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A 18-day adventure by Around the World with Jan Read more
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  • Around the World with JanSpice Trails of Kerala
    Day 1

    Let the adventure begin

    February 1, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Well this is day 2 of my latest adventure. Who would have thought that I would be sitting watching sea eagles soaring above or watching dolphins in the Arabian sea while I sit and have breakfast.

    India is India – dusty, noisy, old with crumbling infrastructure, bad roads and no traffic rules to speak of which is why I love it. I’m staying at Fort Kochi before my trip starts on Sunday and I meet the rest of the group. Fort Kochi is a mixture of Portuguese, Dutch and British with a distinct Indian flavour which really comes from the people here. And, how could you not love the food?

    I’ve managed to fend off tuk tuk drivers who want to take me to shops and don’t understand why I would want to walk but if you don’t walk you miss things like the young man playing scales on his sitar in a 400 year old building which is now a gallery and café. You can’t put a price on things like that.

    I hope you’ll enjoy reading about what Kerala and Tamil Nadu have to offer over the next couple of weeks …..    Read more

  • Around the World with JanSpice Trails of Kerala
    Day 7

    Climbing Meesapulimala

    February 7, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We are starting to get into a trekking routine. Up relatively early but not too early as it’s dark until at least 6.30. It’s cool until the sun comes over the ridge and then it’s hot and humid. The nights are cool. The mattresses are surprisingly comfortable but the tents are a bit small if there are two people.

    Today we walked up the main peak, Meesapulimala which is the second highest peak in the area (the other one is off limits). We were surprised when we stopped for lunch to find that our guide Prabhu had a tiffin tin in his backpack. It’s a series of metal pots which fit together. He had carried rice and a couple of vegetable curries while we huffed and puffed up the mountain. He’s very fit.

    The scenery here is gorgeous with bright red rhododendrons and surprisingly eucalypt forests – I wasn’t expecting that. The weather has been incredibly dry which means lots of dust so by the end of the day were are pretty filthy and very grateful for the bowl of warm water.

    I wouldn't call this hard walking but the humidity makes it fairly hard going when you have to climb.

    Looking forward to seeing more of Kerala once we finish trekking.    Read more

  • Around the World with JanSpice Trails of Kerala
    Day 13

    Into the Wild

    February 13, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We were up bright and early to head into Periyar National Park in the hope that we would see some animals and a few of the 300 plus birds who call this place home.

    As the sun came up we spotted a couple of shadows in the trees – elephants, sadly the only sighting to be had all day of these elusive creatures.

    We crossed the man-made lake on a bamboo raft, partly submerged even before it took our weight. Miraculously all 12 of us made it to the other side. We had our doubts.

    On the bird front we saw everything from kingfishers diving for food to numerous water birds – herons, egrets and even an eagle. We were lucky to see a pack of wild dogs, their bright red coats and black-tipped tails standing out against the bright green grass as the sun came up.

    We saw langurs and a couple of giant squirrels high up in the trees. Our guide was really good at spotting them. He also told us that after 5 years in the park he had only seen a tiger twice. There are only about 40 left now so the chances of seeing them were never going to be good.

    We were surprised at just how many people were visiting the park. It’s one of the few places we’ve seen that seems to be rubbish-free. It’s also one of the few places we’ve seen where there are lots of other tourists, the drawcard being the national park and its inhabitants.

    We finished the day with a cooking class with lots of laughter and a great meal.    Read more

  • Around the World with JanSpice Trails of Kerala
    Day 17

    All good things must come to an end

    February 17, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    The last few days of the trip have passed very quickly and yet the trip itself seems to have stretched to IST (Indian Standard Time) where nothing moves quickly and times are only an approximation.

    It’s hard to beat watching the sunset from the top deck of a houseboat as you float along the backwater canals of Kerala. Palm trees and the brilliant green of rice paddies make an amazing backdrop. Oh, and it helps to have a G&T in hand!

    We were very surprised at just how big the boats were and the cabins were certainly comfortable. Thank goodness for air conditioning. The temperature on the water is just that little bit cooler but once we landed we were hit once again with the heat, humidity and dust.

    It was lovely to walk along the beach on the Malabar Coast. Sadly, the Arabian Sea is like a warm bath so no refreshing dip and the undertow is fairly severe so not great for a swim in that particular spot.

    In many ways the India I visited 30 years ago hasn’t changed – poor roads and infrastructure, crazy traffic and lots of rubbish yet it’s obvious that there are also very prosperous areas, particularly in the South. There are hints of the wealth that exists but there are still people who live hard lives doing manual work for very little pay.

    The people have been overwhelming friendly, always ready with a smile and the food is sensational.    Read more

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