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We find ourselves in Kerala for the last week of our 3 month stay in India. It was difficult leaving our 2 month volunteer placement at the NGO in Cuttack Orissa. We made some good relationships and experienced Indian culture on a day to day basis in a way that eludes tourists who are just passing through. My head is still filled with the sights, sounds, and voices of Cuttack- cows merging with traffic, the vegetable hawker in the morning, saris of all colors and designs, the occasional sound truck, hopelessly narrow streets built for a few carriages and walking people but now clogged with too many vehicles and people, yoga outdoors each morning @ 5:30 AM at the community center, bottomless children walking about, straw huts, street vendors, horns beeping in all melodies, dogs high pitch yelping at night, a wedding or funeral procession in the street and so it goes on. One thing we will not miss is the unbearable heat and humidity of the last three weeks there- over 100 each day and high humidity which made it feel like 120+. Even for Orissa, it was a heat wave and over 100 people died from the heat during
Signs of Election Season
Strange to see the Communist Cycle and Hammer Icon painted on many walls throughout Kerala this period. But for this last week, we return to our role as tourists in India.
Kerala is also known as 'God's Own Country' and is the only Communist run state in India - a premeditative coincidence or the wave of the future. It also has a sizeable minority of Christians so churches dot the towns along with Hindu temples and Muslim mosques. The contrast that greeted our eyes was pleasant and revealing. As we drove from the airport, we saw a lush and green landscape, wide and more organized streets, the Communist hammer and sickle sign painted on the walls from the recent election, and noticeably fewer people on the streets. Kerala is known to have the highest literacy rate in India and a higher standard of living. You could almost breath and relax while traveling or walking about. At times, it seemed like a different country except most of the people still wore Indian garb. Most noticeable was the drop in temperature and humidity. We picked the coast and mountainous areas to escape the unbearable heat of Orissa and we were not disappointed. The Coast was at least 10 degrees cooler and the mountains were down right
chilly. But no complaints here!
Here are some highlights of our week in Kerala from the coast to the backwaters to the mountains to national parks and wildlife and then to an old Portugese influenced city with the oldest synagogue in India:
* Verkala Beach. Striking red cliffs overlooking the beach; a more laid back and alternative feeling; off-season so there were tons of guests houses and very few tourists and we even saw a handful of non-Indians; tons of ayurvedic and yoga centers; a relaxing full body massage; a dip in the Arabian Sea; a hindu ritual by the ocean side; beautiful sun setting over the water through palm trees. For the first time in India, I was able to wear a bathing suit to go swimming in the Sea because there was enough of an outside presence that made it acceptable. In other coastal resorts I visited, there were only Indians and the women go in the water with all their saris on with never a part of the skin exposed.
* Backwater Houseboat Journey from Alappuzha. Old rice barge converted into a comfortable houseboat; chugging along the channel waterways; narrow strips of land with
Periyar Wildlife Refuge
Elephants roaming wild along the shore on their morning walk houses lining the shore; glimpses of people going about their daily life of washing cloths, laundry and themselves in the water; everything transported on the water; setting and rising suns; relaxing with wonderful food cooked by our crew; bewildering labyrinth of lakes, canals, rivers, dense vegetation, rice fields, churches, families gathering not to be missed.
* Periyar National Park in Kumily/Thekkady. Beautiful setting for the wildlife; higher altitude of 900-1800 meters and noticeably cooler; 3 hour nature walk with a local tribesman guide (required on all walks) where we did not see much wildlife except leeches; park is filled with Indian families on vacation some of whom we met; down home boat trip around the lake; some wild and roaming elephants on the shore line- the first time I saw a free elephant!
* Munnar, Hilltop Tea Growing Region. Stupendous scenery seen mostly through the enveloping clouds; tea growing trees blowing in the wind on the slopes of mountains as far as the eye can see; mountains 1600m to the highest point in South India of 2640m; dizzying and breathtaking car ride through the Western Ghats mountains with constant switchback turns on the road; tea museum with a
Munnar High Range Country
Stan & Margaret at edge of Tea Plantation surprisingly good tour; heart of the tea dynasty that went back 200 years; Kanan Devan Hills Plantation Company which is now cooperatively owned by the 12,500 employees for the last 4 years- the largest coop we ever visited; Eravikulam National Park which boasts one of the world's rarest mountain goats, the Nilgiri tahr; Lookout Station and views to the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. Views everywhere and the my camera can't catch the depth and breath of it all.
Cochin, European Merchants, and Jew Town. Portugese, Dutch, Jewish, and English merchants and traders' spirits still haunt the old sections of this port city; water all around between the Arabian Sea and the Backwaters; Chinese fishing Nets operated by an ingenious system of pulleys, huge nets and bamboo poles; oldest Catholic Church of St. Francis; and also the oldest Jewish synagogue, Paradesi, in a part of the town known as "Jew Town" where Jewish merchants lived and worked here for 400 years. Most incredible, we met an old Jewish lady, Sarah Cohen, who runs a small embroidery shop. We bought two beautiful hand embroidered challah covers done by her and she even looks just like Stan's maternal grandmother. Incredible connections!
Farewell Ceremony at NGO
Margaret & Stan were given a filigree statute gift (a specialty of Cuttack) and many fond memories from all the wonderful people during the 2 month volunteer stay. Folk Arts of Kerala. Kathakali, Kerala traditional dance which tells tales of heroic proportions with elaborately painted faces and costumes and hand gestures. Kalaripayattu, traditional martial arts of Kerala which is a mixture of a Buddhist spiritual practice and martial arts. A feast for body, mind and spirit.
There are bittersweet feelings after almost 3 months here in India. Our NGO gave us a touching going away ceremony and mementos to to take back with us. So many farewells to people and sites we may never see again. But we may all meet again. But for now, it is good bye. We hope you have enjoyed this blog which hopefully gave all of us a little piece of the kaleidoscope of people, places, and culture that we came to know as India.
Namaste, Margaret and Stan
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Stan Diamond
non-member comment
Great experience
I am glad you guys had such an experience. As you know, Bev and I were in India four times but the amount of time we spent there was not much less than yours and we did not do a work site which I am a jealous of. You are lucky to have been there. We were in some of the places you went in Kerala. Loved Cochin. Welcome back. Stan