we just had a light dinner, went for a short walk and collapsed very early.  We got up refreshed and ready to call it a holiday.

We will be back tomorrow for more.

19 January 2012

Ouf! We are finally ready... I think.  It is so tiring to go on holidays, so much to see to, to organize not to mention having to scrape the driveway for hours after this mix of snow and freezing rain which we have had in the last couple of days.  India seems better by the minute.

We had a bit of a panic yesterday, when Bernie realized that he could not go with a suitcase I had bought in November.  It was just too flimsy for the rigors of such a long trip.  So at 6 o'clock in the evening, we rushed to return that one and proceeded to shop for another one.  I will have all of you know, the said suitcase was packed and ready to go at the time.   The good thing was that in January, the luggage is all on sale reduced anywhere from 55 to 70%.  It all worked out well and he is happy with his purchase.  He is packed once again and let's hope it stands up well.

I have vivid memories of the last time we went to India (1989) with a borrowed suitcase.  Here in our winter climate it was quite a good and stiff one but once we got to Goa, in the heat and humidity, that huge suitcase became like a wine sack and all its contents was spilling out as I carried it.  We had to go inside this rather posh hotel and asked for rope but of course this being India in 1989, no one had any.  We were quite the sight.

Anyhow, today is finally the 19th and we are headed to the Airport with hopefully better luggage. Next time you hear from us, we will either be in London or Kochi, India. 

Au revoir.

17 January 2012

Well, we are almost ready. Just a few small things to be done before we leave. One of them is to make arrangements to have our driveway shovelled while we are gone. And while we are on the topic of snow I should note that we are expecting 10 to 15 cms of snow and freezing rain in the next 12 hours, so we will be digging ourselves out tomorrow! We are not going to be able to get away easily.

16 January 2012

Here we are, less than a week away from our travel date. Our plans are to travel to London- Heathrow on the first leg of our trip, and after an almost 10 hour lay-over, to board our Jet Airways flight to Mumbai the business capital of India. A relatively short flight change in Mumbai, and we will be onto the starting point of our ground trip-  Kochi on the South-West coast of India.

Planning for this trip extended over the better part of a year as we whittled down the huge range of possibilities that is India to focus on a small elongated state on the west coast, Kerala. The choice we had was to expand our footprint to cover a large area, and expend a lot of time and/or energy travelling, or to focus on a small area and see it intimately and in a relaxed manner. We opted for the latter. The next set of choices had to do with where to stay. Again we were faced with an infinite range of possibilities. A choice made early in our search reduced these choices to a managable number. We agreed with our friends - who I have not mentioned yet- to live in Home-Stays, the Indian equivalent of B&Bs. The decision seemed to make a lot of sense. As strangers to South India, what better way to learn about the customs and food, than to live with the people of South India. Here let me explain.  I was born and lived in India some 50 years ago, so it is not that I am a total stranger to the customs and food, yet the South is quite different from the North, in language, customs, food and perhaps a whole lot more. Danielle is a native Canadian yet she is familar with the customs and food of India. In fact she excels in a large repertoire of Indian food, but that is North Indian or perhaps the food more typical of Mumbai.

Here she is.

Bernie has given you all a good look at what we plan to see during this trip.  What he has not mentioned is that we have been jabbed and proded for months now, having to swallow pills against Malaria, ingesting 2 doses of a vaccine to help with the infamous Delhi Belly not to mention the 3 vaccines against hepatitis..... and we have not left yet!

The friends he mentioned,  we have really know in person for only 24 hours on our last holiday visiting the many beautiful canyons in Utah, Arizona and Nevada.  We first met at breakfast at the Dream Catcher Inn at Zion National Park.  We went out to walk a many hour trail in nature and again, enjoyed their company.  That day, we all had dinner together and talked about our respective next holiday.   They were going to Italy and we to India.  We must have gotten them interested in India as they decided to join us and see Italy next year.  We have since been getting together regularly on Skype.  It will be nice to see Lloyd and Lynanne again.