Kerala

We got up late and took a rickshaw to find a hotel with a pool we could use. We ended up at hotel Killian where they charge 700rs for all 4 of us to use the pool, and they provide towels . the pool is 1.1m to 1.4m deep with a 50cm wide step that was about 50cm deep so Henry and winston could stand on there.

We has lunch there for about 1500rs. I went and booked the backwaters tour for 2600rs. Then, on the advice of the place I booked the tour , we took a rickshaw for 300rs to see an elephant festival about 20 minutes away.  You could go right up to the elephants if you wanted, but people kept themselves at least a trunk and a half away. There was loads if noise from trumpets and drums, then the elephants walked to the other side if the showgrounds and the crowd all ran to get out of the way... No need for officials and barriers etc.

On the way back we stopped at a cheap dosa restaurant. It was full of locals. The writer chose for us, and it cane to less than £2.50 for a meal for all of us..  And the service was quick and the food was good and fresh.

Then Winston and Henry had an ice cream in the shop opposite. Then we went back to our home stay .. Coconut grove..

We got up and i booked some train tickets, then i went to book the flight tickets and it was now cheaper to fly from Trivandum to the Maldives. So, that meant I has wasted about £10 on the train ticket. It took about 2 hours to book the flights because all my credit cards didn't work as they all thought I was suspicious at the same time.

Eventually booked 4 return tickets to the Maldives for £500 with SpiceJet.

Our rickshaw driver, Shahir, had been waiting the whole time. We moved 200 meters down the road to a new home stay.  1300rs for an air con room. Very nice Christian lady called Charlot who married her house 25 years ago.

Then Shahir took us to the money changers where they wouldn't change rubles kronor or Nepali rupees.

We went to the laundry place where people were hand washing clothes. The white pressed shirts looked perfect. There was a little play park there so Winston and Henry had a go on the roundabout. 

Then we went to see a boring church and went back to our homestay to wait for the taxi for our backwaters trip.

The backwaters was about 1 hour drive away. The boat had a roof, 2 drivers, a guide and some plastic chairs. The drivers powered the boat with long sticks. Not bad value for about £28. We stopped at a local house to see how to make rope from coconut fibres. Winston got his hair caught in the rope as it was being made. We had to cut some hair off with a handy razor blade.

 

Last full day in kerala, Shahir picked us up at 10 and took us to a beach.. There were no tourists and the beach had loads of palm trees and fishing boats. Very picturesque and a good setting for hammock pictures. Winston played in the waves and henry dug in the sand..but it was too hot to stay long. The villagers were all very interested in us. 

Next we went to a fish farm where the fish are caught by channelling the water through gaps in to nets. The boys liked throwing stuff into the water. 

Then we went for lunch at the cheap place again, and then to Shahirs house to meet his family. He lives in a room about 3m x 2m with a kitchen next to it. They have 1 light, and it is made from plywood. His son was playing subway surfers.. One of Winston's favourite games on Shahirs phone.  He was paying 1000rs a month rent to his brother, and 5000rs a month to pay the loan to get his rickshaw... A 5 year loan. We looked at his arranged marriage wedding album. 

 

. We went hotel Killian for some swimming.