Up high in Thekkady

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2:50 pm here. 3rd day. Things are good. Of course it'd be good.

Yesterday morning at 8 am, the hotel arranged a taxi to take me to the famous Kerala Backwater Tour. On the way, we picked up another traveler. Oh how lovely life works out, especially when you are on the road.

We pick up Bhav, my new friend for life, the BFF of India. Yes my friends back home.. Even in India I'm capable of making BFFs right away and feeling right at home. Bhav is a 29 year old girl from Lester, England. Her greatgrandparents were from India so she is Indian- Gujurat. Her grandparents migrated to Africa.. Her parents born there as well. She was raised in England. Very sophisticated, friendly, worldy, insightful, a good heart and good sense of humor. I felt the trust & friendship within a minute of talking to her. We would spend the next 24 hours together. Bhav is a social worker in England for an orphanage and was lucky enough to take 3 months off to travel India, which is her 4th time. She volunteered near Bangalore in Puttiparti when she first arrived 2/1, been in Kerala for a week and is meeting her mother in Bombay monday.. She will be here til April. We talk about everything and anything on the way there, and in our houseboat. 4 English people are in the boat with us as well. an elderly woman, a retired couple, and a middle age man; we all got along well in that relaxed 3 hour boat ride. I love English people. I want to raise my kids in London, at least til they graduate elementary, and I wish to speak like they do. Oh no, Im turning into Britney!

The backwater took us through the villages, we stopped by one and saw 2 ladies making rug by thinning I want to say a straw like material.. I've taken many pictures but they all look the same.. its hard to capture India in photographs (as well as Seattle, right Chad?). I buy some Tapioca Chips which have become my snack of choice, just like potato chips, but tapioca chips, taste almost the same.

We have a guy in the front of boat, and back paddling, and a tour guide in the boat. After the boat ride, our taxi takes us back to hotel and I promise Bhav we will be in contact throughout the day. I get back to my hotel and Sheba comes again to my rescue to take me touring through Cochin with her brother who is absolutely the smartest, most polite gentlemen at age 15. We tour the town at Fort Cochin... Go through Jew street which is a street full of vendors of Jewish influence.. go to the Synagogue... stop by the Dutch Palace (Kerala has Dutch and Portugese influence..).. see the Chinese fishing net (you will all see this when Im back in pictures.. unfortunately here im not able to load the photos)..

I really appreciate Sheba's warmth and showing me the city.. since she was born and raised here, and waiting to go to US.. We get back about 7 pm and check in to the YWCA women's hostel that Sheba's mom connected me through. Typically it is only for Indian women who are working in the area.. So it was a great pleasure to be able to live there. I check in, 550 rupees (14$) and drop my bag, and they take me to Bhav's hotel. I am then informed that women are not allowed to leave after 8:45 and that I had to be back soon. That gave me about 40 minutes to have dinner w/Bhav. Well not only the time constraint.. I started feelin suffocated and panic'd.. which really is no ones fault, except my 'spoiled by America's freedom' ordeal.. I decide I cant stay there. Bhav welcomes me to stay with her since she has a double bed. We go back there, I take my bags and dont bother asking for the money back and leave. I ask the guard there to make sure my money goes to good use, like that 'destitute fund bottle' sitting on the desk. He assured me it won't. Well what can i do.

We go back to Bhavs hotel by 8:30.. pay the supplement fee of me staying with her, about 22$.. It's pretty much a 4-5 star hotel, called the Atrium hotel. We have dinner at the cafe in front.. We had initially planned to take a walk and find a local restaurant.. but Sheba informed me that women dont go out passed 6 or 7 here.. that "rape happens like peanuts" here.. I did not know that. I dont hear about a lot of rape cases here.. and travelers have said its the safest place. I then thought about what I learned.. That there are billions of unreported rape cases out there, especially in third world countries.. There is more shame put on the girl and her family than for the guy.. that men wont marry them after they are tainted.. So i can imagine it happening but not reported.. Perhaps that is good for travelers because they know what the US embassy could do to the criminals.. or it could be bad for travelers because if they are kidnapped, they may never be found.

Regardless, we settle for the Westernized Cafe. I order a Chicken Sandwich, Bhav has vegetarian food. We discuss travel plans, love life, family life and more.

Go back to her place and start emulating Bollywood videos. Only 3 days in and we know the ins & outs of the Bollywood film makeup. Its pretty much a man and woman battling back and forth, on the beach, or in a warehouse.. or it could be accompanied with a group of males in back of the main guy, and group of females in back of the main girl, a big dancing rumble.. Or it could be a group of girls hiding behind something... one hand up, one hand down.. it was kind of fun, we recorded our dancing..

We laughed about how ridiculous life is, that i had just met her early in the day, and am now stayin with her.. I've become the Indian Foreign Fugitive, running away 2 nights .. back to somethin more familiar and comfortable. Many will debate whether choice is a good thing or not.. In countries ruled by religion.. women are behaved a lot better. but are not treated equal.. I myself wont say which is 'better' but as for me, I've been raised with a voice and choice, and it is too late to adjust otherwise.. I enjoy running loose on the street at 3 am if I so choose (no sexual connotation). I named my hotel stay with her a "one night stand".. perhaps I will never see her again.. maybe we'll write.. maybe i'll see her years down the line when i visit england, or she visits US.

Well, Thank you Bhav for the fun and I will send you photos when I'm back. See you soon my friend.

This morning at 7 am, i had breakfast at the hotel and was picked up at 8 am from my newly hired driver / Body Guard / Confidant / Tour Guide . I woulda loved to backpack this whole trip.. but its just not possible for me, by myself.. he will be with me, Thomas, a Catholic Indian man, for the next 3 days.. It was about a 5 hour ride up the mountain to where I am now, Thekkady.. for the touristy famous Periyar Wildlife sanctuary. I checked into.. BELIEVE IT OR NOT Christina, Teresa, Paola, Leeann............. TRANQUILO HOMESTAY may this experience at Tranquilo be as great as the last Tranquilo stay! Unfortunately I've scoped it out, there is no 'Max'.. not yet found if there is a Chad from Seattle.. or Nir from Israel, or Tom tom..

Its 3 pm now. I am goin to have lunch in the area.. Go elephant riding for an hour or 2.. maybe do a plantation tour (don't have much interest) , have dinner and at 7-10 pm, take a Walk through the Jungle with a tour group..

Wish you were all here. Please send me emails at [e-mail]

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Comments

[Marissa]

Fun!
I am so glad to hear things are getting better! I really wish I had gone with you! My fault I truly consider it until it was too late=( BUt maybe you wouldnt have enjoyed it as much if you had someone tagging along lol! Sounds great though, especially as I sit here in front of my work computer "doing work" with a deathly illness and temperature! I cant wait to travel! We better do Greece this summer..no joke! Fareda and Sherry are down now too!! I love British people lol! My mom is a total anglophile! Obsessed! Maybe we can venture to England together sometime! Go wild in the Pubs lol! Well anyway, I knew it wouldnt be too long before you became BFF with someone there..I am very happy (as long as you dont forget your California BFFs lol!)!! Ok miss you and look forward to hearing more stories! Continue to have fun and be safe!! <3 you!