Kerala

After the craziness of Bangalore and Birthday Week, we have arrived in Kerala.  The journey here wasn't exactly as planned. As I mentioned before we left Bangalore, we were on a waiting list for seat  allocation.  This is something that has happened before, so we thought everything was going to be ok.  However 2 hrs before we were still a fair way down the list...  

We decided to cut our losses and head  for the bus station as there were apparently regular buses here.  I can't say I was enamoured with the idea, as the thought of trying to sleep on a squished and uncomfortable bus made me want to shed tears.  Going from our overnight train experiences, I can't say that I was hopeful.  Anyway, we were in luck and managed to get on a deluxe Ac Bus that left at around 7.45pm and arrived in Northern Kerala at around 7am.  The ride was bumpy, swervy and generally not that comfy.  I managed to bend my legs up and twist my body in such a way that I almost managed to sleep but alas the swerving and constant beeping kept us awake.  I mean seriously, what are you beeping at!  There's no one else on the road!!!  I swear we drove through a building site at one point...

Any-hu... we  arrived relatively unscathed and I had to use the loos in the bathhouse at the bus station before we left on the next bus.  Seriously - I was scared.  I have managed thus far to avoid having to go to the loo on trains and at bus stations, but for some reason my bladder was not working with me and I had to give in.  I suppose I should apologise in advance for the following description of my experience but how else can I move on with my life.  I have to let it out...

So I paid my 5rupees and entered.  Andy went in before and came out looking really white and kind of shell shocked so I wasn't hopeful...  I went in and had to call upon all my pole dancing core strength and flexibility to dodge the various shit all over the floor and and to not step in wee. Balancing was key for this toilet experience as one slip would have been detrimental.  I held on to what wall space I could whilst also holding my jeans away from my wee and the wee and just general wetness and goo on the floor.  There was a bucket to the side as well that you had to dodge as you came in that was under a dripping tap and that was dangerously close to spilling over whilst I was weeing. All I could do was watch the drops and pray the next one didn't tip the water over the edge. Oh My God!  I literally can't tell you how stressful that was alone as it was filled with very brown water and looked bitty...

I am laughing now as I write but at the time I thought I was going to vomit and have some kind of psychotic episode. Andy would eventually come looking for me and I'd be rocking in a corner. I didn't even finish my wee, I just did the necessary amount to get me to Alleppey. Sorry everyone...

Aim people Aim!!!!

Anyway we boarded the 2nd bus to Alleppey which is the closest town to our Home-Stay.  This was no easy feat.  We  couldn't understand any of the bus signs and there wasn't anyone to ask and buses were coming and going in this crazy quick manner.  Plus people weren't really yelling out names like they had done in the previous places we'd been.  Luckily some dude came over and asked where we were headed and helped us on the right bus.  Apparently about 10 buses had left for our destination whilst we were stood there so we really didn't have a clue. We got on to the bus and as the journey went on more and more people piled in until you could hardly breathe. It's not a good idea to get on Indian buses at rush hour if you are even vaguely claustrophobic.  I had a number of male crotches in my face, someones laptop bag resting on my shoulder, occasionally the full weight of the ticket dude as he pushed through.  It was intense and then we hadn't a clue where to get off, it was really blind luck that we didn't get off in the wrong town.

Arriving at Green Palms.  We  had to get a water taxi across the water.

We made it though! and Green Palms Home-stay and is really lovely. It is the best remedy for all that madness.  We've decided to stay for a week and then we have to get to Chennai to fly to the Andaman Isles.

The Green Palms is a group of homes on the same sight run by a family.  The mother rules the roost and  the siblings look after their individual houses.  We are in Matthew's home and so far it has been really nice.  It's clean, cool and the food his mum makes is amazing.  It surpasses even the food we had in Bangalore.  It's what I've been waiting for really.  I was expecting to be much fatter by this point. We have all 3 meals of the day included in our room rate, so it works out quite well economically. It's so lush having home cooked meals just there on a table.  I ate my own weight in chicken curry last night.  So good!

Lunch!

When you think they're done bringing stuff out - they bring more stuff!  By the way this lunch for just the 2 of  us.  Crazy.  Suffice to say we didn't manage it all.

We decided to go on a walk around our little island yesterday. We had a broken chat with a guy that seems to just sit in his boat talking to strangers and laughing a lot.  Whist we were in Hampi, we were offered Keralan weed by some locals.  We didn't accept but something told me that this dude might have had a toke or two in his time.  Everywhere you look there is gert lush green scenery.

These are some shots we took of the backwaters yesterday.

A local man doing some fishing.

Rice Paddies

It rained the day before and this was the aftermath.  A lot of boats to drain out.

A picture of one of the famous houseboats.  There was an on-board chef in this one. Amazing to see and a great experience I should think.  Apparently though they are the cause of a lot of the pollution that is killing the wildlife and the general cleanliness of the backwaters.  Sad really but still fascinating to see.








We've just come out of a cooking lesson with the mum.  We observed her cooking what will be our lunch.  Andy was note taker and I tried to take non-blurred photos.  Andy has given the recipe descriptions on his blog which you should try if you like Indian cuisine as the food tasted so good.  We more observed and asked questions and did the most important job which is of course the taste testing.  I felt like a child again making mince pies with my grandparents and waiting for them to ask me to taste the mix.  It still gets me!

These are just general shots of the cooking process and the final products.

This was the fruit of Anna labour.  So delicious.  We are thinking that this might turn into a food tour now.  We might  just become food writers.  Surely that is one of the best jobs ever.

As you can see we enjoyed our food.  It's a pity we couldn't finish it all.

As I said check out Andy's blog for descriptions of the dishes.

Kerala Cont

Our last few days in Kerala were spent much as we spent the previous ones.  Not really over exerting ourselves.  We watched Anna aka Mamachi!as her grandkids called her, cooking a couple more times.  We got treated to a paratha making tutorial which is lot harder than it looks!  It's hard and hot work on the hands especially.  Binu who is the helper of the house draws the short straw as he had to pounds the parathas.  He seemed quite happy and grateful for the adoration we all shared watching him demonstrate thge paratha making process under the ever watchful eye of Mamachi.  

Life in the Keralan backwaters is just  so relaxed.  I haven't seen anyone running anywhere. Just one guy who sprinted passed us on our morning walk with Thomas the other day.  We passed him a few moments later as he was buying a pack of cigarettes.  I guess he really needed the fix, but that was really just about  it.  Everyone just strolls around.  Dont get me wrong though, as things clearly get done - but it is just at a slower pace than I'm used to.  It's left me quite envious really because it seems like a happier existance.  

Having said that though during our morning walk Thomas was talking about how Kerala has a high rate of alcoholism and drug use.  A fellow guest went for a solo morning walk and reported back to us that the local toddy bar was buzzing full of men at 11am... So perhaps Thomas was right.  We did get to sample the local toddy ourselves with breakfast one morning and it tastes just like cloudy west country cider.  

Canoe ride

Andy and I decided to brave a canoe ride by ourselves.  We have both manned canoes before but it had been a while...  Andy was captain at the back and I was in the front aiding the steering.  We went off in front of an oncoming houseboat.  We could just hear Mamachi shouting Andy, Andy, Andeeeee! in a panic as I suppose it must have been quite terrifying to watch us steering into the path of such a huge houseboat.  Anyway after our teething problems we figured it out and managed to make our way through a few canals.  It's so relaxing and I would recommend it to anyone. There are birds singing and people strolling and occassionally you'll get a whiff of some of that Keralan green stuff that people are smoking.  Just relaxing by the water and watching the world paddle by.  I almost began to understand how one could fall into a life of drug and toddy abuse.   

I'll miss the homestay for sure.  I'll miss Mamachi screaming Binu Her! just before meal times.  I'll miss little Aneena and Anna.  They taught me some some sweet Indian dance moves and how to play twinkle twinkle little star on the piano.  They have been so nice.