Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to travel through Kerala, one of the four southern states in India. Growing up, I was fascinated by its backwaters, a tiny Jewish community with a 400 year or so old synagogue, and the Chinese nets that fishermen use here.
Three other things I have discovered in my days here are spices, Kathakali, a traditional Kerala dance form (saw a live performance) and the story of coconut in Kerala - as it turns out the word Kerala comes from kera that means "coconut palm tree" and alam that means "land of".
I spent three full days in a town called Cochin right on the Arabian Sea coast and explored the city and its neighboring environs. It rained all 3 days in the evenings. It was usually overcast, hot and muggy except for very few pleasant breaks.
Kerala Backwaters
I did a 7 hour backwater boat trip yesterday. Quiet an amazing experience where you meander through these interconnected lagoons and rivers. It was a bit hot and very humid but the views were just spectacular. You get to see the life of village folks as it unfolds along the banks - fishermen hauling mussels (called oysters) from the river, divers hauling sand from river bed that is used for construction purposes, women washing clothes and families generally lounging along the banks. Here are some pictures from this excursion.
Oh... before the backwater pictures check out what I discovered in a Cochin restaurant - Chocolate Samosa completely drenched in Mango Coulis! It was heavenly - sumptuously delicious (it is in the running for the best food experience of the trip!)
So back to the backwaters - from the boat you get to see different kinds of birds - kingfisher, bee-eater (blue tailed and green tailed), cormorants, egrets, herons, crows, kites, etc. The flotsam on the water surface included water hyacinths, water lilies, a rare lotus plant (and to a pleasant surprise very very little of the regular fare of plastic bags and other waste). The boat makes brief stops where the "guide" introduces clueless tourists like me about flora and fauna of the islands including plants used in Ayurvedic medicine, flowers, trees and wines (I especially remember the one used to make vanilla ice cream!! hehe...!) etc. They also introduce you to local industries (coir, a fibrous material from coconut used in doormats etc.), calcium from oyster shells). Along the way you stop for lunch served on the boat) and fresh juice from the coconut fruit (sweet) and the coconut flower (this white liquidy thing was repulsive to taste).
Kathakali
So I had heard of Kathakali growing up and hated watching it constantly played on the one and only one television channel at the time that was run by the government (Doordarshan). But I thought on this trip I would be open minded and explore another art form after my new-found hoity-toity discovery of Mughal architecture in the north.
Bad Idea. Apparently the dance form is too sophisticated for a lay man to understand. It has its own grammar and rules, which is fine. The problem is with the words or the lack there off. Kathakali is storytelling of ancient myths and religious heroism in dance form and hence requires use of words but they don't use words as in lyrics. Words and sentences are expressed as different hand formations, eye movements, facial muscle contractions....
The more interesting part of the whole exercise is the putting on of the make up. The artists come on the stage and apply different plant extracted colors that are based in coconut oil on their face to exaggerate the eyes, eye brows, mouth etc. The objective of the make up, as the theater director proclaimed, to make a human into the super natural!
Check out Kathakali and the make up session (about 2 minutes) recorded at a tiny theater in a neighboring town of Ernakulam and see if it puts you to sleep as well. I would love to appreciate this art but just can't keep myself awake. I asked a local and he mentioned he prefers Michael Jackson over Kathakali. The theater director also said Kathakali is not a dance form but a meditation, a spiritual exercise to come closer to god. Well, in that case, I ain't gonna get no favor from Our Lord or be blessed by the glory of His word!
Chinese Nets
I do not know too much about the history of Chinese nets. I did inquire to find out that they are no longer imported from China but are manufactured in a small town of Pune just south of Bombay.
These are an interesting contraptions set up by the banks of lagoons and rivers to catch fish as water flows by. Here is an unedited footage of how these things work...
Usually they catch small fish like sardines, snappers, pomfret, Kerala salmon, etc. One of the fisherman proudly showed off his baby shark... !
Will have more posts on Oct 29th after I get back from Lakshadweep Islands where there is no television, internet and newspapers! Vacation time... yooooohoooo!!
So I had heard of Kathakali growing up and hated watching it constantly played on the one and only one television channel at the time that was run by the government (Doordarshan). But I thought on this trip I would be open minded and explore another art form after my new-found hoity-toity discovery of Mughal architecture in the north.
Bad Idea. Apparently the dance form is too sophisticated for a lay man to understand. It has its own grammar and rules, which is fine. The problem is with the words or the lack there off. Kathakali is storytelling of ancient myths and religious heroism in dance form and hence requires use of words but they don't use words as in lyrics. Words and sentences are expressed as different hand formations, eye movements, facial muscle contractions....The more interesting part of the whole exercise is the putting on of the make up. The artists come on the stage and apply different plant extracted colors that are based in coconut oil on their face to exaggerate the eyes, eye brows, mouth etc. The objective of the make up, as the theater director proclaimed, to make a human into the super natural!
Check out Kathakali and the make up session (about 2 minutes) recorded at a tiny theater in a neighboring town of Ernakulam and see if it puts you to sleep as well. I would love to appreciate this art but just can't keep myself awake. I asked a local and he mentioned he prefers Michael Jackson over Kathakali. The theater director also said Kathakali is not a dance form but a meditation, a spiritual exercise to come closer to god. Well, in that case, I ain't gonna get no favor from Our Lord or be blessed by the glory of His word!
Chinese Nets
I do not know too much about the history of Chinese nets. I did inquire to find out that they are no longer imported from China but are manufactured in a small town of Pune just south of Bombay.
These are an interesting contraptions set up by the banks of lagoons and rivers to catch fish as water flows by. Here is an unedited footage of how these things work...
Usually they catch small fish like sardines, snappers, pomfret, Kerala salmon, etc. One of the fisherman proudly showed off his baby shark... !
Will have more posts on Oct 29th after I get back from Lakshadweep Islands where there is no television, internet and newspapers! Vacation time... yooooohoooo!!
