This morning we drove into the Chamundi Hills, just outside of Mysore, to a large temple complex. Lots of people were coming to worship and there was a long line-up to go into the main shrine. We contented ourselves with marveling at the tall, carved tower, cream in colour. L__ paid for our blessings, this time a twisted cotton string dyed orange and yellow. The seller expertly tied the string around our left wrist and pressed red paste on our third eye. The string is to be allowed to disintegrate and return to the earth, as we all must. Or, we found around on the other side, believers can hang the string on the sacred mango tree, where it will disintegrate with all the others. When we left the temple complex, we discovered a large nandi ... read more

I’m writing this on the train from Kochi. Around me is a cacophony of enthusiastic conversations (men’s and women’s voices) in Indian language(s) and the faint English conversations of our group. Every few minutes tea and coffee vendors walk quickly through the car chanting, “Chai Chai Chai” or Coffee Coffee Coffee”. We are in a “second class air condition chair” car. It has been specially cleaned because a government minister is travelling on it. The interior is somewhat worn and the windows are dirty, but the seats are comfortable. Outside pass the scenes common to our travels, although now the proportion is more towards fields and plantations and only a few villages, no doubt because of the constraints in laying tracks. (10:10 a.m.) I am now writing in bed (with a hot water bottle at my ... read more

Up at 6:30 into a chilly morning, and a quick breakfast to leave at 7:30 for a long drive. The first hour led to a tea plantation tour. We were too early, so we walked along between some tea fields for photos. The Connemaratour consisted of an introductory talk, a slide show (because it is too noisy in the factory for talking), and a walk through the factory itself. There they make black Indian tea: let oxidize, dry, oxidize more, crush and chop, clean by electrostatic process, and grind into a fine or coarse powder. 80% goes to the local market and 20% to Tetley’s, which has similar contracts throughout the region. Due to time pressure, we didn’t stay for the tasting, although some people bought from the stall at the entrance. We hurtled down the ... read more

I woke after the longest sleep of my trip – 7 hours. Dawn was creeping through the grey fug of pollution that hangs over this part of India. After I packed, I went out to the sitting area, where M__ was already enjoying the quiet. After some gentle conversation and note-writing, the steward offered us coffee or tea. By which time JK joined us from his single boat - which immediately sailed away to get ready for the next passengers. By the time we finished our coffee, it was time (7:30) to take our bags and join the larger boats for breakfast. We had to wait a bit, and, while enjoying our re-commenced sail to Alleppy, we ate with gusto: banana fritters, omelets, toast (both browned and damp!?) and fresh pineapple juice. An hour’s fairly brisk ... read more

Our tour took us back to Trivandrum to see the sights. Near the former British defensive wall, was the Puthe Maliga Palace Museum, immediately beside the Padmanabhaswamy temple. Pilgrims dressed all in black walked in crowds towards the entry of the temple, up a large staircase, but as non-Hindus we were not allowed to enter. (Can’t understand why the gold statue of Vishnu reclining on a python is so sacred we cannot see it, but the statue is on so many billboards and used for other advertising purposes. Interesting cultural sensitivities.) We nevertheless enjoyed the Museum, both for its vast collection of decorative items from around the world, and for the cheery school tour groups. They chimed “Hi! Hello! What’s your name?” and we chimed back, asking their names too. For me the most marvelous part ... read more