WISDOM: "One half of the world does not know how the other half lives."
Proverb, early 17th century
SOUL TRAVEL: TRAVELING KERALA, LAND OF THE COCONUT
According to National Geographic, Kerala (accent on the first syllable) is one of the top fifty destinations in the world. It does not disappoint. Kerala, a state in India, is a narrow strip of land bordering the Indian Ocean, redolent with luxurious plantations of cococut, tapioca, tea, cashews, spices, coffee and rubber. It has the highest standard of living in India and a very high literacy rate. Lovely homes dot the roadsides-homes, I was told, where probably at least one resident is working in Saudi Arabia. Workers from the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu come to Kerala during the harvest seasons to take advantage of the higher wages and do the work few Keralans will do. Although many religions live comfortably side by side in Kerala, Christianity seems to be predominant, and it has the only cotton-candy pink Catholic church in the world, or so I would wager. Kerala is particularly famous for its inland system of waterways, and plying them in unique houseboats made of teak with wicker cabins is one of the main tourist attractions.
Example of my digs!
I arrived at the lovely Travancore Heritage Resort on the ocean to begin my journey in Kerala. Once a palace, the open air reception area and restaurant had beautiful wooden floors and carved wooden ceilings dating from the 1800's. Here I met my new guide, Manoj, a lovely, gracious young man who spoke perfect English, was also a photographer, and whose ability to blend and bend with the flow of the trip and his "charge" was impeccable.
Travancore is the name of the area's dynasty that dates back to 820A.D. The King and his family still maintain a presence in Kerala, have several palaces, and are highly respected and beloved by the people. We visited one of his palaces that dated from 1820. Although the wooden and stucco structure appears rather modest from the outside, it had exquisitely carved ceilings and lovely floors. Chinese influence, such as carved dragons, could be observed throughout the palace. At one time there was a substantial Chinese population in Kerala, but no longer.
Every resort in this part of India has an Ayurvedic spa. Ayurvedic medicine is serious business here. A "doctor" is always available who will prescribe herbal alixirs for just about any ailment and massage is an important part of this healing practice. An Ayurvedic massage was something new for me--a must try! That evening, I lay with all modesty to the wind on a leather table while my masseuse slowly dripped very warm oil on the middle of my forehead. It was wonderfully soothing. She then massaged by body, using so much oil I felt as though I was being prepared to be deep-fried. One and one-half hours later, she coated me with a mixture of herbs and salts; I rinsed in a shower, and emerged squeaky clean and very relaxed.
Up before sunrise, I headed down to the beach to watch the fisherman haul in their nets. Having laid out huge nets during the very early morning, fifteen to twenty men on each net struggled for at least two hours to pull it in. The sun broke over the horizon and the men and boats on the beach were silhouetted against the light of the new day. The backbreaking labor produced only a meager haul. "Not the season," I was told. But these are fisherman. They take their chances every day with the catch and graciously accept the results that Providence provides.
Two more evenings in gorgeous resorts of the same caliber and architectural flavor, and it was time to board the house boat for a day and overnight on Kerala's famous backwaters. From my houseboat, I relaxed in a comfortable sitting area, cooled by an overhead fan, and watched the comings and goings of the people who lived along the river. Many were fishing in single-sailed simple boats or stood in the water throwing nets or anchored their boat and dove for river mussels. Water taxis took children to and from school and rafts moved trucks and people from one side of the river to the other. Modest but solid homes bordered the banks. People bathed, brushed their teeth, filled vessels with water, gardened, socialized, and tended fields planted beyond the coconut palms and lush foliage that lined the river. As usual in India, color was everywhere. The accommodations were first rate as was the crew, which included an accomplished cook. Talk about watching the world go by in the very best sense!
Leaving the boat, we headed into the mountains to Periyar, one of India's largest wildlife sanctuaries. A vast, artificial lake sits in the center and is surrounded by tropical forest. Luckily, I had been able to get one of the six rooms at the lodge on an island in the lake that used to be a summer palace. From my porch, feeling very much like royalty, I watched gaur, elephant, wild boar, sambar and spotted deer gather along the opposite shore in the dusky light of early evening. Boat trips around the lake yielded little of the larger wildlife but many birds -- heron, egret, brilliantly colored kingfishers, Ahinga and cormorants. The scenery was breathtaking. Early one morning, Manoj and I hiked into the forest with a local, tribal ranger. We came upon a herd of female elephants with several youngsters of all ages. We camouflaged ourselves behind bushes and stood very still. I watched in awe. Suddenly, we were spotted. Very slowly the large female elephants surrounded all the little ones and moved off into the forest, leaving behind one very large pachyderm to keep an eye on us.
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
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Backtracking down to the valley from Periyar and over to the coast, our next stop was Cochin, a destination preferable these days to Goa, and called the "Queen of the Arabian Sea." It is filled with history. Marco Polo passed this way to and from China. Vasco de Gama seized Cochin for the Portuguese in 1502, died here, and, for a short period of time, was buried in the local cathedral which is now an Anglican church. The Dutch displaced the Portuguese in 1663 and the British displaced the Dutch in 1795. Cochin is famous for its line of Chinese fishing nets along the shore. These very large nets seem to reach to the sky. They are placed on permanent platforms and are lowered and raised by pulleys.
Behind the row of nets is a large shopping area that once was a series of warehouses used to store the spices for export. These have been converted into myriad small and diverse shops full of fabrics, rosewood, brass, masks, spices, puppets, incense, sandalwood and jewelry, among other things. This is the shopping mecca of Kerala and reminds me of Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. It is wonderful fun. One can envision three-masted sailing ships sitting in the harbor and men filling the holds with spices.
One of our days in Cochin was a holiday and many families were relaxing on the beach and playing in the water. Women never wear bathing suits in public and go into the water in their silk or cotton saris. I doubt there are many Indian women, and maybe even men, for that matter, who can swim. But that is an assumption.
Cochin is also known for tiger prawns. I ate one of the most memorable meals of my life at the best sea-food restaurant in Cochin that happened to be in the hotel where I was staying. The tiger prawns with garlic butter were so delicious, I ordered another half serving for dessert.
Cochin is also the heart of Kathakali dancing, the famous dance-drama of Kerala. Kathakali started out some 2000 years ago as a temple art form, depicting themes from the Indian epic mythology. I was told that only the very elite in society were allowed into the temples, so the people created their own kind of religious celebration through this dance form which was performed outside of the temples. It embodies a unique language of gestures and expressions, exotic costuming and make-up, and provided in the early days a language the common people could understand, unlike the chanting and readings of the Brahmins (priests). Knowing my interest in photography, the outfitter had arranged a performance for me alone that included watching the performers apply their make-up and don their multi-layered costumes. That was quite a photo opportunity and fascinating. Other variations of this dance form were presented at two other resorts I stayed at along the way.
Cochin at one time had a very substantial Jewish population. During one of the times when Jews were being persecuted in Europe, the King of Kerala invited them to come to Cochin under his protection. The synagogue was built in 1568 and is particularly intriguing with its 19th century Belgian chandeliers, delft tiles, brass pulpit, and ladies' gallery. Although the Jews were very successful businessmen in India, they were isolated culturally. There are only about 14 Jews left in Cochin as the rest have emigrated to Israel. Manoj said they invite Jewish tourists to participate in many of the ceremonies because they do not have the requisite number of male Jews left to properly perform them.
We left Cochin and headed north to Calicut but that story is for another day. I would apologize for the number of photos I have included this time were it not for the fact that there are so many I want to share with you to help make this beautiful part of India come alive.
I probably will do one more Museletter about India that will cover the Tibetan settlement, that was far more extensive than I had imagined, the palace in Mysore that, my guide claimed, is the most beautiful in India, yellow cows, and three incredible World Heritage Sites - Hempi, (India's Pompeii), and the Ajanta and Ellora caves. I am, however, leaving June 25 for 7 weeks in Africa, so you probably won't hear from me until September. I will have to see what I feel like writing about then.
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH: "If I have to choose between two evils, I usually take the one I haven't tried before." Mae West
Keep well and have a fun and adventurous summer!
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WINGS Vol. III, No 5, June, 2004
