Relaxing in the South

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March 5 - 9 We arrived in Trivandrum after a short 2 hour flight from Mumbai on Jet Airways. The domestic terminal in Mumbai was light years ahead of the dilapidated hectic international terminal we landed at only days earlier. This modern domestic terminal was extremely efficient and clean. Having to go through separate security lines (one for “LADIES” and one for “GENTS”) was a new experience as Julie was frisked behind a curtain and I was patted down out in the open by an armed guard.
Trivandrum was a tropical paradise and is one of the main cities in the state of Kerala (about the size of Vancouver Island, but with a population of 33 Million!!). We planned to relax for next 4 days at a beach resort in the small town of Kovalum (45 min. south) and that is exactly what we did. The next 4 days involved swimming in the pool, reading, walking on the beach, watching fishermen bring in their catch, swimming in the Arabian Sea, and lots of fantastic Indian food. The resort we were staying in was on an outcrop of rocks beside one of the main beaches in the area. On the other side of the resort was a semi-private small beach that reminded us of the Middle Beach Lodge in Tofino. On two of the days we had very intensive Ayurvedic treatments/massages at the hotel spa. This treatment was founded in Kerala and is based on their way of life and practices. It involved various different massages and treatments with a variety of oils/spices/rice and we both felt well rested (and moisturized/tendarized) after each treatment.
On our last day I tried renting an old Royal Enfield (a 1949 British motorcycle still built here in India), but the only local shop was sold out for the week. This was probably a blessing as the roads were rough and the drivers not exactly soft on motorbike/scooter riders. Our agents in Mumbai and Kerala also told us a few horrific stories of motorbike accidents they had been in (one of which involved a cow suddenly jumping onto the road… the cow was unhurt).
Overall our rest and relaxation is now over and we will begin the journey north on Sunday March 9th.

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