Kicking It South India Style
Hello and greetings from S. India. I am thrilled that Amy from my N. India tour is also continuing down south. We had a ball up north and I have every confidence that the good times will continue down south. So, how about we get this party started?
The first thing Amy and I noticed upon exiting the airport was the absence of honking horns. Could we really still be in India? Ahhhh, welcome to S. India where the pace is more laid back and relaxed. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the north, but it’s so nice to take a break from the mania for a while. Things are definitely off to a great start.
Our first stop is the beautiful city of Cochin, which is well known for its Chinese fishing nets. They are definitely a sight to see, especially at sunset, which is when we happened to visit. What perfect timing!
Afterwards, we enjoyed a delicious seafood feast on a lovely deck overlooking the sea. It was my first time having seafood in India and I have to say it was absolutely delicious.
The next morning we were up bright and early to see the laundry operation they’ve got going here in Cochin. It’s hard work, especially in the blistering heat, but everyone there made it look easy, almost enjoyable, with their warm and welcoming smiles.
After the laundry, we took a walk through the town. Here’s a glimpse of life on a regular morning in Cochin.
Later that evening we took in a kathakali dance performance. The makeup and costumes are incredibly elaborate and visitors are allowed to watch the performers get all gussied up.
Lawrence, one of my fellow travelers, let me borrow his telephoto lens for the evening. We both have the same camera, but unfortunately Lawrence’s camera was stolen while he was in the airport in London. Awful!
Thanks, Lawrence, the lens is fabulous! I love how close it allows me to get to the subject. This is definitely on my birthday and/or Christmas list (hint hint family and friends).
The next day we were off to the Nilgiri Hills where the landscape is covered with lush tea and coffee plantations. It is absolutely stunning and was definitely one of my favorite destinations on the trip. The cooler temperatures were also a bonus, as March in S. India is steaming hot.
Of course our first stop was to a gorgeous tea plantation where we learned how tea was grown and then sampled several flavors including chocolate tea. Yummy!!! Masala tea (milky tea) is definitely still my favorite, but they were all tasty.
Next it was time to take the Blue Mountain Railway up to Ooty, the most famous hill station in the area. The ride to Ooty was magnificent and it was fun to stick our heads out the window to snap photos of the stunning scenery. All aboard!
The picture below reminds me of a scene from The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.
Here is a sign that was featured in the train station.
Based on my experience, this advice is slow to be adopted in India. I can identify several dirty habits that seem to be all the rage though, including, but not limited to peeing on the side of the road/train track, pressing a nostril and shooting boogers out of one’s nose onto the street, hacking up a loogie and spitting on the street, and throwing trash on the ground. India is such a stunning country with unbelievable natural beauty, but it definitely has room for improvement when it comes to hygiene and littering. I say all of this as someone who has come to genuinely love India, but it has potential to be so much more. Signs like the one featured above are certainly a good start.
Once we got to Ooty, our CEO (Chief Experience Officer), Karthik, took us to a tribal village off the beaten path. It’s so awesome to have a local guide who knows the area and can take us to see sights beyond the major tourist attractions. This village visit was definitely special! Thanks, Karthik!
Notice the satellite dish.
This is their temple.
Here’s the view from the village. Hello gorgeous!!! Now I can see why they are called the Blue Mountains.
Here’s one last view of the tea plantations before we head off to the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the most important refuges for elephants and bison in India.
Right off the bat we lucked out by seeing some beautiful elephants on the side of the road. This picture was taken from the bus.
Prepare yourselves for what you are about to see. I doubt if any of you have actually seen one of these before.
That’s right, folks, it’s the rare and elusive spotted deer. Try to contain yourselves.
We arrived into town and waited for Karthik to hire the jeeps for our wildlife adventure. Here’s a little view of the town.
Tandoori chicken, anyone? As you can see, the meat is fresh.
Alright, we’re in our jeeps and ready to see some wildlife! Come on, tigers!!!
Not so much. Sadly, we didn’t see much wildlife, but we did see this stunning sunset. I’ll take it.
We were bound and determined to see something so we drove through the park after dark as well. In an effort to not scare off any possible wildlife, our drivers would turn off their lights as we were driving, occassionally turning off the engines as well to let the vehicles silently glide down the road. Yes, it was a bit disconcerting/terrifying, but we didn’t get into any wrecks and the pitch blackness provided exceptional stargazing so even though we didn’t see much wildlife, we’ll call it a win! More from S. India to come.
