On our first night in Bangaluru (formerly Bangalore) and I got a debilitating bug - perhaps I picked it up on one of the flights - who knows? A doctor attended the hotel the next morning and we had to stay an extra night. Great food at the Radisson Blu but unfortunately it was off limits for me.
I was okay the next day and we took a taxi to Mysuru (formerly Mysore) and caught up with the group. Nice taxi driver who told us about life in India. Somebody arranged for us to have one of the best rooms in our hotel - another Radisson Blu.
Two street friends below.
Cows out for a Sunday afternoon stroll.
The Maharaja's Palace in Mysuru. A very popular Sunday evening spectacle for throngs of locals and a few tourists.
En route to Ooty and an elephant seems to have the right of way.
High up in the Western Ghats
Below: At the Savoy Hotel in Ooty (abbreviated from Udagamandalam). It started in 1829 as a school then became a hotel in 1841 for the imperialists to get away from the heat of the plains. Cool at around 7350ft above sea level and a lovely location.
You've been framed.
We slept at the Savoy with a lovely warm fire burning in our room through the night.
The beautiful gothic St Stephen's Church in Ooty. Many British are buried in the graveyard and it is clear from looking at the memorial stones that life expectancy was not long for many of the British colonials. India (or should that be Africa?) the "white man's grave".
India is terribly polluted and that is the major issue facing the country in my opinion. However, ordinary people, schools and some local councils are taking the initiative.
Our room at the Savoy.
This tea picker is clearly not one of the locals.
I am told that women are employed to pick the tea leaves because they have more delicate fingers than men. Make of that what you will!
Getting ready to board the Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Ooty to Coonoor.
On the way through the Western Ghat mountains down to Metupallayam.
Tea break so everyone gets out for a wander on the tracks!
We did not rate the Taj Surya in Coimbatore. Not clean enough and the food was under-cooked, e.g. raw chicken! One bout of illness was enough thanks. The train to Ernakulam was advertised as an express. Our carriage was cramped, gloomy and dirty. A couple of days later there was an article in the Hindu Times in which a High Court judge strongly criticized India's Southern Rail - saying that fat cat bosses lived in comfort whilst rail passengers had to put up with cockroaches and rats. No vermin on our UK trains I hope, but the people who run the UK trains definitely have something in common with their Indian counterparts.
Taking the stairs down from the railway platform we carefully avoided this sleeping gentleman.
The Trident Hotel in Cochin was great - lovely staff, good food and an inviting swimming pool. It was raining on day two in Cochin and our first stop was the Dhobi. These ladies and gentlemen work hard but were happy to stop to smile at us and say hello.
We had a go at hauling in the Chinese fishing nets.
The Mattancherry Palace in Cochin is fascinating, We followed this with a visit to St Francis Church - where Vasco Da Gama was buried before being exhumed by the Portuguese who then took his bones back to Portugal. The synagogue in Jew Town is beautiful. Sadly there are not many Jewish people left in Cochin. The synagogue caretaker told me that there were now only 15 families worshiping at the synagogue.
A scene from the Narakasuravadham stroy in which the son of the King of Heaven is beguiled by a demoness in disguise. He gives her the chop!
The Trident Hotel
One of many highlights of the trip was the overnight stay on a houseboat. We had a double bed cabin with en-suite and we shared the boat with two other couples. The crew of three looked after us well and served tasty Keralan meals. Though many of the rice fields were still flooded after the early and heavy monsoon, the villagers seemed to be enjoying the tranquility - much as we were. We stopped at a small market to buy enormous prawns which we enjoyed cooked in ginger as part of our evening meal.
Lunch
Breakfast on board.
Greenwoods in Thekkady was yet another great hotel - staff, food, pool, grounds all impressive. The first thing we sampled was a nearby spice plantation where we wandered among coriander, pepper, cumin, ginger, cocoa, vanilla and turmeric plants. Afterwards Trish assisted one of the chefs and made us a spicy vegetable curry.
We got up very early for our nature walk in the forest alongside Periyar Lake but the elephants, leopards and tigers were nowhere to be seen. The leeches got very attached to us despite the use of puttees!
The bamboo raft was quite secure.
Heading back after the walk.
Elephant fig tree outside our room.
We went back to the lake in the afternoon and the heavens opened....
The noise on the video is the rain!
Undies for sale - note the spelling.
Time for a relaxing cuppa in the tree canopy. We drank a LOT of tea in India.
A light load?
Making bricks by hand - hard, hot work. these two make at least 2000 a day!
The Taj Gateway Hotel on a hill above Madurai. The main building was the residence of the Chief Exec of J B Coats UK Ltd from 1890. It is now a very comfortable hotel.
A rickshaw ride through Madurai's hectic streets to the fantastic Meenakshi Temple
The Ghandi Museum and Ghandi's aims and ideals.
Wholesale flower market in Madurai after the rain.
Puducherry
Indians often wanted to have their photos taken with us
In the more tranquil part of Puducherry - the French Quarter.
Government House.
Someone succumbed to the entreaties of a street seller.
Local school students on beach clearance duties. They told me that they volunteered for the weekly task.
Need a dentist?
Our final resting place, and very good it was too! The Grand Bay Resort in Mahabalipuram.
Carvings at Mahabalipuram from the Pallava Dynasty from the C8th. Exquisite.
A very humid morning and the camera lens got a bit misted up!
We flew out of Chennai (formerly Madras ) which, we were told, was one of the calmer cities. I don't think so!
