We were scheduled to leave Madurai bound for Periyar at about 10:30am – plenty of time to get in some more exploration of Madurai.
I'll digress to make the very important observation that the hotel chosen by Insight may not be the flashest places going (let's face it, they're just not) but they are all clean enough and comfortable enough with the all facilities that people who are here to discover new countries, cities and cultures would want. Chief amongst them is location. They're all right in the heart of the cities we want to explore. Step out the front door and you're immediately right into the life and the buzz and the excitement of the people who live there.
Today started with a cycle rickshaw ride through street and lanes, visiting a couple of produce markets along the way. The chaps who pilot these ancient machines are wiry and strong and handle the worst road surface and traffic conditions with aplomb. Hard graft, to be sure. The people we trundled past or sped past us, were all happy and smiling while they went about there daily activities. One chap who was worshiping his god in a little hole on the edge of the lane way even took a break from his ritual to offer a smile and a wave. The children, resplendent in their immaculate school uniforms, were always happy to return a wave with a smile. An hour later when our tour was over we still had time to find an ATM (I was looking for one nearby the hotel during the tour) and enjoy a couple of delicious, spicy samosas and coffee with Chris and Alan at a little shop front we just stumbled upon not far from the hotel. The experience was beautifully summed up by Alan as we stood there amongst the locals, doing the local thing – "This is living!"
On to our thrid bus for the trip. This one bigger and more comfortable than the last one, which was short one row of seats. We're now heading west back towards the Western Ghats and the area of the Periyar National Park. Along the way we stopped at a little wanna be McDonalds/KFC/General store/cake shop for a quick, light lunch. We had an Egg Puff (puff pastry with a hard-boiled egg inside) and a Drumstick-like ice cream (which very smooth and creamy). Back on the bus for I'm not sure how long as we both nodded off for a while. Trudy woke me just as we arrived at a little spice plantation/farm near Kumily. We took a tour with the owner who described all the various spices that they grew there and in the region. I had no idea where the raw materials for all those name I'd always known actually came from. Now I do. After the tour it was straight to the "gift shop" for some purchases to be made. I think just about everyone bought something.
A short drive and we were at the village of Thekkady and our accommodation for the next two nights. This village is the polar opposite of Madurai – quiet and peaceful, set in a rain-forest environment. Kerry and I wandered the street, found a coffee and sat in the peace enjoying the cool, descending evening.
Later that evening we boarded tuk-tuks and zipped off to the home of a local family for a home-cooked Keralan feast. The meal was delicious, with a plethora of Indian dishes being served to us. Out hosts and their two lovely children waited on us and made sure or plates were always full. After the meal was finished I spied a photo album on the sideboard next to me. It was of the First Holy Communion of the young lass, who was in grade six and has just turned twelve. Kerry and I leafed through the album with the young girl proudly talking about the highlights of her special day and pointing out all the important people in her world. Next out came her older brother's album and then the parent's wedding album. It was really special to give back to them our genuine interest inn their lives. I reckon they really appreciated that. The young man is almost 18 and in Year 11 at school. When he's finished school he'll be going to Hamburg for four years to study nursing with some sort of German government sponsored scholarship, for which he's required to give back three years working in the German health care system once he's completed his studies. A huge commitment to make but he's clearly lucky to have the opportunity. Even on just our brief visit I could tell that he'll be successful in his endeavors. We finished of the evening with a group photo with the family (after I'd remembered how to work the timer on our camera) and then headed back to our hotel after a very long and enjoyable day.
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