Periyar Tiger Reserve

On Friday I went on a 12 km guided hike in through the mountainous Periyar Tiger Reserve. I went with the hope of viewing some of the Reserve's fine wildlife species -- and I was not disappointed! What follows is a picture I took of a group of 5 elephants lazily grazing in a clearing. Some two of the elephants are obscured by the foliage.

Fortunately we did not encounter one of the 40 tigers in the Reserve. But such sightings are rare indeed. We did see a large troop of bison, several large squirrels, the black-capped kingfisher (that's halcyon pileata to you, Johnny), the racket-tail drongo, and a wild orchid.

And the day before, Monica and I saw a pair of 12-foot ratsnakes in the throes of mating (video link, 2.6 MB). Oddly enough, this was just below a highway bridge in town, in the light of day. Don't these snakes have any decency?

Bicycle Donation

Nearing the end of the bicycle part of our journey, we decided to donate our bicycles to a charitable cause. We were not able to find one via the internet or in our guidebook, so it was great luck when, at the end of our last day, we spotted a roadside sign for the Gandhiji Kasthurbaji Children's Home. Tucked away in a residentail area in the outskirts of Kanyakumari, this Home cares for, feeds, and houses 37 boys and girls. Ages range from 5 to 17.


It's a very simple outfit, really. A tree-shaded courtyard is surrounded by a kitchen hut, the founder's room, a staff lodge, and the children's dorm. The dorm is nothing more than two rooms, one for girls and one for boys. All one could see inside were the 37 suitcases containing each child's worldly posessions. There were no mattresses or beds, and hardly anything but a calendar decorated the inner walls. The outer walls were plastered with dozzens of photographs from the prior visits of foreigners and volunteers.

We were warmly greeted by S. Swami, the founder and secretary. He was yet humble as he told us that he has run this Home since he founded it in 1979, and I think for him the Home is a great source of joy. He proudly showed us notebooks filled with names and addresses of foreign visitors and volunteers who have joined him over the years.

When the children returned from school (which they all attend) we noticed straight away how well-behaved and sweet they are. In contrast to many other schoolchildren we have come across, screaming, chasing after us on our bikes, these kids were far more reserved and dare-I-say shy. They kept a distance at first. It was only after maybe 15minutes in our presence, and with the blessing of Swami, that they drew near. As they did warm up to us, hwever, we were so taken with them that we hardly wanted to leave. I noticed particularly that many of the girls flocked to Monica, vying to stand near her. As they showed us around their Home, about five girls held each of Monica's outstreched hands.


I stealthed a two-minute video (link, 24.2 MB) of us meeting with Swami and some of the children in the courtyard.

We signed the guestbook and left them the bicycles which carried us down to the southern tip of India. And we left with the conviction that this Children's Home is a cause to which we will donate money -- if not time -- for as long as it survives. If anyone cares to give to this Home, their bank information is as follows:

Gandhiji Kasthurbaji Children's Home
Savings Bank Account No. 5708
Canara Bank - J 1026
Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu
PIN - 629 702
INDIA

The funding level for one child is 5,750 Indian Rupees per year, equivalent to 130 US Dollars. Sending a live US check to this bank address, with an explanatory note, will get the money to the Home.

Last Day on Bikes

March 13 was our last day on our bicycles.

We had never planned to do our whole trip by bicycle, only the southern portion. The reasons were simple enough: the traffic is managable in the South of India; and the Himalayan regions of the north where we plan to visit are probably too steep for us to really get anywhere in reasonable time.

One could, for sure, do a cycle trip over all of India. But biking would have to be you main focus, not simply a means of getting around. For us, doing this trip by bicycle has always been about slowing the pace and taking our own roads. We love our access smaller village settings and out-of-the-way places. But to cycle in the North seems to beg far more focus on the cycles, the gear, one's fittness, or the elevation you can climb in a given day. We're in good fittness, but we're not maniacs.


Our last day was a gentle 85 km from the beaches of Kovalam to the extreme southern tip of India: Kanyakumari. The riding in coastal Kerala has been more relaxed and indeed better paved than some of the roads we encountered in Karnataka. Here is a video I took while riding behind Monica up a hill (link, 13.2 MB). It's a fairly average morning on the National Highway 47, with the usual mix of busses, auto-rickshaws, cars, and other bicycles. I tried to get some footage of the adjacent buildings as we go by, but it's rather shaky camerawork.

After a few days of separation from our bicycles, I have mixed feelings about the change. I are certainly relieved not to have all the associated gear and tools to lug around -- jumping on a train or bus is now quite simple. But I do miss the flexibility and I think I will also long for the strenuous exercise from time to time.

Backwaters Boating in Kerala

One of the top items on the to-do-list for every Kerala tourist is a trip on the Alleppy backwaters. The backwaters is actually a huge network of canals and lakes stretching some 20 km inland and perhaps 80 km along the coast. The network is both an ancient transport system and also a large fice-paddy irrigation system. We were suprised to see that the water-level is actually three feet higher than the fields which the water surrounds.

We were told that by some friends who had done one overnight on a house-boat that, although it was by far the most expensive item on their trip to India, it was also the most rewarding. Really? What kind of a treat is this? We hire a boat and a driver and a cook? We set out to enjoy the most relaxing pace of life in India? It sounded too good to be true, so we did two nights. From my journal entry on the boat:

"The expansive coconut and rice-paddy landscape unfurls before us at the most relaxing pace. People on the shore smile and wave. The breeze cuts the heat and the sounds of lapping water soothe the soul. I am rocked by the ebb and flow of life pushing all around, holding me gently." In hindsight I think I have never been so relaxed as I became on that journey down the backwaters. It was worth every rupee.

The photo below is of myself with Alby, the driver, who is a very sweet and gentle man. He and the captian and the cook took great care of us. In the background is the boat we five stayed on for two days.

Visiting the Karappath Family

Posted by Monica:
The past 10 days in India have been truly amazing and we have had so many wonderful experiences. I really feel like we are enjoying our travels in India to the fullest. The southern state of Kerala is beautiful and filled with the kindest people. It was our great fortune to stay with the Karappath family in Kannur for one evening.

I must admit this was one of the best times I have had so far. We met Dr. Karappath Abdul Azeez when we first arrived in Mumbai, and he invited us to visit his family during our travels. So we did. With open arms we were invited into his home and into the homes of many other family members and neighbors.



The Karappaths are Indian-Muslim family and have three wonderful and gracious daughters ages 7-14. Many of our experiences have been “public” (ie. bike riding, sightseeing and general travel outside) and I have felt a dominant male influence in a majority of my interactions while traveling. Because of this, I felt especially fortunate and happy to be invited into the realm of Indian women. Briefly, I was part of their world: folding clothes, visiting neighbors, trying on saris, talking about marriage and hanging out in the kitchen. Umaiza, the mother, was generous, open and made me feel completely at home. She even shared some of her tasty recipes, which I can’t wait to prepare when we return.


Umaiza and Ala in the Kitchen

The oldest child Ala Beegum practiced her translation skills during our stay and was articulate, bold and full of kindest. The two youngest were a little more timid and complete joy to spend time with. This experience has transformed my perception of the Indian family and, in particular, Indian-Muslim women. In the home the women are the nucleus of activity. They are sources of great strength and create a sacred and secure place in which they thrive. Needless to say I was a bit sad at our parting but I am eternally grateful for been able to meet such a wonderful family during our time in India.

Sean with coconuts fresh from the tree

A neighborhood monkey

Costa Malabar and the Theyyam Ceremony

After the hilly Kodagu region we descended to the coast of Kerala. We headed to Kannur for it's beaches.


We also came for the Theyyam ceremony which is a living spiritual tradition here. Theyyam actually means "god" and it is a nocturnal ritual in which one participant is a medium through which a pre-Hindu god can express itself.


The ritual begins with elaborate face painting and costuming and is followed with recitation of traditional verses. The god then arrives through the medium. The climax of the ritual comes when, in a frenzy of drumming, a trance-like state overcomes the participants. Or at least this is what it seemed like to us. There were no plaques describing what we were seeing. Many people came, mostly locals and very few tourists. It happens almost every evening during the November-May Theyyam season, and it has gone on like this for thousands of years. It was a fantastic experience.

The video clip (link, 4.1 MB) may be a little hard to understand. The drummers are on the left, the medium is the one dressed in the large red costume, and the dancer holding the fire became consumed with a sort of rapture, causing the fire to fall on the ground.

Here is a close-up of the main performer/devotee who channels the god. He is talking with members of the community.

Road Conditions

Some of the roads are wonderful and some are horrible. That is the thing about doing this trip by cycle: we hate it and we love it and we want to give up and we never want to stop. Our journey from Honey Valley to the coast of Kerala had some of the worst road conditions but the best scenery. I took a video of Monica dodging the minefield of potholes (link, 3.7 MB).


In the morning hours and the late afternoon, we are happiest because it is cool and we sometimes sing songs while we ride.


The rice farmers harvested quite a lot of rice and have piled it wide on this lorry. These Indian men can be quite friendly (note the arms around my waist!).


Not all of the transport on these roads are motorized.

Honey Valley Estate

We spent a very relaxing rest day in the Kodagu region of south-western Karnataka. This area is hilly and verdant, very scenic, and home to India's coffee plantations. The family we stayed with cultivates coffee and cardamom as well as hosts tourists (stressed out IT workers from Bangalore on the weekends and westerners during the week). The hills surrounding the homestay are full of scenic tracks and trails for walking. We were quite beat from the bike ride to get there, so we did not hike that much, but we did climb to the nearby ridge to get some wonderful views.



On the way down in the evening we noticed that a moving brushfire was slowly engulfing the entire hillside above the estate. What should we do? Our first instinct was to run down the hill and grab our passports and high-tail it for the road. We were, after all, blissfully removed from civilization up here in the mountains, so retreat would be difficult and time seemed precious. (Click on the image to view larger version.)


But maybe this is normal for the hill to be ablaze? Maybe it would not burn into the wooded area where we were staying? It's hard, sometimes when traveling in a foreign land, to know what is normal and what is out of the ordinary. For example, burning one's trash in the front yard seems to be part of the waste management scheme here in the country. One's first instinct is often to pretend that what you see happens every day. So I tried not to sound frightened when I asked Suresh about the brushfire. It was actually a sore spot for him since--although illegal--it was started by cow-herds at the top of the hill to promote favorable grazing conditions.

"They do this so that the grass will grow back quickly, and also to destroy the small bushes where tigers can hide. If the tigers have no place to hide, then they will not come into the field and attack the cows."

Tigers? what tigers?