A week of luxury....

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Dear All,

As you all know this week I have enjoyed a visit from a family member back home - my mum! But before I launch into what we did for the last ten days I shall first tell you of how I got there.

As I was at the time risiding in a little beach shack in a place called Om beach in the region of Karnataka there were not too many places around where I could go and book a train ticket so I found this little place on the beach and told this little man the details of where I was heading etc. So he tap tap tapped away on his computer and told me of which route I would have to take. A few days later I found myself on the train on the way to a train station where I would then wait 8 hours to catch another over night sleeper train to reach Cochin in the morning. All was not lost though as I met a girl from Copenhagen (I completely forgot where that was which was really embarrassing and we were talking for too long so it became awkward to ask) and time whizzed by.

I finally met Mum at the hotel in a place called Vypeen Island which is right next to Cochin. Having spent the next day relaxing on the beach and visiting a small traditional festival (which was lovely but we had no idea what was going on) we soon realised that nothing surrounded us and the hotel didn't serve alcohol - disaster. Not to worry though after a brief (but frantic) telephone call to James our coordinator he agreed to take us around Fort Cochin the next day to find a better hotel and have lunch at his house with his wife and children. Before going to his house, James showed us around his office and introduced us to his staff where he proudly showed off his technology including the computers and telephone handsets. We then proceeded to his lovely little flat which again was very modest but of which he felt the utmost pride. His kids were beautiful, they were shy at first but didn't cease to cause James and his wife embarrassment by sticking their fingers up their noses. Lunch was an interesting experience. It was obvious that James' wife had undergone hours of sweat and labour in producing the food that was laid out so beautifully on a massive banana leaf so all eyes were on us as we attempted to eat the rice and relishes with our hands. I have to say I am not very good with Indian food so had to delve into my acting skills slightly and produce and well satisfied smile. After lunch and after a couple of hours of torturous car journeys round various hotels we finally checked into a palace fit for a king. We then stayed there for 2 days and wallowed in the luxurious rooms and spa treatments. There we also met an interesting American couple and gay couple from Brighton who we joined for dinner one night - this did in no way lack in amausement. We spent some time a day in a place called fort Kochi which we couldn't work out whether it was an actual fort or not. Anyway it was a lovely place full of old colonial buildings overlooking the lakes strung with chinese fishing nets. We had lunch in a very spit and sawdust institution named 'talk of the town' where I had one of the best fish curries of India.

After our stint of luxury at the Taj Malabar we were then whisked away onto a houseboat which explored the famous backwaters of Kerala. What can I say really, the scenery was stunning, the boat was comfortable and we stopped in a few places to see 'real life' taking place. We saw grandmothers washing their clothes in the lakes, children swimming, mothers cooking but all in all the escence of the place still seemed so untouched which was what made it so intreguing. The day was also made pleasent by the lovely staff on the boat who did not hesitate in showing us card tricks and indulging in a good game of Rummi. We sat and ate dinner looking over the sunset which illumated the water and made it dance with orange light. When we awoke we were treated to a leisurly breakfast and dropped at our next destination - a hotel overlooking the back waters.

This will now be our fourth night in the hotel where we have been doing some shameless sun worshipping and general relaxing. We were again met with a choice of wine which was quite frankly not up to par and costs a ridiculous amount so we then proceeded to by some on the black market after slowly explaining to the rickshaw driver "liquor shop" with nodding expectant looks on our faces. We did venture into the nearest town by autorickshaw but we were met with a dirty sprawling hectic place which as soon as we got to wish we sort of hadnt so we left pretty sharpish after giving it a go. If you just walk behind the hotel though, its almost as if you have jumped into another land of little concrete houses surrounded by miniture streams where children play cricket it the red brick mud and mothers wave to you shyly from their homes its quite a contrast from the resort. Mum is leaving tomorrow to fly back to old blighty and I will head slightly up north to a mountaineous region called Ooti. I shall certainly be sorry to see her go as the last ten days have been wonderful but onwards and upwards and I shall update you soon!

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