You might think that with all this time we have, I would be a rock star at this website by now. In theory, that’s a valid assumption, however it hasn’t transpired and you don’t need my excuses, it’s just the way it is.
That being said, I did figure out one nifty little trick today so I added a page called “Where are we” – you can see it on the menu (mobile site select the menu button at the top of the page, desktop site has a menu banner at the top of the page). Click on the link and you’ll get a cool Google map that shows where we’ve been. If I get my act together, I’ll start adding more content (like photos & videos) to the map.
Let me know if you like it (or at least if it works!).
I’ve fallen way behind on updates lately, so I have to back up a couple of weeks here. At the moment we’re in Malaysia (One week until Christmas!) but first I really had to share this story from our final days in India.
After finishing up with our volunteering project in Fort Kochi, Kerala, we had five unplanned days before our flight to Malaysia. We found a local travel planner who helped us with some ideas and her fantastic negotiating skills to line up a car and driver and some interesting hotels. Our first stop was Thekkady. Traveling by road in Kerala has proven to be tiring as there are no real highways and constant traffic so the 190 km trip took us around five hours, but we made it safely thanks to our driver Mr. Sebastian.
Thekkady is a hub of tourism activities with both foreign and domestic tourists congregating here. The central point of the tourism is Periyar National Park and Tiger Preserve (yes for real, this is a Tiger Preserve). We were looking for some outdoor adventure and a chance to get out of the city and this place delivered exactly that. We entered the park early in the day and opted for the jungle walk because if you’re in a tiger preserve, walking along the jungle floor with children seemed like a brilliant idea! We read many reviews about the park and knew not to expect actual tiger sightings (as the saying goes, they might see you but rarely will you see them…) nor did we expect any elephant sightings – the area of the walk is just too busy with people so the animals stay away during the day time. We did get to see lots of footprints from both animals though and it was exciting to literally walk in the footsteps of a tiger (in our case a mom and her cub).
Footprint from the mother tiger in the stick box, the cub print is below to the right, slightly smaller (but a good size already)
While we didn’t see any large animals, we were all suitably disturbed by the onslaught of forest leaches that continually climbed all over our shoes and pant legs during the walk (I’m sure you can imagine but the kids were not impressed by this). Our guide had provided us with canvass gaiters to cover our lower legs and sprinkled laundry powder all over our legs which helped to deter them, but they were still rather creepy crawly and a thorough body check was required at the end of the walk.
After the park, we went for lunch where we were entertained by monkeys who repeatedly tried to get into the kitchen when the cooks weren’t watching, then off to a spice garden tour in the afternoon. In the evening we went to not one but two performances! First, the Kathakali Dancing demonstration and show. This is a traditional dance performance throughout Kerala, known for elaborate make-up, costumes and exaggerated facial expressions to convey emotions. We sat a little too close to the drums and cymbals so our ears were ringing a bit by the end but it was fascinating to see. Next we switched venues (they are side by side) to the Kalaripayattu Martial arts demonstration. Another opportunity to see a traditional element of the culture through a demonstration geared to tourists which means it’s also providing employment to a lot of local people involved in putting on the performance.
Kathakali dance demonstration – good educational overview that included costume preparation and explanation prior to an abridged performance. Kalaripayattu Martial arts demonstration – Lauren and Owen learn to how to hold swords
So lots of big tourist attractions in Thekkady, but that was around the time our day flipped around to what became one of the most entertaining and memorable moments. As we were leaving the Kathakali performance, there was an opportunity for taking photos with the performers so there were a lot of people moving around and general confusion set the scene (general confusion has become a relatively normal state of things in India!). So it seemed status quo that we were confused when a man came over and starting pressing Lauren to participate in a photo – how sweet we thought that he is encouraging our children to go for the photos. This of course is where our assumptions failed us. He was not suggesting we go to the stage for photos like everyone else, he was asking if our family could join him and his wife in their vacation photos… What? Yes, we the exotic Canadians in the midst of a packed house full of domestic tourists, had become a tourist attraction! When we figured out what was going on, we gleefully joined in the fun and posed for a few hundred photos with the happy couple from Rajasthan (state in Northern India) who will undoubtedly return home with photos of the exotic (but smiling) people they met in Thekkady! Oh what fun we can have as tourists / attractions!
The tourists become the attraction – look how happy we made these total strangers. Wish I knew how the conversation went at home when they show the same photo to their friends and family!
So it was that our time in Kerala came to an end – adventure beckons. On December 11th we flew to Kuala Lumpur. We’re in Malaysia for around 10 days before we head to Bali for Christmas. More updates to come soon.
A little over a week into our stay in India now. We are spending time in local elementary schools Monday-Friday, then have the weekend free to ourselves. On our first weekend, we headed to a hotel near the famed “Backwaters of Kerala” to experience this unique area first hand. The hotel was delightfully pleasant (I’m not generally a fan of A/C but one night of it was absolutely wonderful after a week of sweltering heat). After our night away, we returned to our accommodation in Fort Kochi where, on arrival, we experienced the simple joy that comes with the familiar. Travell is fascinating – new places and people all the time, every experience different from the last; but the best of travel can also be the hardest part.
So it was that we came back to a place we had been before. Familiar people, surroundings and routines. Knowing what to expect and where to go provides a comfort that sometimes we all seek. One more week in the classrooms, then next weekend we pack our bags and move on to new adventures, after all, there is still so much out there to see.
