We finally managed to leave Gokarna after speanding 10 days around the beaches and departed for Mangalore. This was just a stop over city to break up the long journey to Cochin, nothing really to mention apart from the people being noticably friendlier.
A few days later we arrived in Cochin on our posh air-conditioned train (first AC train we have caught) as we usually travel cheaply with the hillbillies in non-ac! The food was noticeably spicier in Kerala so we took advantage of some amazing prawn and crab masala dishes. Fort Cochin was heavily influenced by the Portuguese and we enjoyed our bike ride through the villages and backstreets where the style of architechture was very European. Cochin is famous for having Chinese fishing nets which is a very primitive method of fishing but still used by local fishermen today. We were also lucky enough to see a fish auction with giant tuna and all sorts of other fish coming straight off the boats.
A local Indian festival was taking place whilst we were in town and one night we decided to see what it was all about. We were the only foriegners there so as you can imagine, we received a lot of attention, especially Jo with the repressed Indian men! An elephant procession took place with a drum & horn ensemble, you could reach out and touch the decorated elephants that were at least 12 ft tall, the biggest we have been so close to. After the procession finished were the most dangerous fireworks we have ever witnessed. Little did we know at the time, we were standing metres away from the finale of bangers. It was like burning a dynamite wick that started at one end of the street and finished so near us, the noise was deafening and heat from the final explosion so intense it made the crowd retreat in fear of being set alight with the bangers! This triggered the actual fireworks which would rival if not beat displays we have seen in the UK. Only in India, it was mental.
Kollam followed Cochin, a few hours further down the south west coast. Our main purpose was to catch a canoe boat through the Keralan backwaters around Munroe Island as it's off the beaten track. Our ride through small canals lined with palm trees was so picturesque, we even got shown how to make rope from coconut fibre, life was so simple in these villages.
Allepey was the place most tourists opt for a houseboat tour of the backwaters on pretty much, a hotel on the water. We opted for the local ferry that goes along some of the same canals for 5 rupees as opposed to 5000+ for an overnight houseboat tour. Our guesthouse owner found us a brand new moped (more like a chicken chaser) that wouldn't go above 40km an hour to explore and check out a beach 16kms away. Even the locals were laughing at our hairdryer of a bike and we did break down due to it not having a petrol gauge!!
The 12 hour train across country to Chennai was standard practice, arriving back at our old stomping ground, the Regal Hotel which is far from Regal. This occasion we visited the large market in Chennai where people were keen to get there photo taken throughout the market by Alex. We missed Pondicherry last time we were on the east coast so we decided to make the 10 hour round trip before we flew out of Chennai on our return.
Pondy, as it's often called by the locals, was a bizarre place. Being an old French colony, the French have definitely left their mark. Half of the town's roads are still named in French while the other half are Indian. There is a definite feel of being in a small french town with cute houses along tree-lined streets with locals cycling round past restaurants serving common french dishes and the masses of french holiday-makers. We did resist the steak as we thought it would only disappoint compared to the UK. We can't wait for the massive choice of food we get home, it's often taken for granted!
On the last night we skipped dinner and opted for a liquid dinner and a bowl of cornflakes. Jo got the uncontrollable giggles after just one large beer so we decided to continue and make the most of our rare night of beers.
That wraps up our stay on the mainland as we fly to Port Blair on the Andaman Islands tomorrow morning for a month. We can't wait for some more time on the beaches which are going to be breathtaking and such a relaxing way to finish the trip.
Can't believe we have only 4 more weeks before our return to sunny England. Looking forward to seeing everyone but it's tough knowing the adventure is nearly over!
Love
Alex & Jo xx
Thursday 27 January 2011
Monday 24 January 2011
Xmas in the sun
We arrived in Chennai with a few days to spare to suss out the area so we knew where to take Reg (Jo's Dad). Out of all the big cities, Chennai was a city that made the least impression on us. There was not much of cultural significance, hence the top attraction was the second longest beach in the world.
After a loud banging on the door xmas day morning, Alex got up to answer with the thought of telling the over-friendly staff to bugger off and leave us in peace. Instead Reg bursts through the door unexpectedly, after 6 months apart, he gives Jo a big hug and kiss. It was really good to see him, he was buzzing that his adventure was about to start. We took him for a typical South Indian lunch at a veg place a few doors down and ordered a selection for us to tuck into. A tuk-tuk to the beach and he was like a lost kid wandering away from their parents looking at all things new. His first sign of abject poverty not long after was walking past a community that were living in houses that had been battered by the Asian Tsunami years back and the conditions were pretty squalid.
That evening was an all out fish fest at a restaurant called Fisherman's Fare. Crab, Tandoori Pomfret, Squid Curry and Jumbo Prawns were on the menu and not a morsel was left on the plate. This was topped off with a few draught beers at a bar to finish a very enjoyable but different xmas day. The one thing Reg couldn't get over was when we took him to a new mall that recently opened up that had everything from M & S to Dior with their fellow countrymen begging on the side of the road just outside.
There was plenty of banter flying around the days we spent with Reg, as you can imagine for those who know him! We parted ways on the 27th morning with Jo acting like a mothering wife checking he's got everything and bringing him water and cake for his journey. The guy running the tour must have thought she was nuts. The train to Mangalore was a horrible start to our cross country journey of 17 hours with a further 4 hours onto Gokarna an hour after arriving.
Once we got to Om beach in Gokarna, we could tell we were going to be happy here. Alex came on his travels 5 years ago for NYE and was unsure if our visit this time would spoil the memories after hearing it's becoming more commercial. We managed to find basic huts at the last place on the beach ran by a drunk guy that told us his name was Mr Nice and his nationality was international?? After not really drinking ourselves for most of the trip, we decided to go mad and have 5 big bottles of beer each. We sat on the beach from sunset, ending up pissed and stumbling back to our hut with no torch.
Luckily we booked a fancy room for NYE on the next beach over called Kudle so we had a lot more luxury to compliment our Havana 7 rum and billtong. Jo liked the idea of spending NYE on a beach called cuddle!! We started on the rum in the afternoon and slowly drank all day until we ran out at our beautiful dinner of tiger prawns and king fish, then we started on the beers!! We spent midnight on the beach watching fireworks and people setting off chinese laterns.
We reluctantly moved out of our expensive treat and went back to basics and stayed on Kudle for the next 6 nights. There were a few visits to Gokarna town itself and an 45 minute walk through paths and over rocks to reach Paradise and Half Moon beaches which completed the set of 4 beaches in close proximity. 10 days around Gokarna sunbathing, swimming, playing frisbee and going for walks was just what we needed after we were starting to get worn out from moving around so much. Jo did get a frisbee injury that took her out of action for a few days with a callous on the finger.
In Pondicherry at present after getting back across country from our few weeks in Kerala. Heading back to Chennai in the next few days where we fly to the Andaman Islands, I just hope we don't get lost and not find our way back home for a while!!
Alex & Jo xx
After a loud banging on the door xmas day morning, Alex got up to answer with the thought of telling the over-friendly staff to bugger off and leave us in peace. Instead Reg bursts through the door unexpectedly, after 6 months apart, he gives Jo a big hug and kiss. It was really good to see him, he was buzzing that his adventure was about to start. We took him for a typical South Indian lunch at a veg place a few doors down and ordered a selection for us to tuck into. A tuk-tuk to the beach and he was like a lost kid wandering away from their parents looking at all things new. His first sign of abject poverty not long after was walking past a community that were living in houses that had been battered by the Asian Tsunami years back and the conditions were pretty squalid.
That evening was an all out fish fest at a restaurant called Fisherman's Fare. Crab, Tandoori Pomfret, Squid Curry and Jumbo Prawns were on the menu and not a morsel was left on the plate. This was topped off with a few draught beers at a bar to finish a very enjoyable but different xmas day. The one thing Reg couldn't get over was when we took him to a new mall that recently opened up that had everything from M & S to Dior with their fellow countrymen begging on the side of the road just outside.
There was plenty of banter flying around the days we spent with Reg, as you can imagine for those who know him! We parted ways on the 27th morning with Jo acting like a mothering wife checking he's got everything and bringing him water and cake for his journey. The guy running the tour must have thought she was nuts. The train to Mangalore was a horrible start to our cross country journey of 17 hours with a further 4 hours onto Gokarna an hour after arriving.
Once we got to Om beach in Gokarna, we could tell we were going to be happy here. Alex came on his travels 5 years ago for NYE and was unsure if our visit this time would spoil the memories after hearing it's becoming more commercial. We managed to find basic huts at the last place on the beach ran by a drunk guy that told us his name was Mr Nice and his nationality was international?? After not really drinking ourselves for most of the trip, we decided to go mad and have 5 big bottles of beer each. We sat on the beach from sunset, ending up pissed and stumbling back to our hut with no torch.
Luckily we booked a fancy room for NYE on the next beach over called Kudle so we had a lot more luxury to compliment our Havana 7 rum and billtong. Jo liked the idea of spending NYE on a beach called cuddle!! We started on the rum in the afternoon and slowly drank all day until we ran out at our beautiful dinner of tiger prawns and king fish, then we started on the beers!! We spent midnight on the beach watching fireworks and people setting off chinese laterns.
We reluctantly moved out of our expensive treat and went back to basics and stayed on Kudle for the next 6 nights. There were a few visits to Gokarna town itself and an 45 minute walk through paths and over rocks to reach Paradise and Half Moon beaches which completed the set of 4 beaches in close proximity. 10 days around Gokarna sunbathing, swimming, playing frisbee and going for walks was just what we needed after we were starting to get worn out from moving around so much. Jo did get a frisbee injury that took her out of action for a few days with a callous on the finger.
In Pondicherry at present after getting back across country from our few weeks in Kerala. Heading back to Chennai in the next few days where we fly to the Andaman Islands, I just hope we don't get lost and not find our way back home for a while!!
Alex & Jo xx
Tuesday 4 January 2011
The long awaited beach
Seeing the Sikkim trek was not enough punishment for the legs, we planned a milder one to a village called Nongriat where the living root bridges are situated. The locals have devised a way of growing the roots of trees to grow across rivers and brooks out of the ground one side and then back into the ground on the other. They are over a few hundred years old and it usually takes 15 years to complete one.
Nongriat village was almost untouched by tourism, there is one very basic guesthouse with 4 rooms but no electricity and running water. We would be the only tourists staying in the village for the next two nights!! We were greeted by a friendly man called Andreas in the first house you came to in the village and this would be the only time he was sober. The lady who ran the guesthouse was located after 20 minutes, in this time we took tea and stocked up on snacks and some of his rice beer for later that evening. The amazing thing about the guesthouse was the person who ran the place changed every year with the proceeds being split with them and the village.
Mary, whose turn it was to look after us was incredible, she spent most of her time cooking. Due to no electricity, she usually prepared 3 dishes with rice for lunch and dinner on a wood fire which we were amazed by as the food was so tasty. She educated us in Khasi cuisine and even the ingredients that she picked from the surroundings that grew naturally. We spent the days walking to the different root bridges and having a dip in the natural rock pools, it felt like we had the place to ourselves and we had found our gem of the trip so far.
Finding such an amazing place meant we decided to stay as long as possible and do all travel as late as possible, this turned out to be a tough journey. We had a 2 hr bus back to Shillong, a 3 1/2 hour jeep to Guwahati and then a 21 hour train back to Kolkata in the same day. The bad news for the train was we only had one bed due to India's stupid booking system so we took turns on the dirty floor! We definitely deserved our rest day and the next night went for 'date night' back at Ballygunge. We splurged on 3 prawn dishes, one being jumbo prawns and stuffed crab, then 3 desserts to finish!!
We won't talk much about our Sunderbans tour as it makes Jo too angry. This was our xmas present to each other to go see a tiger. Unfortunately, we got ripped off and didn't see a bloody tiger. You win some, you lose some. Jo's friend, Srabany and her parents took us out for a really nice meal once we returned to Kolkata. It was really good to see her but it's weird meeting all these people from home out in India. Jo's Dad next!
Sunshine and the beach was on our doorstep as we landed in Puri. The beach itself isn't anything to brag about due to the dirtiness but it's our first sighting, enough to get excited about. After tough times recently, we stumbled on the best hotel for the money yet. It had a cute garden, table and chairs on the veranda for breakfast, a four poster bed with fresh sheets and the softest pillow. Being friendly with the staff also paid off as they managed to get us 6 crabs for 200 rupees (£3), the second night for dinner which were divine.
Another excursion on a moped to Konark was squeezed in with a few pits stops along the coast for a sunbathe. We missed the sun temple Konark is famous for because of the 25 times mark up from locals to foreigner so we opted for a walk around the grounds. Seen enough temples to last a lifetime!
Vishkhapatnam was more of a stopping off place to break up the train to chennai for xmas. Unfortunately we arrived in at 4 in the morning and were struggling with information for a cheap hotel, even a map for the town. In the end, we found there was a hotel on part of the upper floor of the railway station building. The problem was, check out was 24 hrs so bizarrely we stayed there for the 2 nights. It felt really weird going back to a railway station to spend the night. Vizag as they call it, was pretty non-descript but had a few patches of decent beach to relax on, warming up for our NYE on a secluded west coast beach with some Havana 7 rum!!
Love Alex & Jo xx
Nongriat village was almost untouched by tourism, there is one very basic guesthouse with 4 rooms but no electricity and running water. We would be the only tourists staying in the village for the next two nights!! We were greeted by a friendly man called Andreas in the first house you came to in the village and this would be the only time he was sober. The lady who ran the guesthouse was located after 20 minutes, in this time we took tea and stocked up on snacks and some of his rice beer for later that evening. The amazing thing about the guesthouse was the person who ran the place changed every year with the proceeds being split with them and the village.
Mary, whose turn it was to look after us was incredible, she spent most of her time cooking. Due to no electricity, she usually prepared 3 dishes with rice for lunch and dinner on a wood fire which we were amazed by as the food was so tasty. She educated us in Khasi cuisine and even the ingredients that she picked from the surroundings that grew naturally. We spent the days walking to the different root bridges and having a dip in the natural rock pools, it felt like we had the place to ourselves and we had found our gem of the trip so far.
Finding such an amazing place meant we decided to stay as long as possible and do all travel as late as possible, this turned out to be a tough journey. We had a 2 hr bus back to Shillong, a 3 1/2 hour jeep to Guwahati and then a 21 hour train back to Kolkata in the same day. The bad news for the train was we only had one bed due to India's stupid booking system so we took turns on the dirty floor! We definitely deserved our rest day and the next night went for 'date night' back at Ballygunge. We splurged on 3 prawn dishes, one being jumbo prawns and stuffed crab, then 3 desserts to finish!!
We won't talk much about our Sunderbans tour as it makes Jo too angry. This was our xmas present to each other to go see a tiger. Unfortunately, we got ripped off and didn't see a bloody tiger. You win some, you lose some. Jo's friend, Srabany and her parents took us out for a really nice meal once we returned to Kolkata. It was really good to see her but it's weird meeting all these people from home out in India. Jo's Dad next!
Sunshine and the beach was on our doorstep as we landed in Puri. The beach itself isn't anything to brag about due to the dirtiness but it's our first sighting, enough to get excited about. After tough times recently, we stumbled on the best hotel for the money yet. It had a cute garden, table and chairs on the veranda for breakfast, a four poster bed with fresh sheets and the softest pillow. Being friendly with the staff also paid off as they managed to get us 6 crabs for 200 rupees (£3), the second night for dinner which were divine.
Another excursion on a moped to Konark was squeezed in with a few pits stops along the coast for a sunbathe. We missed the sun temple Konark is famous for because of the 25 times mark up from locals to foreigner so we opted for a walk around the grounds. Seen enough temples to last a lifetime!
Vishkhapatnam was more of a stopping off place to break up the train to chennai for xmas. Unfortunately we arrived in at 4 in the morning and were struggling with information for a cheap hotel, even a map for the town. In the end, we found there was a hotel on part of the upper floor of the railway station building. The problem was, check out was 24 hrs so bizarrely we stayed there for the 2 nights. It felt really weird going back to a railway station to spend the night. Vizag as they call it, was pretty non-descript but had a few patches of decent beach to relax on, warming up for our NYE on a secluded west coast beach with some Havana 7 rum!!
Love Alex & Jo xx
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