Amma’s ashram

I’ve swapped my double-bed, air-con room and gourmet breakfast and dinner in Alappuzha for… an ashram! On Monday, I was planning my next destination and decided I needed to experience my first ashram. After looking at a few, I settled for the one set up by Amma, the “hugging mother”, in Amritapuri. I phoned up … Continue reading / view photos Amma’s ashram

Allappuzha

I was happy to be running on the beach again this morning, with the view and relaxing sound of the sea. As I ran, I thought: Indian pragmatism has trumped aesthetics again! Like many places in India, Alappuzha has congested roads. The solution, it has decided, is to build an elevated highway running parallel to, … Continue reading / view photos Allappuzha

What’s in a name – changing places

Alappuzha is better known as Alleppey. Since independence, India has been gradually renaming places. There are a variety of reasons for these changes, such as using a spelling that more closely resembles the local pronunciation of the place or using a name that the locals use. Well-known examples include: Kolkata (instead of Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), … Continue reading / view photos What’s in a name – changing places

On the beach

Being a beach babe, I’ve swapped Munnar’s calming mountains for Alappuzha’s sandy beach. I’m back on the west coast of Kerala, about 50km south of Fort Kochi, which is where I was before going to Munnar. I’m relieved to get some 30c heat back in my bones! I’m seriously concerned about my ability to now … Continue reading / view photos On the beach

Tea time

After my trip to Top Station yesterday, I popped into the Tea Museum on the way back to the hotel. This will be of interest to absolutely no one but since it was explained to me, I’m writing it down! 😊 The Tea Museum may be unique in that it has the working machinery used … Continue reading / view photos Tea time

Top Station, Munnar

One of the notable things about Munnar’s town centre is that it’s totally uninteresting! If you were parachuted in blindfolded, you’d be completely unaware that it was surrounded by an incredibly picturesque landscape. So it was with great relief that I escaped the centre again to ascend to Top Station at 1800m. Top Station’s name … Continue reading / view photos Top Station, Munnar

Fort Kochi to Munnar

Yesterday, a 7.30am start and a six hour bus journey took me from Fort Kochi to Munnar, a hill station at 1500m; it’s also known for being South India’s largest tea-growing region, the plantations mostly being owned by Tata. There were some spectacular views on the final ascent to Munnar. The bus, alas, didn’t stop, … Continue reading / view photos Fort Kochi to Munnar

Kochi’s New Year’s Day parade

The parade on New Year’s Day is traditionally the culmination of the ten-day Kochi festival. I thought I’d see a rather conservative parade, somewhat conventional. Instead, there were some of the most bizarre floats and costumes I’ve ever seen! Keraleans like to dress up. The buildup started about 3.30pm. The crowds appeared and, by 5.30, … Continue reading / view photos Kochi’s New Year’s Day parade

Celebrating on New Year’s Eve

How do people in Kerala celebrate the New Year? Pretty much like other people around the world: house parties, street parties, and gathering en masse in public places. I went to the big public event with a few thousand others. There were people selling food, drink, toys, devil’s horns and masks. On stage, an Indian … Continue reading / view photos Celebrating on New Year’s Eve

Tomorrow we can be different, better

After yesterday’s backwaters trip, I returned to yoga this morning. You’ll be pleased to hear that there was no reappearance of the Crown Jewels 😅. After yoga and breakfast, I went for a haircut at the corner barbershop. The barber asked whether I wanted a medium length cut and I said short for the back … Continue reading Tomorrow we can be different, better