WANDERLUST

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Kerala - Fort Cochin, Alleppey & The Backwaters

We left Periyar for Fort Cochin, a French-Portuguese-Dutch settlement in the heart of Kerala. It's amazing how, to this day, colonialism influences tourism. While walking around Forth Cochin, we often heard French and Dutch spoken. Like Pondicherry, there is a very European vibe, with narrow streets and many cafes. There is also an old Jewish settlement called Jew Town where there is a small, active Synagogue.

From Fort Cochin, we took our first train ride to Alleppey where we embarked on an overnight cruise of the backwaters. The backwaters are a series of canals that extend hundreds of kilometers throughout Kerala and act as a main transportation route for the locals. It is often called the Venice of India. The slow-paced cruise along the canals was a really nice way to chill out and enjoy the scenery.

JULIA & ANDREW: It's been a while so we have a few questions for you. 1) What is the original name of the city of Mumbai? 2) The Taj Mahol was built for what purpose? 3) What are the names of the 3 Gods in India's most popular religion? Extra Credit question: Can you help us figure out the train schedules?? We are totally lost!!!

Next stop - MALDIVES!

Watch how you go...

Ian and Greg

Tea plantations as we leave Periyar...

Seaside in Fort Cochin...

Jew Town...

Pardesi Synagogue...

Mrs. Leelu's amazing cooking class...

Our first Indian train experience...

The Indian way to exit a train...

Our houseboat...

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

After a week in Tamil Nadu, we breathed a huge sigh of relief (and some cool fresh air) the moment we arrived in the hills of Periyar. Crossing the border from Tamil Nadu into Kerala was like going to a totally different country. The chaos, dirt, noise and crowded cities were replaced by a much quieter, cleaner, laid back cityscape. It turns out that Tamil Nadu is a region that very few tourists visit. Now that we are in Kerala, we realize how many tourists there are in this country. Even though much of Tamil Nadu was undesirable, we are glad we went. It broadened our perspective on India.

We really enjoyed our 3 days in Periyar. We took the time to chill out, walk through the animal sanctuary, and do some shopping (we bought our first piece of art).

Of course this was after a minor hiccup. We never do seem to learn our lesson about romantic notions. We had originally booked a "cabin" in the middle of the woods. We checked in and out after we found a scorpion on the wall of our cabin. Luckily, we found an amazing B&B down the road and were surrounded by monkeys!

Watch how you go...

Ian and Greg

Tamil Nadu, Continued...

After Parisian Pondicherry and the Mars-like Auroville, we re-entered the reality of India and continued on our way through more temple towns in Tamil Nadu. It has been hard to navigate our feelings; On one side, we feel amazed by the scale and beauty of these ancient temples. On the other side, we feel suffocated by the chaotic streets and cities. That's what being in this country is all about...finding a balance between the two.

Watch how you go...

Ian and Greg

Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram