March 13-14, 2010: Kerala backwaters

If you happen to be in Kerala, you can’t lose an opportunity to take a boat trip along the lakes and channels, known as Kerala backwaters. The area parallel to Arabian Sea, it includes 5 lakes  linked by channels,  and I did not hesitate to call it ‘the Venice of India’.

What made this trip very special is that it was Thierry’s birthday present to me, absolutely unforgettable one…

So early in the morning we left for Alappuzha (or Alleppey) where our boat trip would start. The boats are actually floating houses, able to accommodate up to 8-10 people, not including the crew.  For the next 24 hours we had a comfortable cabin and a cosy area on the deck, and own captain and chef!

We spent a very relaxing day, drifting down the channels, enjoying the views of the calm water, reflections of the sun on it, palm trees. The scenery is truly amazing! We saw local people bathing, boys playing in the water, women doing their laundry and men transporting goods on canoes.  Thierry was offered to sail the boat, and he certainly took his chance to practice his sailing skills.

In the evening, before the dinner with a cake, a surprise was waiting for me. A pair of cute earrings with aquamarine was lying on the bed, a present from Thierry.  Yes, I agree with you – my boyfriend is such an amazing guy!

I have already mentioned that I love food in Kerala. It is not as hot spicy as northern Indian cuisine is, but it is so delicate and full of flavours as almost every dish is cooked with coconut milk. 

25 February-18 March: Trivandrum, Kerala

Trivandrum, or Thiruvananthapuram (an official name that I still cannot memorize) is a capital of Kerala state in India.  It is within 37-km train ride from Varkala.

Even though Trivandrum is not a touristic city at all, there are a few things that are special and I should tell you about them.

It was the first city where I had seen a mosque, catholic and orthodox cathedrals and a temple to Lord Ganesh, all on the same street: Palayam Juma Masjid,  St. Joseph’s Metropolitan Cathedral, St. George’s Orthodox Syrian Cathedral, and a temple to Lord Ganesh. It is amazing that all these religions co-exist in the city so closely, and it is the perfect example of the religious tolerance in Kerala.

And for the first time here in India, we saw a street protest (unfortunately, I cannot tell you what it was against or for. Maybe someone will read this and tell us what it was about?). It seemed to be very well arranged and controlled as well: no signs of violence or riots.

There is an interesting stadium in the city centre, Chandrashekaran Nair Football Stadium. Hold on, it is not just the name that makes it interesting: it is semi-circle and host even international level matches.

People in the south of India, and in Kerala in particular, look so much different from those living on the north of the country. While Europeans go to solariums and stay on the beaches for hours to get tanned, people in Kerala protect their skin and walk with sun umbrellas. Women usually wear saris, while men may not wear trousers but dhoti, a rectangular piece of cloth, wrapped around and knotted at the waist. It must be the best clothing for a hot and humid weather!

We have visited a museum of science and technology, which was surprisingly good (it would give many points to the National Museum of India back in Delhi!), definitely a must-see if you are in Trivandrum. Give a miss to the 3D-movie theater close to the museum if you have ever seen any movie in 3D (read the sign: feel the effect of 3D, which you have heard but never experienced!).

25 February – 18 March 2010 - Varkala, Kerala - the town and places around

Varkala, the town, is noticeably cleaner than any other Indian city on the north. It is also very colorful and I may not be objective, but I think that Varkala buses are the most colorful! Some architectural items and signboards on the streets had made me smile quite a few times... 

One day we made a tour around the town. There is a beautiful lake within a few kilometers from the town and we saw picturesque fishermen houses around it, built just between the palm trees. 

Also between the palms is St. Sebastian's church, beautiful and big enough to admit all Christians of Varkala town. 

Back at North Cliff, we took a cooking class one evening. So now Thierry knows all the secrets of fish molee!

I did not mentioned in my previous post that I visited a homeopath doctor (as he calls himself) at North Cliff. Note the only book on his table, the Lonely Planet Guide... 

Soon we will leave Kerala and India. And like many other places we have been to, people we met in Varkala will always stay in our minds. 

25 February – 18 March 2010 - Varkala, Kerala

Another overnight train and here we are, in Varkala, North Cliff.
Varkala is a small town of about 40,000 inhabitants in the state of Kerala. But our final destination was so-called North Cliff, a purely touristic spot on the top of a cliff adjacent to the Arabian Sea, about 5 km off from Varkala town.
The first line on the cliff is a chain of hotels, shops, cafes, restaurants and Internet cafes. Behind them you will find various guest houses, jewellery shops, drum and joga classes, and numerous ayurvedic spas. Life here is quiet. Unlike Goa with parties-all-night, Varkala is for families and health-conscious people. As our Lonely Planet book says, “It seems like every man and his dog has an Ayurvedic-related product to sell”. This is so true!
For me Varkala smells
Ocean….
Incenses from the shops…
Fresh fish and sea food in the evening from nearly every restaurant…
And it sounds
Reggae music (and don’t ask me why it is so popular here!)
Coconut fall that can make wake you up in the middle of the night
Invites from the shops with an unforgettable accent, “Have a look! Come to my shop!”
I should admit that food in South India is the one I prefer the most. It is less hot than in the north but still full of mild spices like coriander, fennel, cinnamon and a lot of coconuts. The specialty of Kerala is fish molee, fish stew with coconut milk, and for me, fish has never tasted so sophisticated! If you did not manage to go to Nepal, here in Varkala you will have a chance to taste Tibetan food as many restaurants here are hold by Nepalese.