Day 15 - Alleppey to Kovalam
An early start this morning - alarm at 5.30am, bags out at 6.30am, on coach 7.30am. I couldn't face breakfast at that time in the morning but the nice waiter packed up some danish pastries and banana bread for me.
Camp Jesus #3 was spotted on the way to Alleppey - a beautiful white statue with a painted face featuring a huge, black, Village People style moustache! All the guys here have heavy moustaches - it seems to be a mark of virility but to our eyes makes them look like refugees from the '70s, especially when teamed with the ubiquitous big shades, gold chains and flared trousers.
We arrived in Alleppey around 10am and transferred to our boat for a backwater cruise. The scenery was beautiful and reminded me very much of a cruise on the Nile - women washing clothes and pots, kingfishers, music drifting from temples. The only thing that would have improved it was a spot of tea and tiffin, although bananas were provided!
The cruise lasted a couple of hours and we then disembarked for a short walk back to the bus. Michael decided to stop for a 'bush stop' we he thought we couldn't see him but in fact he was in full view of everyone and we have photos to prove it!
An hour on the bus brought us to Kollam, cashew capital of India, where we stopped at a hotel for lunch. We were given an uninspiring choice of a cheese toastie or chicken toastie. I opted for cheese and wasn't impressed. They need to find a better place for the groups to stop. However Ed was deeply taken with the waiters' uniforms, which consisted of black satin shirts with gold satin cummerbunds. He didn't stop talking about them for the rest of the day!
Back on the bus we drove for what seemed like an eternity to get to our beach hotel at Chowara, south of Kovalam. I fell asleep for part of the drive but was aware of passing lots of churches and, oddly, a number of Eastern-European style Communist monuments. I found out later that Kerala is the only state in the world to have democratically elected a Communist government.
Eventually we arrived at the Travancore Heritage Hotel, said goodbye to our Keralan guide Biju, and were welcomed with tender coconuts to drink.
I liked this hotel but I think anyone who was looking forward to a 'beach hotel' would have been very disappointed. It was a long walk down to the sea (through the gardens, down in a lift, through some more gardens, across a cricket field and onto the beach) which in any case was too dangerous to swim in due to big breakers and a very strong rip. I'm not too bothered about lying around on a beach and was just happy to have a view of the sea from my bungalow, but to be honest I'm not sure why we had to drive quite so far to get to a hotel that wasn't actually on the beach. I also feel it was a little dishonest of the tour operator to advertise a 'beach extension' at a place where the sea is so dangerous.
The accommodation here is bungalows scattered throughout gardens sloping down to a clifftop overlooking the beach. The rooms are in Keralan style - dark wood with small windows, and open-air bathrooms which some people didn't like. I, however, found it charming. The restaurant is also open to the air, and there are two swimming pools, one up by reception and another down in the lower garden.
Outside the hotel is a small parade of shops including a few tailors. I went to see one who turned out also to be named Biju, and asked him to make a black satin shirt and gold cummerbund as a surprise for Ed :)
Dinner was kingfish and watermelon curry. The curries are much milder here and are very fragrant and coconutty. I was in heaven. Fresh fruit and moong dhal for dessert, washed down with a couple of Orange Blossoms (gin, orange juice and grenadine).
I went to sleep to the sound of the surf crashing onto the beach.
Camp Jesus #3 was spotted on the way to Alleppey - a beautiful white statue with a painted face featuring a huge, black, Village People style moustache! All the guys here have heavy moustaches - it seems to be a mark of virility but to our eyes makes them look like refugees from the '70s, especially when teamed with the ubiquitous big shades, gold chains and flared trousers.
We arrived in Alleppey around 10am and transferred to our boat for a backwater cruise. The scenery was beautiful and reminded me very much of a cruise on the Nile - women washing clothes and pots, kingfishers, music drifting from temples. The only thing that would have improved it was a spot of tea and tiffin, although bananas were provided!
The cruise lasted a couple of hours and we then disembarked for a short walk back to the bus. Michael decided to stop for a 'bush stop' we he thought we couldn't see him but in fact he was in full view of everyone and we have photos to prove it!
An hour on the bus brought us to Kollam, cashew capital of India, where we stopped at a hotel for lunch. We were given an uninspiring choice of a cheese toastie or chicken toastie. I opted for cheese and wasn't impressed. They need to find a better place for the groups to stop. However Ed was deeply taken with the waiters' uniforms, which consisted of black satin shirts with gold satin cummerbunds. He didn't stop talking about them for the rest of the day!
Back on the bus we drove for what seemed like an eternity to get to our beach hotel at Chowara, south of Kovalam. I fell asleep for part of the drive but was aware of passing lots of churches and, oddly, a number of Eastern-European style Communist monuments. I found out later that Kerala is the only state in the world to have democratically elected a Communist government.
Eventually we arrived at the Travancore Heritage Hotel, said goodbye to our Keralan guide Biju, and were welcomed with tender coconuts to drink.
I liked this hotel but I think anyone who was looking forward to a 'beach hotel' would have been very disappointed. It was a long walk down to the sea (through the gardens, down in a lift, through some more gardens, across a cricket field and onto the beach) which in any case was too dangerous to swim in due to big breakers and a very strong rip. I'm not too bothered about lying around on a beach and was just happy to have a view of the sea from my bungalow, but to be honest I'm not sure why we had to drive quite so far to get to a hotel that wasn't actually on the beach. I also feel it was a little dishonest of the tour operator to advertise a 'beach extension' at a place where the sea is so dangerous.
The accommodation here is bungalows scattered throughout gardens sloping down to a clifftop overlooking the beach. The rooms are in Keralan style - dark wood with small windows, and open-air bathrooms which some people didn't like. I, however, found it charming. The restaurant is also open to the air, and there are two swimming pools, one up by reception and another down in the lower garden.
Outside the hotel is a small parade of shops including a few tailors. I went to see one who turned out also to be named Biju, and asked him to make a black satin shirt and gold cummerbund as a surprise for Ed :)
Dinner was kingfish and watermelon curry. The curries are much milder here and are very fragrant and coconutty. I was in heaven. Fresh fruit and moong dhal for dessert, washed down with a couple of Orange Blossoms (gin, orange juice and grenadine).
I went to sleep to the sound of the surf crashing onto the beach.