Here We Are!

Where's that, you ask? At this very moment, we are in the super-crazy city of Kolkata (Calcutta), but will be heading north again in a few hours by train(s) to Darjeeling. So sorry we haven't updated our post in a while, but we have not had any reliable connections for internet in all of the places we have been where there's been time to update. The monsoon season has hit southern India early, and we have had intense heat followed by massive rains daily - though many days we've just had massive rains. We'll do our best to bring the blog up to speed given our travels and whereabouts. ******I am going to publish this post sans pictures - our camera is kaput! We backed up our images on CD a week ago just in case something like this happened, and our memory card is intact - so we'll get our pictures. I think the rest of the trip will have to be on a disposable camera, though.

When last updated, Colie and I were on our way out of Varkala. After surviving the beach, we took a bus ride up the massively overdeveloped coast to the in-between city of Kollam (Quilon). This town was to be a place to rest before heading into the backwaters of Kerala - via Alleppey (Alappuzha). As it turned out, the sights and sounds of Kollam were just what we needed after touristy Varkala. It is also considered a secret entryway to the backwaters. Kollam is known for cashews and for being one of the oldest port cities of the Arabian Sea. Oddly enough, we didn't see the ocean here, but were mystified by this rather typical, charming Indian city - the sound of prayer eminating from the mosques and broadcasting throughout the day over loudspeakers battling the non-stop honks from traffic and voices from the crowded markets reminded us of the vibrant chaos we've grown to love. One noise however, stood out from the rest as we passed by a large tree covered with these strange, noisy birds . . .

(THIS SHOULD BE A PICTURE OF . . . WELL, I'M SURE YOU CAN IMAGINE.)

. . . or maybe not birds. Yep, those are bats. Big ones.

Again, Kollam restores the authenticity of India. There are many prominent mosques that dominate the religious landscape here, though the city is abundant with numerous other well-practiced religions. Very much a conservative town, Kollam is also home to Syrian Christians - something of an anomaly. As with India 99.9% of the time, a mix of beliefs and practices interact and coexist as a mere part of a vibrant life.

Around sunset, we made our way to the railway station to obtain passes for our next day's travel. Heading back to our lodging through the narrow, bustling streets laden with innumerable shops, booths, restaurants, hordes of people - we ventured (veered and didn't turn around - that's a sure fire way to find adventure here!) off the main road and stumbled into a "farmer's" market - alive and bustling in its own concerns - full of boisterous selling, buying, haggling . . . eager vendors operated amidst their own seas of fresh fish, massive piles of fruits, vegetables, rice, lentils, spices, herbs, and more and more onions and garlic (for the bats? or kisses?) - an organic smorgasborg alive and functioning efficiently, at times chaotically. All this in the soft light of candles, fire, lanterns, and randomly/haphazardly rigged bulbs of various code violation. I couldn't help but entertain the notion that I was back in a biblical time. The varied mix of people weren't here for favorites, making "fresh, healthy, organic" choices for a Saturday diversion (something many of us enjoy!) - this was a daily ritual, the chance to find much needed dinner with the rupees gathered since the sun came up, and strength for another day's efforts. Here existed an urgency and import - an energy I had never witnesses at a market. This food market had the energy of a stock exchange floor. A light rain cooled the night air and brought some refuge from the oppressive humidity and heat that had been building all day. Again, the city of Kollam immersed us right back into real India. We loved our hotel for its old world charm and beauty - like some old southern plantation - though read after the fact that this was the place to avoid given how run-down and nasty it is. Perspective is a funny thing.

A train from Kollam delivered us to Alleppey - a canal city reminiscient of Venice, though with full-on Indian flare. This would be our staging ground for a venture into the waterways of Kerala. The pictures will do far more than any verbal description I could attempt. I'll just say that everywhere one looks here is beauty - and water. All other watery places like this that I've seen has either Jar Jar Binks or Kevin Costner there to ruin it. Many come to this place to cruise the backwaters in luxury in a houseboat made in the style of a rice barge. We thought a canoe would be better suited for us, so we took a 6-hour excursion down various waterways to see just what the backwaters looked like. Enjoy! *****Just imagine palm trees, flooded rice patties, backwater tributaries, beautiful clouds and visages where sky and land meld together in bold reflections. Paddling, soaked to the bone in a canoe during a torrential downpour where the droplets bounce off the water just as vigorously as they descend. A beaming backwater guide who doesn't have to do all of the paddling this time. An entire new set of birds and wildlife all previously unseen by your own eyes. A venemous snake swimming with its head out of the water with a fish in its jaws. A paradise largely untouched by pollutants that plague so many other beautiful places here.

Thanks for being patient with the post, I am truly sorry for the delays and hope you all can make a life experience here for yourselves some day. Truly wild!

-John