Kerala lowlands and Kochi (Feb. 16-19)

Leaving Munnar, we descended to sea level on the western side of India in the state of Kerala. The climate here is even wetter and more humid than in Tamil Nadu. We spent two nights at a beautiful resort named Coconut Lagoon, which is accessible only by boat. Here is a view of part of the grounds. I had my second Ayurvedic massage here, with two young men working on my body at the same time!
In the morning we went bird watching before breakfast. My best shot from that trip is this heron, reflected in the water.



This part of Kerala is known for its waterways, and we spent a night on a houseboat (pictured here). Also shown is the dining area of the houseboat, with my boatmates Jeff, Roger, and Brian. The ride was a bit disappointing, as the boat tied up for the night well before dark and never got into the unpopulated backwater areas. But it was a nice change from the hotels we stayed in the rest of the trip.




















Leaving Coconut Lagoon, we drove to Kochi (Cochin), the chief city of Kerala. On the way, we happened upon a festival moving through the streets. These young boys were very anxious to have their pictures taken!

I would have loved to have more time in Kochi, a very vibrant and diverse city. This part of India has been open to the outside world for centuries, and only 60% of the population is Hindu. The rest are mostly Christian and Muslim, with some tracing their roots to Syrian Christians and Muslim Arabs who came more than 1,000 years ago. The language here, Malayalam, is a Dravidian language like Tamil but with more outside influences. There was also a Jewish community for many centuries, but most have now moved to Israel. Fewer than 50 remain, mostly elderly. I was able to go to the synagogue but could not go inside as it was closed. Here is a photo of the exterior. The surrounding area is commercialized for Jewish tourists, with names like "Synagogue Lane" and "Jew Town" emphasizing the historic connections.
On the morning of Feb. 20 some of us flew from Kochi to Delhi for the north India part of the tour, while others lingered in Kochi or flew home.