http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/twonaturetravelers/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from twonaturetravelers en-us Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:41:53 +0000 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:41:53 +0000 We'll be heading towards Mysore tomorrow after an interesting time in Munnar Periyar and the Nilgiris. Internet connections have not been very available and are too slow for posting photos so I'll wait until we return to the U.S. on Jan. 10.But I've made lots of notes Tim's taken many wonderful pictures so we hope to provide an impression of our travels after we return of an amazingly dive http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Karnataka/Mysore/blog-231886.html The tourist track in Kochi has a defined beat along Princess St Tower Rd. Bastion St. Napier St. and Rose St. The harbor Chinese fishing nets and ferry docks are equally popular along with the seawall walk. The Mattancherry District and Jew Town are easily reached along Bazar Rd. but the more interesting route is to meander through the back lanes across the pensinsula that makes up Kochi. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Kochi-/blog-229540.html We've had a lovely time in an apartmentlike homestay on Buergher St. in Kochi. The proprietor of Preethy Store ph 0484226547 on Bastion Street has a couple of rooms above his house the inexpensive rooms 20 have AC and are clean and neat but the highlight is the nice porch overlooking Buergher St. and the sitting room kitchen and refrigerator. Hotel Arches on Rose St. 04842215 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Kochi-/blog-229532.html Ancient Chinese fishing nets at the Fort Kochi beach are still in use they use long arching tree trunks nets and counterweights to scoop up whatever fish come into the nets. We saw mostly small fish but large boats were bringing in larger fish red snapper kingfish baby sharks large prawns and spiny lobsters. Smaller boats used nets to catch small fish which were plucked from the nets on http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Kochi-/blog-229279.html Spending some time in the historic town of Panjim Goa was a welcome change from the city of Mumbai. The pastelcolored houses reflect the Portuguese history of Goa almost 450 years of Portuguese rule. The old houses colorful and atmospheric are lovely but Panaji Panjim had the look of a city waiting to wake up on the weekend but today's bustle on Monday has me reconsidering the thought http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Goa/blog-228200.html We like to travel light I get tired of wearing the same thing but it beats carrying more stuff around. We've pared it down in recent trips to a small Kelty bag that can be worn as a pack along with an ultralightweight Patagonia day pack that can be stuffed inside the main pack. Much better than a backpack. This picture makes the bag look rather large but it's great to be able to schlep http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/blog-226669.html We're flying on Dec. 12 from Atlanta to Mumbai via New York City. The direct flight to Mumbai is 16 hours. Mumbai formerly called Bombay is located in central India and is a major center of business in India and the home of Bollywood. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Maharashtra/Mumbai/blog-226364.html We're leaving for Mumbai and heading south next week. We've never been to India but thought it would be fascinating to explore primarily entranced by the spicy food and memories of idyllic sounding accounts by traveling food writers. A shallow reason to visit a country perhaps but foodways reflect the center of people's lives I think. A couple of our colleagues have been on recent trips eith http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/blog-226317.html