3 Weeks Across Incredible India

Day 6 - 14. January 2009

For the next 3 days Saijo arranged me a driver to take me around to Kerala hinterland. When you rent a car in India in normal way you rent a car with own driver. And I would never like to drive myself in India.

I was happy to feel healthier when we started our trip with destination Munnar. In early afternoon we arrived in Munnar and after looking for a hotel my driver took me to Eravikulam National Park.

Afterwards we went to the Tea Museum KDHP Co. (P) Limited in Munnar, a museum with much information about tea cultivation and tea history.
Later we visited Floriculture Stellite Centre, a flower garden.

In the evening I tried Ayurvedic Massage. This was very relaxing and I felt very well afterwards.

Day 7 - 15. January 2009

Our destination was Thekkady. The road from Munnar to Thekkady was very scenic.

First we went through many tea plantations into the mountains. On the way we made a foto stop at a tea plantation.

The road went on through mountains and forests. In the middle of a forest we stopped to visit a spice garden. A guide showed me different spices.

Afterwards we arrived in Thekkady and had a lunch in a homestay where I also spent the night.

In the afternoon I went for elephant riding.

Later we wanted to go on the tiger safari at Periyar Tiger Reserve but the boats for today were sold out. So we visited the small attached museum where a staff member told me all statistics about the park in exact numbers.

The evening I went to a Kathakali dance show and later to a kalaripayattu show which is martial art in Kerala, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalaripayattu and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathakali.

The night I had supper and a very good sleep in the nice homestay.

Day 8 - 16. January 2009

In the morning we went to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary for a boat trip. My driver organized a ticket for me, however he did it.
I made a boat tour on the lake and normally you should see tigers and/or wild elephants living there. But this day there were no tigers and wild elephants to see. But this is nature.

Afterwards we did the car trip back to Cochin with a lunch stop on the way.
In late afternoon I came back and visited Lijo. In the evening we made a scooter trip into Cochin City Center during the all evening 30 minute power cut.

Afterwards we had supper and a Kingfisher Beer at his nice parents.

In late evening he took me on his scooter to Ernakulam Train Station where I catched the Rajdhani Express to Madgaon in Goa.