Blogs from Kerala, India, Asia - page 4

Three guys staring at me from across the road. Nothing that unusual, but there was a certain intensity about it. I had just arrived at the Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary and strolled around a small lake to the main road. The place was blissfully lacking people, except for the three staring at me. I dealt with it the usual way. “Hello!” That’s always an invitation for further interaction. They immediately crossed the street. One said, “Selfie?” Oh gawd, how can I refuse. Such a clever request, and so thoughtfully presented! Something was different about this selfie, though. One man held a small box in his hand as they took several photos. “What’s that?” “Ayurvedic face cream.” So I was going to be in their advertising for the face cream and soap they were selling? I could see ... read more

Fort Cochin in Kerala is an anomaly, a relief with its relative tranquility and yawning pace. Shady streets, Ayurvedic treatment centers everywhere, homestays, and hole-in-the-wall restaurants abound. Huge Chinese fishing nets are anchored along the shore. At least four men work the heavy stone ballast and raise the net, sometimes wiggling with a big fish. When the men aren’t moving the net, they call to passers-by, hoping to lure them near the contraption to try their hand at raising the load. For a small fee, of course. Caw-caws talk to everyone, they don’t discriminate, and puppies and mama dogs knock on my legs, looking for a friendly handout. A caw-caw is a crow, of course. At 6:30 am, dozens of people are trying out their walking shoes, playing badminton, stretching, lifting weights in a makeshift gym ... read more

I knew I’d find a pleasant walking route. After all, I came here for rice paddies and quiet, a slower pace of life, less traffic, friendly people. I’m finding most of that, here on the outskirts of the bigger city named Chalakudi. Across the main road from where I’m staying, a side road skirts agricultural fields and plunges into coconut palms, jackfruit trees, and a host of other trees useful for shade and medicinal purposes. Houses and their concrete enclosure walls line the road. Most are freshly painted with bright colors—shocking pink, lemony yellow, lime green. There’s a reason for the fresh paint. This area was one of the worst hit in Kerala during the devastating floods in August of this year. After heavy rains, the government opened all the dams to prevent their failure, inundating ... read more

Mary loaned me an old bicycle, rickety and well-used, but good enough for doing short rides around the area. I learned, in an unpleasant way, that it’s definitely not a mountain bike. I have two at home and ride one nearly daily in good weather. So I’m okay with traveling over small rocks and difficult terrain. But Mary’s bicycle is not a mountain bike. I took off one evening, eager to do a little exploring. A quick loop around the back roads, with the aid of my trusty Google map and GPS on my cell phone, no problem, I thought. So I headed up an unexplored hill on a paved road. Things got a bit steep, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle, it’s easy to walk the bike. I stopped now and then, pulled out ... read more

Sreela’s dosais are perfect, absolutely perfect. Crispy. Lacy. Golden. Transparent almost. She ferries each dosai from her skillet, proudly setting each one on my plate. They’re hot and steamy. Her smile radiates. I think the dosais are smiling also. I can hardly wait to crack off a piece and dip it into her coconut chutney. Last evening she made ginger coconut chutney just for me. I was in heaven. “You don’t know how happy this makes me, “ I say. She nearly bursts with pleasure. Pynkulam is like that. So many people seem to be bursting with pleasure, infectious pleasure. Yesterday I followed my feet, walking down an unexplored path along the river. It gave way to agricultural fields, a few houses. As I passed one, a young boy from within called, “How are you?” His ... read more