After checking out the night before we started our hardcore journey from Amritapuri to Kumily in the Western Ghats, the southern mountain range between Kerala and Tamil Nadu states. It included 8hrs of government buses with 2 changes. Now you have to have visited India or the Americas to know what I mean by these, they are giant tin cans of fury with supercharged horns and drivers hell-bent on becoming the next Formula 1 discovery. A distinct lack of shock absorbers and open air windows also add to the pleasant journey. On arrival at Kottayam for our second change it was midday, stinking hot and we were starving. Like an oasis in the heat, a hotel rose from the turmoil of the surroundings and we were guided to it by a higher power – air conditioning. ... read more

It was like walking into a convection oven. Our destination within the Kerala region is considered the spice hub of India, with domestic exports going to all corners of the country. We wasted no time getting into the lovely air conditioned airport bus which we rode for 1.5hrs to the final stop Fort Kochi. It was about 6.30pm, getting dark, and my scribbled directions eventually guided us to our elusive accommodation named Tantraa Homestay. Our host was a short dark plump man named Ragesh. Whilst he was 100% indian, I could imagine him fitting straight into the Sri Lankan cricket team, as I would come to learn, southern indians have different physical characteristics to their counterparts in the north. He showed us to our abode, a ground floor flat with living room, bedroom and bathroom. We ... read more