Day 14: Museums and Festivals in Alleppey

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We met up with Anoop this morning, after a day off yesterday. The plan was to go on a bike ride to the Coir Museum, however, having seen the bikes and knowing how treacherous the roads are, we decided to give the bike riding a miss and just get the A team van.

The museum was interesting, the kids were interested...to a point and then they got a little bored. We heard about pretty much every element of this amazing plant - the coconut. From what we learnt it can basically do anything! Coconut water will sustain you, the flesh you can eat, the husk is then made into coir. Coir can make furniture, rugs, wood, rope and art, as well as fertiliser! They took us through the process of making it and were at pains to say that it is stronger than hemp and seisal which is what everyone uses. Anyway, the tour of the museum went on a little too long for the kids but mum and dad loved it - they even had a go on one of the looms!

After the tour, everyone (except dad) wanted to head back to the hotel and go in the pool as it was getting really hot. Mum also started to feel a little unwell. By the time we got back she had to lie down and we think she might have a bit of sunstroke. Mum spent most of the rest of the day in bed whilst the rest of us went to the pool. She didnt join us for our sandwich lunch and then we headed out to the festival of Hanuman which was happening at the local temple. Hanuman is the Lord of Celibacy!?!

Even though mum had to stay in bed, the festival was great fun. We walked round the temple (always go clockwise) and saw a 'donation' being made. The donation involved the donator sitting on a weighing scale and donating the weight of themselves in food to the temple. We then went out to see the celebration which started with the dressing up of elephants into ceremonial gear followed by 3 to 4 sadhu's who clamber on top, holding various ornaments. Once this had concluded the band came out to play of trumpets, drums and flutes. Very entertaining and it drew a big crowd. As night drew in so the neon started to be turned on and we became surrounded by screen of flashing neon, which gave it a real contrasting feel to the traditional garb.

After a while of this, the kids had had enough and we left to find that the van had got stuck in the sand which we managed to push out without too much trouble. We came back to reading, Phoebe trying to settle down to a bit of work and then supper before finishing off Slumdog Millionaire.

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