A Short Indian Adventure

We arrived in Thekkady as darkness fell after our first experience of a local bus. The journey was not to long at around 5 hours, although for the most part it was rather crowded. As we got on at the start point we managed to maintain a seat for the journey but people were in and out cramming into every standing space available. For the majority of the jouney it was raining and there was a choice between getting wet or over heating, due to the open windows, that could only be closed with a solid shutter. As we got higher and into the greener western ghats the rain continued, but the air cooled. As we approached the end of the journey the number of people thinned out and we actually began to feel quite cold, which made a nice change!

The rain continued throughout our stay in Thekkady limiting us as to what we could do. On our second day, Chris, Mikey and i went for a short elephant ride which, although only short, was enjoyable and more comfortable than riding a camel!

As we took another public bus to Munnar, the main tea growing region, the rain continued. After settling into a hostel we thought we’d wait our the rain, which didn’t stop. The next day we took a jeep tour to Top Station, a view point high up in the hills on the state border with Tamil Nadu. As we got higher we moved into the clouds and eventually just above them, for a few moments of sun to admire stunning views, a Victorian dam and some wild elephants. As we began our decent the rain started again. Once back in town, we braved the rain to look around the many tea and spice shops. Today the rain seemed to hold of enough for us to go on a short walk into the plantations, although damp in the clouds, with a few drizzly showers, we stayed dry for the most part, and were able to enjoy some great views.

We have one day left in Munnar, before heading to Bangalore tomorrow afternoon. After a couple of days in Bangalore we move on to Chennai our final destination before home!

After an overnight train journey from Madgoam, Goa we arrived in Kochi, Kerela. With the city divided into areas around a bay, we decided to stay in the area of Fort Kochi. We found a very friendly homestay in the pouring rain. After a tour of the town by auto rickshaw, we were challenged by our hosts to a game of cricket in the park. With a little help from one local and a small amount of skill on our part, we were beaten. Though not by as much as we expected. following this we were given a lift to a local fish market to purchase some fish for dinner at local prices rather than tourist prices, one of our hosts then cooked us a fantastic fish curry with some fried fish to go with it. I was one of the best and definately the cheapest meal we had in India.

The next morning we drove to the backwater town of Allepey andfound the only place showing the football. The following day we had a short boat tour of the backwaters as we were short on both time and money. After a pleasent few hours, cruising the canals and backwaters we were dropped off in town. We parted with Chris, who set off for Bangalore and his exam, and caught the train south to Varkala.

We arrived in Varkala as darkness set in, with Patrick eager to find a TV to watch the Arsenal. After a failed attempt to find lodgings at our Lonely Planet recommended hostel, our rickshaw driver took us to his recommendation. Arriving at a very welcoming family run hostel just set back from the cliffs, we quickly settled and asked where we could find a TV. The friendly owners immediately offered us theirs and moved it into our room. After a few minutes searching we discovered they did not have the channel needed to watch the football, so we set out along the cliff tops to find a bar or restaurant that did. Just in time we found one. The next morning we awoke to brilliant sunshine and headed for the very small beach a little way along the coast. We spent the day enjoying the sun and the incredibley strong waves under the beautiful cliffs. Today however, was not so nice with overcast skies all day followed by a storm that chased us along the clifftops until we found safety in a restaurant.

Tomorrow we head for Thekkady, via Kottayam where we will be reunited with Chris.

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