We were told last night to make sure to shut our hotel windows -there was no AC an no screens- because the monkeys might come in at night! How fun! We had a very fun evening, celebrating the birthday of one of our fellow travelers. Teachers don't necessarily automatically bond but my 7 fellow educator travelers and I have all hit it off quite well, which certainly makes traveling easier. Our guide is so wonderful and that sets the pace for a good experience.
This morning corn flakes and coffee awaited me and for the first time on this trip, oatmeal was served. It was a wonderful taste of home. I made sure to eat a hard boiled egg as well for protein. Our bus ride to the spice garden was short. It was a family run garden that had spices of all sorts: cinnamon, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, cardamon, pepper and more. The hard part for me will be trying to remember what's what once I look at photos. I purchased turmeric, organic black coffee, and spicy chilies for my mom.
We were back on the road for several hours with a couple of potty stops. I'm always on the look out for a sweet and sour snack mix I got on the train to Chennai. I haven't found it yet but Miriam, an Indian PhD student at the UW, who has been traveling with us partly as an educator guide but also as a fellow traveler, assures me I will find them at the Indian grocery store in Madison! I did find a rice pastry that I totally loved and a date "laddu" Which is just a ball of sweetness. I'll be honest, I'm not always digging the Indian food here but the desserts are always awesome-- many are made with tapioca or rice or coconut or other flours rather than everything with wheat like we do in the states. The variety of tastes here are incredible, from super sweet to super spicy! While I've got to avoid the spicy, I'm not avoiding the sweet!!
Our final night in India is at a Homestay in the backwaters of Kerela. We are staying in a place that you must cross a river via canoe to get to, on an island at a complex of three large homes. Marie, the woman who runs the main place with her youngest son, also has an older son and daughter's home on the property to offer rooms, so we are all close. My room is as spacious and nice, if not more so than any hotel we've stayed at with a private bathroom I'm sharing w my roommate. We were offered a homemade lunch that was delicious with sardines (I did not eat but looked cool), potatoes, a cold slaw salad (of sorts, yellow from some spice), a couple of chutneys (one that almost tasted like salsa- yum!) and a sambar (which I'm not a big fan of) with fluffy rice (which is more popular in the south as apposed to basmati rice, served more north). We chatted after lunch about politics. The communist party is strong here but it isn't like what we think of as communism. Our host talked about the corruption and about how politicians bully people and use others as scape goats. We all laughed because it seems Indian politics is not so different then in the US.
We went for a nature walk around the island with the older brother who also helps to farm the land the family owns and is quite knowledgeable of the local plants and bugs and birds. We saw a snake, kids playing volleyball and women washing clothing and dishes by the river. We stopped at a local Christian church first built by the Portuguese and heard about the roots of Christianity in these parts. About 50% of the area is Christian and the other 50% Hindu. It is believed that the disciple Thomas came to India to bring Christianity first. It isn't until 300 years later that there is proof of a congregation here, still impressive. The history is rich but what I found amazing is that a lot of Hindu tradition and imagery had been absorbed by the church here. Indians live to celebrate all holidays, no matter the religious affiliation! Christians here are very tolerant of Muslims and Christians. Government schools teach prayer is for all faiths and so there is prayer in school. The Hindus pray next to the Christians. I don't understand why we can't be more tolerant in the states?
We walked through rice patties and learned about the local farming and then took a canoe back to the home. It's dreadfully humid but at least it's not terribly hot. The mosquitos are vicious here, but boy I've been diligent with jungle juice and a local herbicide I purchased the first day I was in India w Monika. The homes are all open so we asked how they kept mosquitos out and our host mentioned smoke, frankincense and a chemical method that many don't like because they are afraid of the possible effects. There are no cars on the island so it's the first time since coming to this country I have not heard horns honking. The silence is wonderful, the green is soothing and sights are all so amazing. I'm currently sitting on a large leather couch in the living room of the main house with a large ceiling fan blowing on me, on a large Persian carpet on the floor I noticed a frog is just sitting and staring at me while I type on my phone. I'm charging my watch in the only open socket in the room. There is no front door, only large blinds that can protect from the sun or wind or rain. There are large wooden doors that protect the bedrooms. It's a beautiful set up and I've been so blessed to experience this part of the world!
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