I have a love affair with India, I can't help it. I find it fascinating, colorful, intriguing and full of adventure. I think the state of Kerala has the best slogan "God's Own Country". I completely agree with this title. I just got back from five days in South India with Mateo's parents and travel pal Jonna. I read Arudanthi Roy's "God of Small Things" before the trip so I loved having the book come to life. Something to note about Kerala is it has the lowest levels of poverty in India and the highest literacy rate of the country. Top two things I loved about exploring this region is the FOOD (lots of spices, fish curry, red rice) and the warmth of the people. Everyone wanted their picture taken it was really neat! I had no idea how much Christian influence there is in Kerala, nearly every corner had one of these mini Roman Catholic chapels:
Right beside Hindu temples...
These kids at a local school in Munnar are so darling...
Some students studying to become school teachers in Cochin were on a day trip....
The famous Chinese fishing nets of the Malabar Coast....
We had to give the fishing nets a go....fun for one time but hard if it's your living.
One of my favorite Portuguese churches b/c Vasco de Gama was buried here (his remains were later returned to Portugal).
I love markets in India.
We stumbled across a COW market, that's the first time for me. It was a lively scene of bartering, money exchanging, and cows being pushed and pulled onto trucks.
Kerala is where Ayurdevic medicine and massage began...so of course we had to give it a go! I absolutely loved the oil massage on wood bed. This bowl is filled with oil and it slowly drips on your forehead and then is massaged into your hair and body. Absolutely rejuvenating!
We watched a Kathakali show, originally these plays/shows were done on temple grounds starting at night and going into the morning. Today, they are shortened for tourists, but the talent and skill of the performers is still impressive.
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