India Trip - April 2023

 Starting to loose track of time, but we had 2 nights at Niks parents place in Kannur. They sre very hospitable people !  Kannur was even hotter than further south. I was melting !!  Despite that, we did manage a shopping trip and quick a look at  Payyambalam Beach , where Nik used to live, and saw his old house, although it was getting late and a bit dark. There are many Moslims around here, and there were a number of festivities with fireworks celebrating the end of Ramadan. The morning we left (25th) we were all up bright and early at 5am to get to the Kannur airport to fly back to Kochi. The airport is a good one hours drive away. Niks Mum and Dad and the 2 youngest boys came too, to wave us off. The flight went smoothly and an hour later we were back in Kochi. At Kannur Airport We hired an Uber to transport us and ALL the luggage to the Cochin Rennai, where we are staying. The 4 star hotel in Ernakulum, Kochi, was reasonably priced and very good The lobby After ...

 Our first night in Kannur was stiflingly hot. It was really hard to get a good nights sleep ! The next morning we were ALL ( ie us, KJ, Nik & the girls, Niks parents, Nithya and her 3 boys) up early for a family trip to the Guruvayer. Temple. An important place for Hindus in this area.   Guruvayur temple (outside, image from Google) It was important to Niks Mum that she could take the girls to be weighed at this temple in an ancient ritual called  Tulabhara ,  They were each weighed with butter, and the equivalent amount is donated to the temple. Non Hindus are not allowed into the temple, so it was just Nik, his Mum, Hollie and Asha there, while Dave, KJ & I perused the many stalls surrounding the temple area. Definitely no photos allowed ! This was an important time and there were 1000's of people there, all dressed up in their beautiful clothes. The queues were loooooonnng. And the temperature was in the mid 30s. A hotel garden across road from out h...

 Today we left Kollam to drive to Alleppy for our overnight houseboat cruise. There were the usual sights to see on the road along the way Cafe made from containers 5 on the scooter. Mum has another child on her knee Only 4 on this one Situation normal At the moment there is a new motorway being built from Kollam to Bombay. Where there is a building in the way, the building is cut back the the new roadline, leaving some interesting sights. The government has compensated the owners. Some places have been rebuilt. There are others with only the rear wall left standing. Arrived at Alleppy where the Spice Routes Base is. A lovely old wooden building that used to be a rice store, but totally restored. There are rice fields all around the area, and the houseboats cruise along the major inland waterways. The houseboat cruises are the major tourist attraction in the area. Spice Routes jetty  Our boat (Saffron) was a beauty. 2 storied, with 3 crew. A luxurious lounge when you first get...