Day 110, Year 5: From Sea Level to High Mountains
Date: Saturday, February 13, 2010
Weather: Back to Sunny and Warm
Location: Kumily, Idukki, India

I’m so glad we decided to go ahead with our weekend trip to Periyar Wildlife Reserve. The mountains here are so beautiful and the high tea plantations are just spectacular. But our morning started off a little shaky. Dave of Freebird took Ed and Lynne of Constance and us to shore at 7:15 am. So far so good. But our troubles began when we arrived at the bus station and everyone we talked to gave us a different location for finding the bus to Kumily. The station master’s office sent us to the side of the station. People there sent us to the front. And two different people in front gave us two entirely different locations. We went back to where we started and Mark went from bus to bus asking. Finally someone from the station master’s office came up to us and pointed to a white bus. We bolted in that direction and tried to confirm with the bus driver that he was indeed going to Kumily, but it was just not clear. Then we saw a sign on the front of the bus indicating that it was headed to Madurai in Tamil Nadu (the state to the east of Kerala) and I had read that the bus to Kumily goes on to Madurai, so we were getting closer. We finally boarded and hoped for the best. I had decided that I was going wherever that bus was headed and once we paid for our tickets, it was confirmed that we were going to Kumily. So that whole experience was a little more confusing than we had hoped for, but otherwise the bus trip went fine. It took seven hours instead of five as advertised, and we traveled 180 kilometers from Cochin through crowded towns for the first half of the ride and then climbing higher and higher on the switchback roads for the second half. We actually had to cross into the state of Tamil Nadu before getting off the bus and when we did disembark, we had a very pleasant surprise. A young man had come to meet us to take us to the Green View Homestead. I had called there last night to make a reservation, but I was told they had no rooms in the price range I had set as a limit. But the man I talked to said to come and that if he didn’t have something, he had another place where we could stay. I had no idea he would send someone to meet us. So we walked with our heavy packs from the bus station to the Green View. It is a delightful place, clean, and comes with very friendly people. The young man who had come to meet us is Ranesh and he also sat with us and went through the various options for seeing the wildlife reserve. He convinced us that our best option for seeing as much as possible in one day is to go on a jungle safari all day trip, so that is on for tomorrow. Our hope is to see some of the wildlife here, bison, sambar, wild boar, langur, elephants, and tigers. There are no promises on what will be seen, but it will be an adventure. We are considering going on a tea plantation and spice garden tour on Monday morning and then heading back to Cochin on the 2:15 pm bus. We won’t get home until about 9 pm, but if Judy and Dave of Freebird have not left for Oman, Dave will come get us and take us back out to our boats. You can’t leave your dinghy on shore while you are away touring, so you have to have transportation to and from shore. I think we will probably stay and do the Monday tour, but I’m not sure that Ed and Lynne will.

The seven hour bus trip provided a great glimpse of southern India life. India has twenty-five states with Kerala being one of them. Kerala is advertised as God’s Own Country and is divided into eighteen districts. Some of the most beautiful parts of India are in Kerala to the east of Cochin. And that is what we experienced today. We started in the district of Ernakulam, drove south through backwater country in Kottayam, and then headed east through Idukki. Most of the homes here are built of block, covered with plaster, and then painted in sherbet shades of lemon, lime, orange, raspberry, and blueberry (Is there a blueberry sherbet?). Many homes are newly painted, but just as many are way past due for a paint job. But whatever the condition, it was interesting to see how the people live. Once we entered the tea plantation area, the sherbet shades gave way to emerald green. We will see more of this tomorrow and the next day, so I will write in more detail about the plantations then.

Last night I had a wonderful conversation with my sister-in-law Conda. It helped me to know that she is okay and enjoying the time with her two sons. They are busy putting together a photo tribute to my brother Dickie. Other family members and friends will start arriving this weekend. Being in this beautiful part of India is helping to keep my mind off the fact that I can’t be there with my family right now. My body is here, but my heart is there.

100213 Day 110 India–Colorful Homes

100213 Day 110 India–Trip from Cochin to Kumily