Tamil Nadu

Mid-morning traffic in Madurai
A Chettinad fort mansion in the small village of Kanadukathan viewed from our balcony.

Kerala to Tamil Nadu

The temple tank and temple nearby to our Ayurvedic massage spot.
Leaving Kerala by a long, long train.
Another town, another temple complex! This one is in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

Kollam to Trivandrum

Such a skilled matchbox filler that her filled boxes literally fly through the air; can you spot it?
The famous red cliffs of touristy Varkala Beach on the southwest of India. Our hotel sat atop the cliffs just around that distant headland.
Just north of Varkala Beach was the much less touristy fishermen's beach.
As we step out of the train station in Trivandrum we step right into the celebration of Pongal with 2.5 million women cooking together on their small fires in the streets! It made the Guiness Book of World Records .
Young men trying to catch a ride on the buses bulging with women leaving the festival.

Periyar wildlife sanctuary to the backwaters

transportation across the river on a bamboo raft to track elusive tigers
life on the narrow canals in the backwaters of Kerala
round fishing boats viewed from our verandah in Alleppey
our eco-friendly houseboat
fishermen on the backwaters viewed from our houseboat deck

Munnar

lunch at the government school
view of the tea plantation from our hotel in Munnar
we take a jeep and driver to the highest tea plantation in India
tea cutter earns $2C for her 8 hour day
the son of a plantation worker shows us the red chillies drying in front of his house

Fort Cochin

We watched the Kathakali dancers apply their makeup which is a 2 hour process and then they dressed in these elaborate costumes
We take a tour of Fort Cochin with our rented bikes
Fort Cochin harbour is famous for its Chinese fishing nets which are spectacular at sunset
The early morning fish market

Kannur to Fort Cochin 3

the patient elephant with brahmin on back comes out of the temple in the midst of all the kavadi

our VIP lunch at the Thrissur festival

the drummers drum, the elephants stand facing the temple at Thrissur


this mahout toured us around the elephant sanctuary and told us lots of gossip about all 64 elephants