Kerala!!

I'm back at the school now after the best 12 days ever. I had such a great time but I'm happy to be back with the children, if I was missing them after 12 days I am going to be a wreck when I come to leave next August! Kerala was amazing, different in every possible way from Hyderabad. Hyderabad is noise and traffic dodging autos and trying to listen to 500 shouting children every minute of every day, don't get me wrong I love life at Devnar but it is very stressful and I was looking forward to my holiday in Kerala which is beautiful beaches and world famous backwaters  that do not disappoint.

Day 1.

Up at seven to get the plane at 10.50. Everything packed and ready to go in good time, Mum would be proud! Two hours on the plane and India has really really good plane food before two buses to our final destination Kumily. Indian buses are certainly an experience! Bumping along dirt tracks for hours at a time with everyone staring at you because white people on local buses are practically unheard of. The bus should have taken 3 hours so by hour 5 and a half we were starting to get edgy but everything was fine and a jeep from the hotel collected us and drove at about 100 miles an hour to the hotel where we climbed exhausted into our tree-house (yes tree-house!) for the night.

 This is the first photo I took in arrival in Kerala, we look surprisingly together after 8 hours on planes and rammed into buses! 

Fidra in our tree-house! It was small but comfy, and my mattress on the floor was certainly nicer than my rock hard mattress at Devnar! 

Day 2.

Woke up early to find a herd of buffalo outside our bedroom window but I don't think they were very happy about having their photo taken!

Moooo (hehe) dy buffalo! 

The view of Perinyar Wildlife Sanctuary from my tree-house window 

Then we got ready with me chattering away and getting on Fidra's nerves a bit I would imagine I was so excited and piled back in the jeep from the night before and set off TO RIDE SOME ELEPHANTS! I have always loved elephants and when we pulled up and I saw the herd of 8 adults I was so excited! 

My first view of the elephant we would be riding- he's called Lucky. We had to climb onto a raised platform and then jump onto the saddle he was wearing on his back.

So we went for a walk through the jungle on the back of Lucky- Fidra let me ride on the front, I think she could tell I was slightly in love and very excited! We were surrounded all the way by beautiful Keralan scenery- lush green mountains for miles in every direction and with Lucky plodding along slowly it was so perfect. I loved every minute and our guide was brilliant telling us lots of information about the forest and the elephants and taking lots of photos for us! I love elephants!! 

When we got back to the elephant station we rewarded Lucky by giving him a good feed. Elephant tongues are seriously the weirdest thing but it was good fun. I think this was his favorite part of the trip- being paid in marrow! 

One of my best friends in the whole world- Molly gave me this elephant hat for a gift before I left for India. She made me promise if I met any elephants I had to wear the hat and take some photos for her approval so that's why I'm wearing it and look slightly ridiculous in these pictures! 

New best friends I think. Anna is Malayam (the Keralan language) for elephant- I think it's a sign that me and Lucky are destined to be together. If anyone knows how I can sneak a fully grown Asian elephant through customs please let me know! 

Chai break and then it was time for my absolute favorite part of the day- an elephant shower! A new elephant- a female called Ramba arrived and lay down in this big elephant sized swimming pool and looked very chilled out. 

This elephant is not dead just very chilled out! 

We were given tough scrubbing brushes to clean the elephant and sat on it to give it a good scrub behind the ears! Then SHOWER TIME! We took it in turns to sit on Ramba's back and she scooped up a load of water in her trunk and tossed it high over her head and straight over us. I thought it was going to be a light sprinkle but it was a wall of freezing water that blasted me in the face. There was a very awkward moment when Fidra's glasses were blasted off by the water and we thought they'd been sat on my an elephant but we were okay luckily!!!

Finding Fidra's glasses! Victory!

I think Ramba quite enjoys soaking innocent tourists! 

Embrace the wave! 

Gazing lovingly into each others eyes- we're made for each other I swear! 

The after elephant faces!! :D

BEST DAY EVER!!


Day 3.

Me and Fidra set off on yet another early start (4.30!!) this time for a safari through the jungle! Inside Perinyar Tiger Reserve it was so beautiful, jungle covered hills spreading in every direction for miles- my photos really don't do it justice.

Our jeep driver was called Biben and he was so enthusiastic, parking the car at random intervals and dashing up hills in search of blurry black dots he insisted were animals but which I insist were just blurry black dots. We also had a very temperamental jeep with refused to start without either a hill or a push and then the speedometer was broken, not reassuring when Biben was taking the corners at about 100mph! At one point we stalled so violently that I was shot forward and I slammed my chest into the metal bar around the back of the jeep. I have a very large bruise to show for it!

Then our new guide Balloo (yes like from the Jungle book- how perfect is that?) took us on a 3hr trek through the jungle! We were very badly leeched, they were on our arms up our legs and in our shoes! YUCK! But we met a really nice pair of German girls called Lisa and Friedy. The scariest part was when we left the jungle and reached a huge dam which Baloo told us we had to climb down to get back to the ranch. Looking down at a spindly rusting ladder tied to the wall with string I wasn't very confident but being the new intrepid jungle explorer me I managed even if Fidra did need a hand up at the other side

This photo is for my Dad- the eternal tree lover!

We didn't see any real tigers but I was doing a very good job of pretending!

OO love those glamorous leech socks!

 Me and Fidra with Baloo and our intrepid jungle faces!

 Scary ladder!

 I've been leeched!

HEAVE!

On the way home we saw a black bear and then went for dinner with Lisa and Friedy to the weirdest resteraunt I have ever been to. It was basically a bamboo shack with 2 tables for guests at one end of the room and at the other a family living room complete with a small boy watching wrestling on tv who clearly didnt give a toss that we were there. VERY BIZARRE!



Day 4.

Went to see two shows- the first was a Kathakali dance show the traditional dance of Kerela and then a traditional martial arts show. The kathakali had the anthropologist in me very happy! We turned up an hour early to see the performer get into costume and make up and it was so interesting! At one stage we were invited backstage to meet the 'female' performer who turned out to be a man in full drag! I was trying so hard not to laugh! But they take it all very seriously the dance is its own language of facial expressions and hand gestures which was all explained to us at the start of the show and dancers have to train for 6 years before they're allowed to perform!

 This is a scary man in drag demonstrating the repulsion face

Very touristy photo!

Next came the martial arts show in the next building which I dont have many pictures of because it was all very high paced but we did get to go say hi and play with the swords afterwards!

Day 5.

We walked into the wildlife sanctuary again to take a ferry trip out on the lake. It was okay, saw the backs of lots of peoples heads and some deer but not very exciting. Did see lots of monkeys around the dock though and I nearly wet myself laughing when one decided to chase Fidra and she ran headlong across the field away from it screaming about "Rabies!" In the evening we went shopping and I bought some little bits like cushion covers and an elephant hanging for my wall- my room at uni is going to look so Indian!

Day 6.

We traveled to Kottayam, 3 hours by bus so the day was mainly taken up by travelling and we just wanted to flop in the hotel when we arrived.

Day 7. Traveled from Kottayam to Alleppey by ferry along the backwaters and it was very pretty and then got an auto to our hotel 'Gowri Residency'. Itw as a little cottage outside and nice enough except I nearly had a heart attack when a HUGE cockroach ran across our room! EW EW EW! Luckily Fidra's not quite such a baby and dealt with him for me but I was on cockroach watch the next 5 days! In the afternoon we got an auto to Alleppey beach which was very pretty!

Day 7. 

We took a trip on the famous Alleppey backwaters with our rower Sanjeep.He was brilliant, so lovely and kept trying to summon all the animals to come say hi with some very strange noises! Sadly only the cat one seemed to have any effect. We had lunch and breakfast in little canal side shacks and met a bird who seemed to try and eat my hair at every opportunity! 

 Pirate pose! 

Love a coconut breakfast! We had a very chilled out day floating lazily along the backwaters which were just beautiful lots of green water and water lillies and sunshine. 

 Having our traditional Keralan lunch from a banana leaf in someones living room- thats a bed you can see in the background! 

Smile! 

Day 8. 

Long lie in to make up for all those early starts- there's a reason my mum calls me the human doormouse! So in the afternoon we went to another beach which was great apart from some small children deciding to harass us and throw sand at us when we refused to buy them sweets. The kids in Kerela seriously have to learn some manners! 

 It really is a very pretty beach!

After the beach our auto driver drove us to a local beauty parlor where we paid to have our arms covered in mehendi (henna) it looked so beautiful. It takes 3 hours to dry so outs you out of action for a bit but it looks stunning! Like a proper Indian girl! 

 Traditional Keralan flower designs

Day 9. 

Another boat ride on the backwaters. A little motorized canoe this time and as ever the backwaters were stunning. After four hours on the boat we came back and both slept for ageees- being out in the sun doing nothing really takes it out of you! 

Day 10. 

Shopping day! I bought two saris- a traditional Keralan one:

Similar to this one but much nicer even if I do say so myself- mine has gold flowers and swirls around the border, this one is a tad plain. 

And I found the most amazing Christmas sari! Its amazing- light blue with christmas trees and snow and fairy lights around the border- I am determined to have a christmas here and I will be wearing my sari for the occasion! I love it! I also bought a silk panjabi dress with silver detailing which is very pretty, I'm in absoloute love with Indian clothes! 

Day 11.

Bye Alleppey! We caught yet another bus to Cochin where we would be getting the plane from back to Hyderabad the next morning. Checked into Spencer homes, then immidiatly went straight back out again and bumped into Shaheer who offered to take us around all the sights in Cchin in his auto for 50 ruppee (50p). Deal! He was brilliant and made me alugh a lot by referring to his auto and every rickety hand drawn cart we passed as 'miniture ferraris'. When we left he gave me his business card and sure enough the word PORSCHE is printed on the back in large letters! First to see the famous Chinese fishing nets at the harbor:

He took us to some local shops and I bought some spices to send home and a new journal because I am rapidly getting through my current one! Then to the Mattencherry palace which turned out to be less of a palace and more of a large barn. Inside the walls were covered in Hindu murials which were so intricate and beautiful (but no cameras allowed sadly). Royal artwork and clothes were also on display. We also saw a Hindu temple and a jewish synagoge. We met some German tourists at our hotel and went out for a few drinks to celebrate the end of our trip! 

Day 12.

Catch flight 6E314 home to Hyderabad to a very warm welcome from everyone and little Rajesh (4) charging over calling 'Anna mam!' at the top of his lungs. I really enjoyed Kerala but I missed the children here- God knows what I'm gonna be like in July next year!