Jan 26, Trivandrum, Kerala

Somehow I convinced Sebastian that departing out little piece of heaven on Kerala’s beach is justified if we visit Pdmanburham Palace 3 hour bus ride away. A complex of 14 palaces dating back to 1550, it is only the largest wooden structure in all of Asia, with masterfully carved rosewood and polished teak - how could it not be spectacular? 
We left Kollam early in the morning, took one bus to Trivandrum, loaded into a rickshaw, found a room for the night, walked back to the bus stand and took another bus going to Nagercoil, got out in Thuckalay and, with 1.5h left before the palace closed for the day, sprinted to a rickshaw stand. The wooden masterpiece was only a couple minutes away…or a day in this case - the palace was closed today in observance of a holiday. 
There goes one forever lost day in paradise.

Jan 23 - 26, Kerala backwaters, Kovalam, elephants, and a piece of heaven by the Arabian Sea

Canoe tour of the backwaters. We were late for ours because two rickshaw drivers argued over us and we missed our group’s departure by a couple of minutes. Our western minds started analyzing and pondering over alternate solutions, meanwhile our driver walked across the village in search of someone with a cell phone, miraculously found an actual canoe guide, who in turn called Kerala’s Tourist Office and settled his fee. Off we went in our private canoe for two. Nothing is impossible in India. 

Bananas of all shapes and sizes, each with very distinctive taste, some almost orange as if infused with mangoes. 

Glazing over water surrounded by the surreal. Cashew, mango, and black pepper trees, pineapples, bananas, and star of all - coconuts - used for cooking, boat building, fiber, coil, and oil. Kerala literally means “Land of Coconuts”.   

water lily necklace - boat guides can be real charmers

canoes made without any mechanical connections - only tongue and grove, coconut fiber and sand

floats, gods, elephants, drums, and a sea of people 

we were lucky enough to join the festivities - elephant festival in town nearby

This has been our backyard for the last two days...

...sitting under palm trees with nothing but endless water as far as the horizon. We’ve met a great couple here, Lisa and Anmol, who would have made Delhi seem like paradise have we known them sooner. This is southern India we were in search of. How will we ever leave?

Jan 22, trains trains trains, Kochi to Kollam, Kerala

Picturesque landscapes on the way to Kollam

We arrived to Kollam in the evening. After discovering roaches the size of mice in our room two hours after we checked in [mystery train bugs revealed!], we packed our bags and proceeded to negotiate with the employee who refused to give our money back. Instead, he brought a bottle of piss colored liquid, disappeared in the bathroom from hell, and started smacking the walls like there was no tomorrow. Stressed, I broke down entirely, tears uncontrollably running down my face. He wasn’t giving in and, tired of being cheated out of our money, we weren’t backing down either. After countless pleas and requests, my shouts about bad karma getting to him, and arguments about honesty and fairness, he finally called the owner who returned our money - minus Ru100 for the two hours. So be it.

Every other budget place Sebastian checked in the neighborhood had roaches running wild in the lobby so we opted out and checked into the most swanky hotel yet.

 Can't say enough about crispy sheets...

Sebastian got down on his knees and kissed the sink.
We have an entertaining video of this but it doesn't want to upload...

We have 24 hours to check out and are seriously reconsidering backwater tour tomorrow just to stay here longer and fully enjoy the luxury that will unlikely happen very soon. 

Jan 20 - 21, Kochi, Kerala, India

Stay in Kochi has been a cold compress for our overwhelmed heads. Shaded by thousand year old acacia trees, this seaport city hosts plenty of tourists but, drenched in southern warmth of people, is quiet and laidback nevertheless. Old Portuguese, Dutch, and English mansions, many restored to their original glory, line small winding streets and mesmerizing ancient Chinese fishing nets, as if taken from Leonardo’s sketchbook of inventions, stand proud at the coastline, regressing imagination to times past when Kochi was a major port on the Spice Trade Route. Boasted by it’s charms, fresh fish, and out-of-this-world food at Dal Roti we lingered for two days doing much of blissful nothing.

school is out

coconuts everywhere

Craving western taste at atmospheric Kashi Café Sebastian had a tuna salad and I dived head first into a spicy/sweet mint and coconut chutney sandwich. Both were delicious, but mine was a definite photo star. For thirst quenching - lime and ginger Limeade. We’ll need to learn how to replicate this one for sure.

Late in the afternoon, which we figured was best to shop for a bargain, Sebastian negotiated a fair price for one amazing djembe drum and I became guilty of unreasonably suspecting that a Rasta from Romania took off with our India guidebook. What has become of me??

Taste of traditional Kathakali performance. Full version of the story runs for several hours and apparently is best seen live at a temple festival. We’re happy to even have witnessed short version of it - besides spectacular make-up and costumes it offers an insight to this ancient art form and better understanding of the Indian sideway head-wobble, apparent especially in the southern states. As decoded by Sebastian, slow wobble with happy eyes - signals agreement, approval, a positive nod; quicker wobble with sometimes rapid eye blinking - signals discomfort of a responded unsure of his answer but afraid of being impolite if he doesn’t give any. When you encounter the second type of wobble while asking for directions it’s best to find another source. 

 "Use Me". Poor monkey...nobody does.

market by the sea

Jan 19, train from Mumbai to Kochi

Flashbacks from our 26h train ride to Kochi:

D: Did you see THAT?!?

S: What?

D: I don’t know! It was black, THIS big, and went right under the seat!

S: Roach?

D: Can’t be, too big for a roach, too small for a mouse.

S:??

D:!!!

Bathroom infested with bed bugs required some serious gymnastics and, running a risk of bursting our bladders, we limited visits to absolutely crucial ones. Also, LP guidebook proved very handy for smashing roaches on flat surfaces. We figured the secret to bug free coach is to be far away from the pantry car, not right next to it. Needless to say, between looking out for unknown creatures to crawl out of plywood walls, hunting for mosquitoes, and business meetings held in our compartment, our night was spent tossing and turning. During the day scenery outside was breathtaking though - mountains, rice paddies and palm trees reflected in lakes and waterways.

Jan 18, Udaipur to Mumbai, Maharashtra

Freedom has started today! No more driver, no more tight schedules, just a rough plan and a map of possibilities connected by a packed Indian railway system. This is how we wanted to travel in the first place and somehow followed a detour instead.

Departing in the evening from Udaipur we had a 16h journey ahead of us, with transfer in Ahmedabad at 4am. We zigzagged through pedestrian overpasses and platforms packed with people to the brim, passed beggars and kids yelling something in our direction when we didn’t’ give them 10 rupees, finally arriving at our 2AC Tier coach. Relieved, we found our reserved berths and sprayed a cloud of mosquito repellant around us, causing some very curious looks. After two very intense weeks of unforgettable experiences and colorful impressions, Rajasthan was staying behind.

Three hours of waiting for the connecting train on crowded Ahmedabad platform passed quickly as we chased one chai with another and exchanged travel trips and know-how’s with a guy from Belgium. We also shared a mutual relief of being overcharged for a private driver. Like us, Tom never intended to hire one, is an independent traveler by heart, always goes with public means of transportation, and never joins organized and pre-planned trips. Unfortunately, like us, he was exhausted in Delhi and looking for a quick way out. And so we dwelled on our stupidity and sneaky smarts of IDNC for a while but had to snap out of it quickly, otherwise the rest of out travels would be tainted with perpetual regrets and disappointments preventing experiencing new places with open minds. You travel, you learn.

Mumbai surprised us in a positive way. It’s fair to say we really had no expectations from this city, and yet we hoped it wouldn’t be another Delhi. It had all the typical commotion of an Indian city, temples on wheels pulled by cows, people, traffic and congestion - yes - but was somehow less chaotic, more manageable, cleaner and spacious. Most importantly, a mob of rickshaw and taxi drivers wasn’t following us around from the minute we stepped off the train and nobody was getting in our face with whatever they had to sell. Perhaps we’ve acquired a certain look about us that just screams “Back off! Not falling for your scams anymore.” Or maybe we’re really shabby looking by now and not worthy their precious energy.

The cab shared with a fellow traveler dropped us off at the Victoria Terminus and off we went in search of a one-night-home. As always, we walked in circles for a while before we found what was right in front of us in the first place and, once settled in room with 5 foot ceilings, went in search of much needed food. Scent of incense, marigolds, and fried snacks was mixing with fresh print of next-day newspapers from surrounding shops, infusing our hunger which by now was making us delusional. After 16 hour train ride survived on bananas, bunt cakes, nutella and water, we were in heaven spooning sambar onto yet another dosa at the cheapest neighborhood place we could find and feeding two for under $0.50.

Best thing about the room? Breakfast at Shivala next door. 

Jan 17, Udaipur, Rajasthan

Finding a quiet place in Udaipur before our train to Mumbai departed at 7pm took some time and perseverance, but paid off with restored piece of mind. Sitting alone within a narrow passageway by the ghats, we looked across the murky waters to the other end where women bathed and did laundry in a rainbow of colors. Two weeks into our stay in India we’re still in awe of people’s tolerance of piles of garbage everywhere and immunity to germs that seem to be crawling almost everywhere we look. Unsanitary conditions? No such thing. We seem to be getting used to it as well, showing no signs of stomach problems so far - even after a really bad meal at Sunrise Café. We’re both puzzled about reasons that place was recommended by LP, surely someone pocketed a hefty commission.

To caress our taste buds we went back to the Raj Palace for some more of that amazing Malai Kofta. I know, it might not look super appetizing, but it was freakin' delicious. Except for raisins, vegetarian ingredients are still a delicious mystery.

Full Cycle Waste Management System. Surprisingly, they’re very selective with the type of trash they’ll eat from the urban smorgasbord and will not have just ANY paper. I guess cellulose makes them stronger. 

Jan 16, Udaipur, Lake Pichola and City Palace

Last night we said goodbye to Ajay over dinner that came with the view of the spot lit hilltop City Palace. Eleven hours since out last meal in Jodhpur, Malai Kofta, black dal, and Paneer Masala at the Raj Palace warmed our belies and put us in a dreamy state of bliss. We’ve eaten these staples at several places so far and these were by far the best.

Udaipur was glistening all around us.

It would’ve been a great finish to our 12 days on the road except… Ajay asked for a bigger tip after counting the money - saying he doesn‘t know if he‘ll have sufficient funds to fix the car for his drive back to Delhi. Seriously?? How is this our problem and what kind of a set up is this? Considering nobody even told us we would have to tip the driver on top of the hefty IDNC price tag, we thought we were more than fair handing him twice of what he makes in a month. I guess we were wrong and it wasn‘t going to be a goodbye we imagined. He was left disappointed and we cured bitter aftertaste with some good rum.

 We had some internet issues. To everyone who was worried - we're safe and sound;)

Animals can be brutal. 

Left slightly disheartened after last night’s events, we took it easy today - leisurely strolled by Lake Pichola and walked the city, squeezing through tiny crowded streets of Gangaur Ghat and Hanuman Ghat. We toured the City Palace and retraced Maharaja’s steps within his regal labyrinth of passageways, mirrored galleries, arcaded courtyards, and airy chambers.

Udaipur put on a good face, relatively clean and groomed compared to other cities we’ve visited. Even the smells are less pungent.

Overlooking Lake Pichola from the City Palace

Carved screens of stone

 Where’s Waldo?

Udaipur viewed from Western Ghats

We’ve seen these jigsaw stone walls everywhere. No mortar required.

Late lunch by Jagdish Temple

I had to give it to Sebastian - he was tired of sightseeing and so was I. A cup of strong espresso at Café Namaste turned out to be the missing ingredient and a perfect temporary fix for drained energy levels. Now, refueled and rested, we’re getting into the right mindset for the 16 hour train ride to Mumbai tomorrow. It will only be a day stop on our journey south, nevertheless, navigating 30,000 people per every square kilometer is an overwhelming prospect.

      

Parquor heaven. Everyone enjoying the view - even the monkeys [bottom left corner]. Palace View Guest House was a really great find with super friendly hostess, hot water, sparkly clean room with crispy sheets, home cooking and a quiet rooftop overlooking the Palace, all on a bargain budget. We couldn’t ask for more.