Periyar- Fire and a Spice Tour

We decided to visit Periyar with its beautiful rolling hills, tea farms, and nature preserve, because my husband’s children had joined us for a few weeks and we wanted to show them a good time.  We also wanted a closer …

Allepe and the Backwaters of Kerala: Part Three- St Thomas’ Church

A largely Christian area of India, Kerala is a matriarchal society, and currently communist.  The women must be doing a good job, because education is high, everyone speaks English, and Kerala is the wealthiest part of India.  We were once …

Allepe and the Backwaters of Kerala: Part Two

Down Kerala’s watery fingers, we serenely floated in our rice boat by small homes on strips of land as wide as the house.  Rice fields flank the canals, where men and women bath and wash their clothing and dishes. Here …

Allepe and the Backwaters of Kerala- Part One

In Southern Kerala where the rivers meet the ocean, there are tips of land that jut out through the waters like fingers, Kerala’s backwaters.  Fisherman used to bring rice and other goods up and down the backwaters on large boats …

Old Kochi

Kerala is the state next to Tamil Nadu, is a major tourist destination, and treated as such.  (Our friend’s son told us that it is commonly joked that the trash stops at the state line between Tamil Nadu and Kerala.)  …

Waterfalls on our Way to Kerala

We saw another waterfall on our way to Kerala. I forgot to get the name!  This one is a pilgrimage site, and therefore filled with people.   Vendors line the water in canopied huts piled with fresh fruits and vegetables and …

Athoor Falls- a Hike Through Some of Tamil Nadu’s Unspoiled Wilderness

We jumped in the jeep wrangler.  It was a two-seat jeep but there was a metal bench on each side of the rear and also a ramp that could be pulled down hanging off the back.  We started off down …

Some More Danushkodi and Rameswaram’s Twenty-Two Wells

Down by the shore, several fishermen stood lined up along the shore, pulling a line attached to a boat.   Thousands of tiny dead fish lay scattered across the sand, and as my eyes darted from the fish to the huge …

Dhanushkodi: an Oceanside Ghost Town Full of Fishermen

We had driven South of the small town of Rameswaram, until we reached a spot where our driver pulled over and turned off the car. “The car can’t go any further than this.  You have to take a truck.” he …

The Bridge to Rameswaram

Rameswaram is an island off the southeast coast of India, connected to the mainland by a long, concrete bridge.  We stopped at the top of the bridge, with a bunch of other people, to watch the current sweep underneath. There …

Some Scenes from Around Madurai

Alagar Koyil- Part Two

This post is the second part of our Alagar Koyil journey! ( BTW I’m not sure if I’m spelling it right- I see it as Koil & Kovil, too?)  Alagar Koyil is overrun with people, vendors, animals, as busy and …

Alagar Koyil- Part One

When we arrived at Alagar Koyil, we left our shoes, and walked quietly around the large granite structure with columns engraved with different depictions of Hindu gods and goddesses rising into the air.  I missed our host, with her enthusiastic …

Celebrating Karthigai Festival with the Children

We headed back to the Jain Hillside Temple where a certain family had been carrying Shiva up the side of the mountain, and lighting it at the top for untold years.  That night they would allow others in on the …

A Hearty Welcome at School with a Traditional Tamil Nadu Dance

Our host had arranged for Kevin to speak with a children’s school about American and Tamil culture.  We pulled up to the school in our auto-rickshaw.  A row of children lined the path on each side, all of them waving …

Jain Hillside Temple in Madurai

Our host decided to dress me up for my birthday.  I got an Indian outfit, pearl jewelry, and my hair done with flowers and a braid.  We drove to the hills where we were going to see a Jain cave …

Thirumayam Fort- Final Stop on the Road trip to Madurai

The Thirumayam Fort appears seemingly out of nowhere- poking out of rocks on a large hill.  We enjoyed the reason to get out of the car and stretch a bit.  Some of the walls are crumbling.   There is a colorfully …

Clay Horses and Fertility Wishes at a Tree Temple Near Pudukkottai- Second Stop on the Roadtrip to Madurai

Our hosted wanted to stop at a temple along the way.  Not much marked it, just a small trip off the main road.  Several men in lungis stood outside, waiting for us, or anyone, to get out of the car.  …

Planting Rice- Our First Stop on the Trip to Madurai

Everyone climbed into our host’s vehicle for our drive to Madurai. We passed endless fields of rice, the laid back feel of South India a refreshing change.  Beautiful women clothed in colorful saris bent over row after row after row …

Tanjore Palace and Museum and Brihadeeswarar Temple

We were incredibly blessed in Tanjore because our host was a South Indian tour guide and extremely passionate and knowledgeable.  She took us to the Tanjore Palace.  The main courtyard of the palace is now turned into an art museum …