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Cor the weather is amazing!! Must be 30 degrees plus... as soon as we stepped out of the airport we could feel the difference. Trouble is you don't want to do anything else but lay on a beach, I could have stayed in Kochi, but we started our new tour... it's turned out to be a very quick week already.
This group is smaller than the last, which is nice as we get to travel around in a mini bus, rather than the horrible public transport!! Had enough of that to last me a lifetime- but was all a wicked experience.
We went to the famous 'backwaters' at Allepey & stayed with a local family, they spoke brilliant English (one of them sounded like a posh English Gentleman, it really didn't go with his body!!) We sampled the local food & being a manmade island... kept together with the help of the many coconut trees... just about everything had coconut in it. Sounds nice but it really wasn't, far too many flavours going on for my liking!! Thing is you had to try to eat it, as they served it to you & watched while you tucked in!!
Our host turned local guide & showed us round his island, he was very proud... what we started to realise here is that there is no caste system & everyone is equal. The untouchables that line the streets in the North (which you don't notice until you come away from it) don't excist here, the poor are given as much of a chance that the next person. Basically the poverty isn't as bad down here & everyone has a good education behind them. This place seemed worlds away from the congested, dirty north that barely has respect for anything but their gods.
Our tour with our local guide finished with a paddle boat ride, where they all sang traditional folk songs... we floated down the river, watching as the huge houseboats truddled past. The backwaters are beautiful & hopefully I'll upload some photos so you can see just how gorgeous they are!
Yesterday we arrived in Periyar... famous for its tiger reserve! The four hour journey went quickly, as they always do, we climbed a few breathtaking moutains with lovely views... so it helped to pass the time. Our hotel is nice with a rooftop for Philippa to lay on, so all is good!
I had an Auyvendic massage yesterday by a women with a mustache... No thats horrible but she was ordering me about & we were fighting over keeping my knickers on (i was triumphant!! Theres boundaries & theres boundaries!!) It was a good massage in the end, if not a bit uncomfortable in the beginning! The best part actually was getting on the back of a motorbike, its a quiet village here, so traffic's not too bad, however still goddamn scarey when you don't have a helmet on & their driving skills are something to be desired!!
We were up early this morning for our tiger safari... have to laugh really because it was a walk in a forest with no chance of seeing tigers... We saw some dogs- ha!! Felt like i was in Epping forest!!!
We're off to Vakala tomorrow for the last part of this tour... operation lay on beach... yum!!!
Honeywood wheres your message... you're Rooobish!!
- comments
Janette Can't imagine you in all that heat - it's snowing like mad here (in Geneva) at the moment. You sound to be having a wonderful time in India - will you ever come back?
keels you do make me laugh! It feels like I've experienced with you, can't wait for you to come and fill you in on EVERYTHING that's been going on in keely's little life!! LOVE YOU BOTH-Neil said he's missed cooking Phyl pasta....don't worry Phyl there's planty more pasta and GARLIC waiting here for when you visit soon x x P.s got me wedding shoes the other day too
keels you do make me laugh! It feels like I've experienced with you, can't wait for you to come home so I can fill you in on EVERYTHING that's been going on in keely's little life!! LOVE YOU BOTH-Neil said he's missed cooking Phyl pasta....don't worry Phyl there's plenty more pasta and GARLIC waiting here for when you visit soon x x P.s got me wedding shoes the other day too
keels Ok so it's been a long day.........I tried to go back and correct spelling but just posted message again! woo hoo me x