Memories of India

We're leaving the Olavipe Homestay tomorrow morning.   Our hosts have been so very welcoming and accommodating and the food has been superb. We will be staying on a Houseboat/Rice Barge for a couple of days and then we're flying North to Mumbai on Tuesday.    Until then we won't have WiFi so this is the last post for a while and its all 'pretty flowers' Kerala isn't known as God's own country' for no reason.   Its so very fertile and lush and its not just the spices, coconuts and bananas which grow well - the local flowers here are beautiful .. here's just a few we've come across when walking around the 'farm' Homestay today, and these are almost 'incidental' just growing like weeds in places this next one is not so much a flower as what looks like a chestnut with a spiky case.  Inside there are some bright red berries which are crushed and used as the dye with which ladies add the red spot to their forehead (so Anthony told us)

Today (Sunday) after a lovely breakfast we said goodbye to the couple from Kent who are going on to Sri Lanka.    I believe another couple will be arriving later this morning so we'll see some new faces at lunch or dinner We went for a walk along the lanes neighbouring our Homestay this morning.   As its Sunday the children aren't at school and they were very keen to chat to us. David made the 'mistake' of giving one young lad a biro after which the boy cycled off into the distance to rally all the village children it seemed.   We were mobbed (in the nicest possible way) by kids wanting pens and pencils ... and they were all happy to pose for a few photos so I now have some great ref photos/ideas for future artwork .. and they have pens/pencils for their school work. This little girl was is so beautiful and Grandpa wanted to get in on the act too I know I've lost some of the boy's face in the mirror of the bike but it was the girl in the lovely dress I wanted to...

We arrived mid morning Saturday at Olavipe and were greeted by our Hostess Sumy and her son Anthony.    Their property is a heritage home built in the 1880s by Anthony's Great Great Grandfather (Not sure if that's enough Greats).    Anthony's father was one of 12 children and he inherited the property.   Following his death last year Sumi, and now Anthony are running it for a few months per year as a homestay/guest house. The Gate House (which has two guest bedrooms) The main house building Traditional style meals are served round the large family dining table with our hosts and other visitors.   There is a lot of coconut used in Kerala cooking and we're certainly trying some unusual dishes.    We've had steamed plantains with fresh grated coconut and honey, dark and white rice boiled in hollow bamboo poles so its squeezed out like rice sausages, all manner of pickles and fruits and fish of course.   Most of the veggie ingredie...

Last night we set out to eat at a restaurant David had read about .... but we couldn't find after tramping up and down lots of back streets getting very hot and frustrated.     A 'tout' invited us to 'his' restaurant and, on the basis they served beer, we caved in. But, they don't actually have a liquor licence which is a tad tricky when the police station is situated directly across the street.    Never mind, very ingeniously we were offered 'special tea' and this is how our beer was served up I'd forgotten to put the battery back in my camera so David took this on his phone ... a bit dark but you get the idea The meal was lovely ... after days of eating just vegetarian meals (as the chicken/mutton tends to be full of bone pieces) we opted to have a chicken curry dish and it was fantastic .... not a bone in sight, we also had tandoori mushrooms which we've never seen on a menu before. This morning before breakfast we walked down to the beach whe...

As suggested by our driver who lives in Kochi, we set out for an early ferry across the bay to another part of the city ... Kochi/Cochin is made up of several islands.    Once we had tickets the men were herded to one waiting area and the women another (behind bars) but once the ferry docked both gates were opened simultaneously and it was a mad rush to board ... no 'women and children first' mentality here .. I used my size to good purpose and got a seat - David didn't! The ferry trip was just about 15 minutes and cost the grand total of 8 rupees for the two of us - that's 8 pence! the 'back end' of the ferry Worryingly, our driver slept through most of the crossing but the rudder was tied in position with a bit of string so I guess he's done this many times before ... he awoke in time to guide the ferry in  The scramble to get off first The Broadway area is less touristy than Fort Cochin where we're staying.   The shops are 'fixed prices' and s...