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The Gap Trip
After getting the taxi up from Allepy where we got off the train from Goa ....3 stops after we should have,,amazingly we found the hotel we were meeting up with the GAP tour ..the taxi driver couldn't get through on the phone number and there was only half an address..but we arrived, checked in just in time to go out to local dance show ..but we decided to give that a by as we were sooo knackered, and needed to strip and de-louse from the train journey ..we literally went straight to the shower and took all our clothes off in the shower to wash..then an intimate examination of each other to check for beasties ..all clear ..but we had taken on board acouple of hitch hikers in our sacks ...couple of cockroaches ...which were quickly disposed of! sadly we have to say that Bob had to dispose of his lovely hand made feather pillow..it had got really clarty.....his sack was full and it was sticking out (he used the pillow bag Alison for his drugs!).....I still have mine .. used the pillow bag for the pillow....scrubbed the cover and aired the pillow and gave it some lavender oil.
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The trip was really good. We travelled in an air conditioned minibus, which was very nice...as its very very hot ..prob around 100....not really sure..weather where you'r standing in the shade and sweating buckets. So we started in Cochin where we walked past the chineese fishing nets..huge square nets on enormous crane like scaffolding ....nets are lowered into the river...tidal...then lifted by gathering at each corner....we also passed the fish stalls where you could buy the fish for for not much money..snapper, butter fish ..very nice ..like a fat haddock, big crabs..then you could take it to the resturant accross the road and they will cook it for you for 100r....£1.20. A wee walk around the town ..old Jewish synagog ...and 'Dutch' Palace ..the home of the Royal family ..100 years or so ago ..the area was controlled by the Dutch who had re-built the pallace as a kind of compensation for ransacking everywhere else.
Next stop ..the backwaters near Allepy ...the Venice of India...canals riverways, river ferries, canoe ferries ..which would take 20 local people ...or three tourists!...we saw this ..no joke...everything is transported via the water ..so massive loads of concrete blocks for example..loaded in dug out canoe heading down the river ..these big ones powered by a simple engine with a 15ft shaft bolted on..with a propellor at the end..tacked on to the side of the canoe.
This place was made for Bob and I...we got to take out one of the canoes ..one which would hold 20 local peole or Bob and I!.....like a Canadian Canoe with a single paddle each. The boats are made of Jackfruit wood ..very dense and heavy..with plank on side 'stiched' on with coconut fibres then coated in some kind of resin....fairly easy to paddle and very stable. It was so peaceful and relaxing ....we went out at 7 in the morning for an hour before breakfast ( with half hour yoga for me before that)....with a breeze on the water. In fact we loved this place so much that we are back here now...for three days of r and r..before hitting the big city of Dheli!...So we've now had the boat out for 3 hours this morning ( Monday14th Dec)..around the smaller canals around the village.
The backwaters consist of many islands..this one 22kms circumfrence,..the islands (I think) are all reclaimed. There are houses all around the outside of the island and along the sides of some of the canals ..with the centre of the islands all rice paddy fields...they flood the fields from the canals ..then pump them out when they need to. The river is used for everything ..not just transporting , washing clothes, washing dishes, bathing..along the river daily this is going on ....some houses do have showers, and bathrooms ..like the one we are staying in ..but I think thats not the 'local' norm. 'Greenhomes' is a 'homestay'..in this case a huge brick/plaster house ...very modern with many bedrooms , some ensuite,..its the familys home ..big livingroom dining and kitchen ..with big smeg like fridge..and big TV..which mabel and Rachel aged 8 and 4 love to watch Power Rangers and Tom and Jerry....they are real cuties..we've both fallen in love with them and their cousings Ann and Anina..who speak perfect English ...but they are from Manchester!...family are just in the process of moving back home so the wee ones started the local school in August..and are breaking up for Christmas on Friday. Rachel especially can get round her Dad, Philip with a big smile and cuddle. Mum is off sitting a Psychology exam..doing a masters I think.
Green Palm Homestay is just fantastic, a real treat...lovely house, rooms and veranda to relax in ...or a number of 'activities to enjoy..taking out the canoe, cycling, short evening walk with canoe trip where local people are singing local folksongs ..like the one where the poor husband could'nt afford to take his wife home to visit her family as tradition determines that the husband has to take expensive gifts for his wifes relatives ...and as he is so poor he cannot afford to ..the song is about him appeasing his wife who nags him constantly to go home ..soon soon I'll have enough money..but be patient be patient'..with audience participation on the chorus...you get the idea. It actually was a lovely walk and evening boat trip...Bob saw his first snake...and we saw fireflys in the trees along the canal as we were punted along the river in the canoe.
The food here is also really good ..all cooked ( there are sixteen of us, plus other guests and family) by Thomas' (Philip's brother in law) mum..what a lady...2 different currys and rice and fried bananas for breakfast , 3/4 different dishes with coconut 'chutney' withfish or buffalo burgers,or chicken and rice for lunch, followed by banana lasi...small citrus tasting bananas, chopped in youghurt and sugar with cardamon..delish...chai..tea, sugar, cardamon and milk alltogether at 4.00 and two different curries with rice for dinner ..she takes cooking classes too!
You can see why we returned for three more days...back to the GAP tour....next we headed to Perriyer Tiger Reserve to see wild Tigers and wild elephants. The park is in the mountains..part of the Western Ghats...nice temperature..a bit cooler at night ..actually we had a bonfire one night as we ate our buffet dinner outside then gatherd round to drink beers..fleeces were worn!..but not by us ..we're Scottish!
Tigers!..well there are actually only 42 in the whole park which covers an enourmous area..and not close to where we were..luckily actually...seeing tigers is not a normal feature of the jungle walk but the anticipation of what might be around was exciting....with the guide holding us back whilst he wandered up a wee path checking for something ..then beconing us to come forward...we were all silent ...small group of 5...we were 'tracking' elephants..came accross footprints and two day old poo....then one day old poo...but no elephants..apart from a set up 'ride an elephant' around a jungle track area....the jungle noises were authentic with different bird calls,...to be continued....
BREAK
and monkey ooh ooh ah and eeeh eeh ehs. Bob was viciously attacked ......by a leech ...lots of blood down his side and through his shirt. We'd been given protective sock/gaitors for our feet and legs...they hadn't counted on the leeches getting that high.
In the mountains we also had a wee wander in a tea plantation ...all tea bushes throughout India apparantly the same species....newest fine tips make white tea, small green leaves make green tea and other leaves make black or dust tea as they call it ..what we get in our tea bags......the difference in taste is dependant on where it grows...thus Darjeeling, Assam etc.
We also visited a spice farm ...just featured on BBC documentary ...12 amazing gardens of the world...interesting to see ..and taste the plants...one which prevented you from tasting 'sweet' for 20 mins after chewing it.!
Then a big 6 hr journey to Varkala...a beach town built on a small cliff...wee beach beside...with fair size waves ...it was great to get back into the water again ...even with the sea lice which are very biteie..line wee pin prinks. We were here for two nights..free time...we took the opportunity to have outfits tailored for us ...me the punjabi trouser, top and scarf job ..Bob a silk shirt ....they measure you up ..then you go back 4/5 hrs later and its made.....Bobs shirt is fantastic ..a brilliant dark green and so well made...my gear is also fab...see the phots...but the tailoring, compared to the shirt is a bit hic....and a bit of mucking about to get the fit ( obviously my 'unique physique').
The GAP group were all really great people from Canada, Australia, Austria, Germany, America, England, Wales and us..and expertly and patiently 'guided' byBanje ( Banee)...and as Adam so expertly summed up at our 'thank-you' speech....."you've been just great Banje.so helpful, and patient...especially as we were a difficult 'group'...some calling you 'Barney' for the whole trip, some insisting on constant pee and tea stops, some crying out for 'proper Englsh food and tea', some presenting some difficult non-tour related problems for you to sort out..and giving abuse in the process, some just moaning about the whole 'Indian' /travelling/walking' experience, and some just 'never getting your clear instructions' without 20 obscure questions following, and some who insisted on correcting/questioning your story of how the Hindu god Gannesh got his elephant trunk! " ( poetic license with the speech quote...but the tour participants reading this will 'get the jist!')
So we really really enjoyed our trip and meeting such great people, the pace was easy and the route interesting...with the Backwaters the highlight for us.....thus our return...where we canoed some more ..longer trip....cycled 'Indian push bike knees hitting the handlebars, sitting up on big spongy saddle" style, wandering round rural villages and small canals, visiting the oldest snake boat ...huge annual snake boat race held in Allepy once per year ...they are 120ft long....yes 120ft! canoe style boats that 90 people paddle with 15 there to 'motivate ' with drums and calling...it must be a specacle. Anyway ...the oldest boat is in a bit of a state and they are hoping to restore it. We saw it in a small clearing in the woods, accessed by a small overgrown on the lookoutforsnakes track....beside the boat Bob spotted a huge snake skin...he then found tons more all over the boat and so thought as this boat was called a 'snake' boat (nothing to do with snakes apparantly)..he thought it must be some goodluck type thing to drape snake skins over the boat...that was untill he noticed the dicarder of ' the very big snakeskin' near thefront of the boat.....I took 20 paces back...Bob gingerly ..camera poised edged forward...the snake was happy to stay where he was....so just as Bob was getting the shot ..he noticed just to his left..about 12" from his camera holding elbow...another big brown slithery thing!...at this point he took sharp exit right.....Rat snakes...local pesticide..keeping the rat population in the Paddy field in check....not poisionous..apparantly...glad we didn't test.
En cycle route we stopped for the obligatory ' I'm starving and thirsty and need to stop outside a shop and eat the purchases immediadly outside' stop ...it was a tiny shack with a man inside making 'lime' sodas....squashing half a lime with his fingers into a glass, adding tons of sugar, stirring vigourously and topping up with a bottle of soda...5 rupees ( 7p)...we just had the sodas,( still being cautious with 'street food', a few finger bananas and some peanut brittle...which cost 25 rupees...oh and some pens for 10 rupees each to give to kids who occasionally asked for "one pen" ( we thought originally in was one pence/some money...but no definately looking for a pen...not a pencil..had some of these..but it was a pen they were after).
So we really enjoyed our stay with Philip and his brother in law Thomas...both so helpful, friendly and informative about the area. Thanks to Philip, who organised a Sim card for me... I've been phoning and texting with an indian sim ...costs 3.5 rupees to text ..rather than 50p on mine, and he also offered to post some stuff home for us, from Manchester when he returns in January.
A word on the pillow Alison......although we've been staying in really nice places with clean pillows...they cannot compare to one's own specially hand made feather pillow with bespoke pillow case....so its used every night ..and during the day for travel....my good friend...mr pillow...thank-you.
and now on to Delhi.
- comments
Morag Can't wait for the next chapter x
caroline and barry just wanted to see if you got my email to your aol address - and you made your paper chain! off to france today dec 30 - be there about 10pm 31st - suspect you are in a computer freezone love and kisses
Maria and Gabor (Hungary) Hello Heather and Bob! Nice to read your blog from your trips, especially from our common experiences in the Greenpalm Homes. We are already back at home since 18th December. How were your Christmas in India? Please, write something about it. Our Christmas was very sorrowful bercause my mother died 1 day before our arrival at home. South-India will remeber me every time on my mother. We are waiting your next chapter. Take care! Gabor
Cath and Harry Happy New Year to both of you Globetrotters. Sounds like an eventful trip so far and nothing we can tell you about our Christmas and new Year will compare - so apart from Snow, snow and more snow here - there's nothing to report....back to work today and feeling positive (for the moment) all's well with us. Looking forward to the next entry - minus lice and cockroaches - too much information!! Love Cath, Harry and Gogs x
Kristin Yea! I am so glad to read an update. I kept checking back, wanting to know what adventures you have had since the end of the tour. I am happy to be mentioned "small group of 5" :) That was a fun walk/hike/safari. Please do mention the "accident/loss of blood" that occurred during our trek. :P Have fun! Kristin
Sascha Happy New Year and who wouldnt be happy doing all the thngs you are?? We have snow snow and more snow - cairngorm ski co must be estatic!! there is a severe weather warning so perhaps our school wil close tomorrow and i can have another day off
Doug MacGregor Esq. Happy New Year!!! I wish you'd stop making up these amzaing adventures and tall tales.. and tell all of us what you are really doing!! When do you think you'll get to Australia? dougx
Laura Hi Glad to read what a great time you are having. Desperate for the next instalment and sooooooh jealous!
lisa.setty hey, ilove you heather and bob . remembering we met in aeroplane KAJAL please send me im hugry of your mail and also send your mail