Days 11 & 12 -- Tropical Kerala, a World Away
If I didn't know better, I'd think we'd landed in Thailand or Cambodia. On the approach into Kochi on our 90-minute flight from Mumbai, I could see dense groves of palm trees, flooded rice paddies and . And when we stepped from the plane onto the tarmac, the air was warm and thick. Certain things were immediately evident: the population in this area was clearly more well-off -- no one living on the streets, lots of private cars, better-kept buildings and less refuse. People here dress for the climate, with many men wearing the distinctly local Dhoti pants that can be worn either as an ankle-length skirt or drawn up and tied in a sort of diaper-like shorts, that make riding a bicycle more comfortable. The women are in lightweight, silky saris, looking cool as their skirts and scarves blow in the Arabian ocean breezes. Huge, sprawling Tamarind trees line the streets, offering a bit of shelter from the midday sun and heat. The neighborhood of Fort Kochi, where our hotel sits on a bustling harbor, seems to be a haven for backpackers and young travelers from Europe. And though the vibe reminded me of the Key West of 30 years ago, there are very few Americans around. What's found in abundance are boats and ferries and fish restaurants, taking advantage of the natural resources the area offers. It has been entertaining just sitting on the patio of our hotel -- once a boatyard in the 19th century -- watching the all the comings and goings.
As for our general state of being, a couple of us had Ayurvedic treatments, which is almost a required activity here in Kerala. Two of us got a little sunburned sitting out by the pool, thinking the umbrellas would protect us. One of us cracked a molar and lost a third of the tooth. And one of us finally succumbed to a stomach bug of unknown origin that the Chinese herbs could not overpower. But we're still chipper.
Tomorrow morning we push on, headed for a houseboat tour of the backwaters of Kerala, which is the last leg of our odyssey. Needless to say, we'll be out of internet contact again. That is, unless this houseboat has a satellite dish.
As for our general state of being, a couple of us had Ayurvedic treatments, which is almost a required activity here in Kerala. Two of us got a little sunburned sitting out by the pool, thinking the umbrellas would protect us. One of us cracked a molar and lost a third of the tooth. And one of us finally succumbed to a stomach bug of unknown origin that the Chinese herbs could not overpower. But we're still chipper.
Tomorrow morning we push on, headed for a houseboat tour of the backwaters of Kerala, which is the last leg of our odyssey. Needless to say, we'll be out of internet contact again. That is, unless this houseboat has a satellite dish.
Cultural interlude
When you're in Fort Kochi, it's almost compulsory to attend a performance of the local opera/dance known as Kothakali. For an hour beforehand, you can sit in the theater and watch the actors applying their own makeup onstage. The show begins with an elaborate lesson in how to read the facial and hand gestures used by the actors while a narrator sings the story line with a percussion accompaniment. Lots of flavor, but for westerners -- and particularly New Yorkers like us -- the pacing was more than a little slow. The locals seemed to know that they should arrive in the middle of the show, which is about when we got up to leave!
Click on the audio player below to hear a sample of the beautiful, haunting voice of the narrator, recorded with my Blackberry!
Click on the audio player below to hear a sample of the beautiful, haunting voice of the narrator, recorded with my Blackberry!