that Alleppey is sometimes described as "The Venice of the East". Life revolves around the water here - children often learn to swim before they can walk, and they row boats before they ride a bike!
We left the bustle of Kochi behind, embarking on our overnight houseboat cruise on the tranquil Keralan backwaters of Alleppey. We split into two groups to board our traditional 'Kettuvallom' boats for plying the scenic rivers and for our night's accommodation. At my suggestion, we were gratefully placed on the "relaxed" (boring) boat rather than the "party" boat. The boat surprisingly offered the most comfortable bed of the trip and was nicely appointed. We were served meals and snacks while we spent time reading, listening to music, and simply watching the scenery go by. Alleppey is the gateway to the Keralan backwaters; the network of waterways here extends over hundreds of kilometres, so it's no surprise
that Alleppey is sometimes described as "The Venice of the East". Life revolves around the water here - children often learn to swim before they can walk, and they row boats before they ride a bike!
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Kochi, in Kerala state, is a town split between the mainland and a group of islands just off the coast. For this reason, a boat-trip is required to tour the main sights, which include the oldest church in India and Vasco de Gama's final resting place. Both St. Francis Church and the cathedral are on Fort Cochin. Opposite Fort Cochin you can watch fishermen working their cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, a typical feature of this region. . Interestingly, the town is also home to a dwindling Jewish community that has roots going back as far as 1000 CE, and the Pardesi Synagogue was built in the 16th Century.
We continued our journey with a full day drive to the coastal city of Kochi. We saw a bizarre Katakhali acting performance and checked into a really hot room (with no AC) that reeks of urine.
We hiked up to the remote Edakkal Caves, which lie 1,200 m (3,900 ft) above sea level near an ancient trade route connecting the high mountains of Mysore to the ports of the Malabar coast. Inside the caves are pictorial writings believed to date to at least 6,000 BCE, from the Neolithic man, indicating the presence of a prehistoric civilization or settlement in this region. The Stone Age carvings of Edakkal are rare and are the only known examples from south India. Edakkal "Caves" are technically not caves at all, but rather a cleft or rift. On one side of the cleft is a rock weighing several tons that covers the cleft to form the 'roof' of the "cave". The carvings are of human and animal figures, tools used by humans, and symbols yet to be deciphered.
The petroglyphs are of at least three types, with the oldest dating back to over 8,000 years. Evidences suggest that the Edakkal caves were inhabited several times at different points in history. Mysore is one of India's most attractive towns. Historically the town was the capital of the mighty Maharaja kingdom of Mysore, ruled by the same family from 1399 until 1947. There was a brief period where the throne was usurped by one of the most colourful of Indian rulers, Hyder Ali, and then by his famous son Tipu Sultan. Today the city is the state capital and one of the centres of the silk trade. It's well laid out with wide streets and many gardens, making it a pleasant place to wander around. It is also one of the major incense manufacturers in India - some call it the "Sandalwood City" due to the enveloping aromas of sandalwood, jasmine, rose and musk. Parklane Hotel is both nice and located close to Mysore's Ambas Vilas. We had literally spent our last Indian rupee and had held out for Mysore having been promised better exchange rates at their money exchanges. We found one the other night, but it was after hours, so we returned today, only to find them closed for Republic Day. We soon discovered several more exchange offices - all closed. I began to ask at some of the larger fabric and clothing shops since I knew that they often accept payment in foreign currencies - no luck. Finally I tried to explain my desperation to a shop owner who thought perhaps we could work out a deal for whatever it was I needed money to buy. When I told him that I needed money just to eat, his attitude quickly changed and he suddenly had sympathy for us. He said that he would share his "contact" with us. He gave us directions to the Hong Kong Bazaar, instructing us to ask for "Moonya" when we got there - apparently everyone there knows Moonya. As we approached the bazaar, locals seemed to be expecting us and already knew we needed to exchange money. They told us their rates and we were surprised that they were decent. We asked for Moonya and were quickly introduced. He, too, was expecting us and gave us an even better exchange rate. We were back in business - it's good to have "contacts".
Today was another very long day from Hampi to Mysore. We made it in time to enjoy a wonderful buffet dinner at a revolving rooftop restaurant (that included ice-cream!) and to see Ambas Vilas Palace lit up.
The city of Hampi bears exceptional testimony to the vanished civilization of the kingdom of Vijayanagar, which reached its apogee under the reign of Krishna Deva Raya between 1509 and 1530. The grand site of Hampi was the last capital of the last great Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar. Its fabulously rich princes built Dravidian temples and palaces which won the admiration of travellers between the 14th and 16th centuries. Conquered by the Deccan Muslim confederacy in 1565, the city was pillaged over a period of six months before being abandoned. International flavor from left to right: Mongolian, Mayan, Peruvian, & a court jester, too On a side note... People have been questioning our assessment of unacceptable hotel room qualities and noting that those photographed look really nice. I'd like to make a few points. First, I am usually compelled to photograph beauty, not filth, so of course the hotel photos look nice. Second, looking nice doesn't mean something is nice. Rooms can smell and have mosquitoes without it showing in a photograph. Also, rock hard beds look very similar in photographs to comfortable ones. Finally, what we consider unacceptable is anything that could harm our health. That doesn't seem too picky to us. At any rate, here's a photo of the mirror and the corner of the mould-infested, mosquito-riddled room we had in Hampi.
We left the beaches of Goa behind us, as we set off on a full day drive into the state of Karnataka and to the village of Hampi, located within the
ruins of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the ancient Vijayanagara Empire. Just when you start to think that life really is a beach... Returning to our beach hut after a nice day, I finally got around to connecting to wifi to check my e-mails. I learned that my grandmother had passed away on the 20th, two days before. This was not completely unexpected news, nor had she been in good health, yet news like this seems to come as a surprise, and it always hurts. One of the members of our tour group happened upon me just then and asked if I'd like a cold beer... perfect timing. I gladly accepted his offer and then went down to the beach to watch the sun set as I quietly said my goodbyes and toasted my beloved grandma, knowing she was now dancing once again with Grandpa.
Old Goa, a Portuguese colonial area Old Goa is a historical city in North Goa, constructed by the Bijapur Sultanate in the 15th century, it served as the capital of Portuguese India from the 16th century until its abandonment in the 18th century due to plague. The remains of the city are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The population was roughly 200,000 by 1543. Malaria and cholera epidemics ravaged the city in the 17th century and it was largely abandoned, having a remaining population of just 1,500 by 1775. It was then that the viceroy moved to Panjim. Old Goa continued to be the de jure capital of Goa until 1843, when the capital was then shifted to Panjim. The abandoned city came to be known as "Velha Goa" (in Portuguese, 'Old Goa'), to distinguish it from the new capital Nova Goa (Panjim). Velha Goa was incorporated into the Republic of India in 1961, together with the rest of Goa. Old Goa contains various churches, including the Se Cathedral (the seat of the Archbishop of Goa), the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, the Church of St. Caetano, and notably, the Basilica of Bom Jesus which supposedly contains the relics of St. Francis Xavier. We visited St. Augustine's Tower & complex, then the Gandhi Statue. Our entire group celebrated my birthday at Dondrino's Restaurant right on the beach. Lisa and I were given flashing light up bows to wear and I received a beer and a real espresso. We all shared chocolate cake.
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