Cochin

After a death defying nine hour bus journey (the bus crashed twice) we arrived to this tranquil scene in Cochin. Had a stroll along the shore watching the fishermen bring in their catch. You can buy the fish & have it cooked for you then & there at a local restaurant it you like. In the evening we go to see a Kathakali performance.

Wildlife

This beautiful butterfly was in a field next to our guesthouse in Tholpetty, Kerala & the caterpillar was huge, about as big as my hand (Kerry's, not Paul's) & was sitting on the veranda.

Village Life

While the village children played today (Kerala has the highest literacy & lowest child labour rates in India) the adults were busy working. Some women were covering the sides of their huts with a mixture of cow dung, mud & water to keep it cool & keep out the rain. The man in the first photo is building a watchtower out of bamboo in the middle of the rice paddy. Every night elephants come into the fields and destroy the crops so someone has to keep a constant watch. The women in the second photo are harvesting ginger & I guess the chicken is just strutting around the place looking beautiful.

Visit to a Keralan tribal village

These kids have the day off school as there's a general strike today in the communist state of Kerala over the state of the local railways so their schoolroom was empty & they had great fun posing for pictures with us instead.

Elephants

Okay, they're pretty far away & hidden by bushes but there were five elephants there including one baby. You might just spot one if you look closely.

Safari time

That's a snake in the second picture & wild dogs in the third. All spotted in Wayanad wildlife sanctuary.

Mysore

Arrived in Mysore bolstered by the 14 course thali lunch in the Mavalli Tiffin Rooms in Bangalore (80 rupees). This was the best value meal yet & so I was quite upbeat, especially when the cheaper, non AC room was available.

We looked around the palace, a silk factory and a sandalwood factory & the Devaraja fruit market where Kerry's overwhelming desire for nice fragrances led us to exotic oils. Here she is with jasmine in her hair.