Hi, I had a wonderfull week in Varkala. The beach is less beautiful then Palolem in Goa but I met very nice people so I had a very good time. I have escaped from the rain in Kodaikanal just to discover that it was raining in Varkala but just for one day. The Kerala people say that the rain is originated by a cyclone near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is not Kerala fault but Tamil Nadu fault. Just next to the beach there is a cliff and all the restaurants and hotels are situated there. All restaurants present fish to eat [View Full Entry]

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Hi, Kodaikanal (or by its nickname, Kodai), is a beutifull hill station in Tamil Nadu, but Munnar is still my favourite. Anyhow, all those hill stations are not the Himalaya (or as is it written in the book: Himalaya for the poor) but they have their own charm and beutty. After Munnar, Orna and me decided to go to Kodai with the local bus since it went at day time where the private bus went at night time. You really don't want to do all the steep curving road down from Munnar and up to Kodaikanal by night. And also, you [View Full Entry]

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Hi, Munnar is a beutiful hill station in Kerala, famous for tea plantations. Thausands of dunams of tea spread around. It is really nice to see all the tea pickers (only women) at work. It appears that there is tea (and rice) in India as well (and plenty of) and not only in China. At about 21.00, everything is closes and the town is dead. The most interesting incident that happaned to me in Munnar was a sexual harresment. It has been about 2 months since the last time and actually I was starting to think what the hell is wrong [View Full Entry]

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Hi, One of the 'must' in Kerala state is sailing in the backwater. The backwater is a natural net of canals connected to the Arabian sea. All around are coco trees, bananas trees and other plantations. Of course, small villages all around. There are all sorts of tours (it is very touristic), I did the 'villages tour' for whole day when you sail and stop once in a while to watch some methods of making a living. It seems that the natives exploit all available resources. For example, in addition of selling the coco nuts they also make ropes from the [View Full Entry]

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Hi, Cochin is a really nice place, in south-west India, just on the shore of the Arabian see. Cochin is special for Jews as a large Jewish community used to live here. After most of the Jews immigrated to Israel, their number was reduced dramatically and currently only 4 Jewish families live here. However, it is a most livingly place in Cochin and very touristic since all the area around the synagouge is full off handicrafts shops. The quarter of the Jews has the funny name of 'Jewtown'. The synagouge is a very touristic place, very crowded and it is really [View Full Entry]

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Hi, After the very Israeli-touristic bubble of Hampi, it was time for me to feel the 'real' India again and I went to Mysore. That is what I have figured out, many people travel to India since it is exotic, interesting and of course cheap. But then, since India is very tough and difficult to travel, they seek for the touristic bubbles places which Hampi, Goa, Pushkar etc are several of them. Mysore is a small city, about 750,000 people. It is a very pleasent city, the men there don't hassle too much. The highlight of that city is the fruits [View Full Entry]

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Hi, This is my last day in Hampi, a small village, about 10 hours east to Goa. Hampi is situated in a very bizar and very interseting location. All surrounding is full of boludres and monutains made of huge boulders. In some places there are well orgonized, one above the other (see attached pictures). An urban legend claims that Hanuman god (he is the one having a monkey body) had set them like that many years ago. Otherwise, I can't figure out how they here and how they were set like that so maybe, indeed, Hanuman is the answer. Also, many [View Full Entry]

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Hi, Palolem beach is in south Goa. It is a beutiful beach, one of the nicesest that I have ever seen (see pictures). Beeing so, it is very touristic. There are good waves so I catch them and also swim a lot. Also good food and alcohol. The beach reminds Dahab, a wide bay, many many coco huts between the coco trees. Also, like in Dahab, you can choose the fish that you are going to eat. There are many many coco huts and restaurants every where. It appears that before the beginning of the season they build all this and [View Full Entry]

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Hi, Goa is very much different from north India, not only by its appearance but also by its people. It is a very small state, tropical, coconuts, banana trees, etc. Is seems to be quite reach as well, probably due to many tourists. The Indians people there are used to see women with short clothes so no problem to wear like this. The Indian ocean is quite filthy, much more then our Mediterranean sea but I don't care and swim. It is also relatively clean, roads are quite good. Main transport method is motorcycles. In my guest house I am probably [View Full Entry]

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Hi, Filling the gap, here is the Rajhastan story, not very much to tell, that is why I did not write so far. Pushkar: Second time to Pushkar, it remains the same. Nice holy lake but too touristic. Udaipur: Second time to Udaipur. This time with water in the lake, last time it was almost dry, after several years of draught. Udaipur is a really nice city, touristic but the Inidans there are not so pushy as they are in Pushkar (and their Hebrew is not very fluent either). The hightlight of the city is Lake Pichula, in its center there [View Full Entry]

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