Blogs from Kottayam, Kerala, India, Asia

Kerala is a province in India that is characterized by its waterways that have, since forever, served as roadways around which communities were built. These communities still thrive today, so when you take a boat cruise to the backwaters of Kerala, you are not just viewing more beautiful scenery as a tourist. What makes this experience different, and much more special, is that you are viewing life as it still goes on in this very beautiful environment. The boat cruise options are numerous, from luxury houseboats that provide both dining and sleeping accommodations, to quaint little Venice-like Gondolas for two powered by the guy at the back quietly paddling you through the tiniest, most intimate waterways where you get up-close-and-personal glimpses of the people who live, play, and work here. We chose the later, and it ... read more

Geo: 9.58645, 76.5218 Today morning, we got up very early to watch the sunrise: we had a nice walk on the beach watching the sunrise and after our breakfast, we set off to Kottayam. On the way there we stopped at our local tour operator's house with beautiful grounds and gardens which had lush green trees, plants with lovely flowers and we saw many colourful butterflies. We relaxed here for some time, there were swings on the Mango tree, hammocks and it was tranquil here. The staff prepared the lunch in front of us which was very interesting, we had many varieties and the lunch was delicious. After some delightful mangoes, pineapples and another round of coconuts brought fresh from the trees, we sat off for the rest of our journey to Kottayam. We passed through ... read more

Well...this morning is something that I will never forget even though I am wishing I could. All the important people have been notified so I feel like I can send out a public update. I'll just warn you now that my description might get graphic but i don't have time to think/rethink every word right now. Immediately after breakfast Phil suffered a seizure in the restaurant of the hotel. He could not move or speak and was shaking violently. His body was very stiff and it took all of us to get him on the floor with a towel under his head. A few seconds later he stopped breathing and turned completely blue. We tried to clear his airway but his jaw was clenched so tight that we couldn't see into his mouth and he must ... read more

March flew like I can't even tell you and April was even faster. This is the rundown of March, but soo much more happened. There will be a REAL newsletter for April very soon, I promise! March: My dear friends (and fellow wardens) Soni and Sherin left Mandiram to continue studies at the Orthodox Seminary, but I had a fantastic time with the girls at the orphanage even though studies were intense as countless state exams took place. The elderly Appachens and Amachees always keep life interesting and busy :). It was decided that my Lindsey, a volunteer in this program through the Presbyterian church would be returning to the US immediately following our All-India tour in April, which brings me a lot of sadness, but it may turn out for the best as she will ... read more