Where did you get that hat?

On our second day at Kaivalyam, we started with the morning yoga session and then after a quick breakfast it was off in the jeep to the top of the hill where we met our guide Vijay and a hike to the top of the ridge above the retreat. He was an excellent guide with an exceptional choice of headgear:-

Our walking companions were a couple of  young American guys from Washington D.C. who seemed to talk non-stop to each other but had very little that they wanted to share.

An interesting selection of headwear.

It was a challenging hike - starting from the road at 4,600 ft we climbed a further 2,700 ft to reach the peak at 7,300ft. the first section was a continuous climb to about 6,600ft and then the rest was in shorter stages - of course there were a number of false peaks and a stop along the way for a cup of tea - before we were standing right on top of the ridge and could see all the way to the top of the Western Ghats and Ana Mudi - the highest peak in southern India at about 9000ft.

That's Ana Mudi in the top right corner

Interspersed with small patches of forest, the landscape is nothing but tea gardens - nearly 100 square miles in total!

Local history says that the first westerner to arrive was  Colonel Arthur Wellesley (before he became the Duke of Wellington) in 1790 with a company of troops in search of Tipoo Sultan.

my official photographer

From the peak, we headed down into the valley on the other side and walked through the tea gardens until we reached Munnar where we were very pleased to see the Tuk-Tuk waiting to take us back to the retreat.

Scammed!!!

While I have travelled a lot and worked in a variety of countries, I would have to admit to having been caught by a few scams over the past 40 years or so. However I was caught out completely by a mobile phone scam here.

When we arrived at Cochin, there was a mobile phone shop in the airport where it was possible to get a local sim card but it was 4.30 am on Sunday morning and I was tired and there was a queue so I decided that I would leave it till I got into town. Then, while we were at Cherai beach, I tried one of the local phone shops and found that I would have to go to a main retail office.

So, on our way from Cherai to Hinterland, I got the taxi driver to make a detour via a main retail centre (a bit like the EE shop on Princes St) for Idea Cellular - one of the local service providers who were reported to have good coverage across Kerala. I was served by a very helpful young lady who filled out all the appropriate forms, attached my passport photo, copied my passport and Indian E-visa, and explained that I would have to pay 229 Rupees for unlimited phone calls across Kerala for 28 days - including 500Mb of data - and a further 200 Rupees for unlimited worldwide international calls for the same period - all of which tallied with my research. She then took me across to her colleague at the cash desk who took the money. She  gave me a sim card which we installed in my phone and told me that it would take about 3 hours for the sim to be activated. As we left, she gave me a brochure type folder with 'your paperwork'. Feeling pleased with the result, we got back in the taxi and headed of to Hinterland and our first yoga session.

After 24 hours and still no connection and finding that the folder with the paperwork was actually  advertisement for another product, I asked one of the staff members at the retreat to help me solve the problem. After a number of calls to Idea customer care he reported back that the sim card had never been registered and that as far as Idea were concerned there had been no transaction. Then in conversation with the Hinterland Manager, I learned that this had happened with a number of others to his knowledge.

So, it appears that the very helpful young lady in the Idea retail centre along with at least one of her colleagues had gone through all the appropriate paperwork processes, taken my money, passed me off with an unregistered sim card and then binned all the paperwork.

I intended to go back and sort them out until Linda pointed out that it had only cost me £5 after all, that the taxi to go back would be about £15 and that it would probably be a lot of hassle particularly if they just denied that it had ever happened. So I have settled for writing to the Chief executive of Idea, also to the head of the local tourism board, and to the Editor of the Times of India which has at least made me feel better about the whole incident.

Our second retreat

While we had enjoyed our stay at Hinterland, we were both ready for a change of scenery and routine. So, after a last early morning yoga class, and breakfast, we were packed and ready for our taxi when he arrived. Although it was only 120km to Munnar, the drive took close to 4 hours on a very busy road. Thankfully the driver was quite careful and we arrived without incident at the meeting point above our next destination where we had to wait for the jeep to collect us and transport us the last kilometre down a very steep hill - in low range for most of the journey.

Kaivalyam is quite different from Hinterland; firstly it is a much more commercial venture and aside from foreign tourists seems popular for young Indian Honeymoon couples - who don't appear for the yoga classes; secondly it is much more comfortable - 4 star hotel levels; and finally while there are thousands of acres of tea gardens around the perimeter, the retreat itself is surrounded by woodland and a large cardamon plantation.

On our first day we managed to avoid the yoga altogether and went on an early morning bird-watching walk instead - added a few new species to our list - and then joined a walk through the spice gardens. While most of the planting - 60 acres - is Cardamon, there is also  Pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, ....and even coffee. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the variety of plants and trees around the place and we finished up at the riverside in the valley below the property.

Probably a bit more water here when the monsoon comes

This place is a real oasis of calm - feels completely separate from the hustle and bustle of the world outside. It also serves excellent vegetarian food and I have enjoyed the daily cookery demonstrations in the kitchen - lots of ideas and tips for cooking veggie food when we get home - as long as you are happy with Indian flavours. I still reckon that it would all taste better if it was accompanied by a cold bottle of Cobra!

The missing photos

 

Emma - the emu- greeted us as soon as we arrived.

Even after 6 days practice, there's still a long way to go!

A more experienced yogi

Could be Christmas Dinner if the retreat was not strictly veggie.

Yoga, Breakfast, Massage, Lunch, Yoga, Dinner, Bed

By the time you add in a philosophy class or two, some guided meditation, a few meals and a little down time by the pool, there has not been much time for anything else.

As we start our last day, this has been an amazing place to stay – the yoga classes have been challenging but enjoyable and we have had three different teachers, each with his own style. The food – almost all with produce from their own gardens – has been tasty and varied and filling, and while the accommodation is basic, it is comfortable and everything works.

Having a daily ayurvedic head and full body massage has probably helped to avoid any stiffness or aches from the exercise – although I am not sure where I will find something similar in Newhaven – think Rebus had a fairly negative view about ‘massage parlours’ in Edinburgh

It is very relaxing to be in a place where you do not have to think about what you are going to do tomorrow because the routine is mapped out for you and the only decision is whether to participate or not.

Jury’s still out on the guided meditation – if I am going to lay on my back and nod off for an hour or so, I would probably be more comfortable on a sun lounger. In the same way, I have not missed the cold beer etc while we are here but I am not about to sign the pledge – just in case Jimmy C is getting concerned.

Our next destination – a retreat near Munnar up in the hills among the tea and spice plantations – is also vegetarian and alcohol-free and while there are still yoga classes, the focus will be more on the environment. But that is for tomorrow – just off for my next massage!

P.S. There are some photos to accompany this but life is too short to wait for them to upload so they will follow once we find some better internet access.

The Healthy Bit

As we left the 3 Elephants at Cherai Beach, they were getting ready for the wedding party of an Indian/Belgian couple who had taken over the whole place and the next-door property for all their guests. Lights being strung from every tree and bush and banqueting tables being dressed all around the grounds – probably a good time to leave.

Our taxi man arrived promptly and agreed to make a detour so we could call at one of the mobile companies to pick up a local sim – interesting detour into the heart of the busiest city in the region. The traffic flow while appearing chaotic seems to work - you just need to be assertive or large like the fuel tankers which gave no quarter whatsoever.

Our home for the next 6 days is Hinterland Village, a place developed by the owner – a naturalist – which has been replanted and developed over the last 10 years as a retreat with over 200 varieties of trees, their own rubber plantation, rice fields and market garden which provides most of the fruit and vegetables for the retreat. It is a really pleasant environment with a variety of pet animals roaming around – including Emma the Emu and some turkeys. The accommodation is comfortable but simple – although there is AC instead of a ceiling fan.

Our routine starts with yoga at 6.30am for 2 hours, breakfast, and massage treatments in the morning followed by lunch, and a break with a class on yoga theory and philosophy followed by another 2 hour yoga session at 4.00pm. By the time we fit in a shower and dinner, I think it will be probably be time for bed to be ready to start it all over again at 6.30 in the morning.

Since I usually only manage 1 hour of yoga each week, 4 hours a day for 6 days will either help me to improve or kill me – after our first session the jury is still out!

Blame it on the jetlag!

Day two started with a peaceful - punted - boat trip around the backwaters behind our hotel. We had the boat to ourselves, and having set off in a light mist, we watched the sunrise and managed to spot a few new bird species as well.  A much better start!

Back in time for breakfast, a relaxing morning reading in the shade, followed by an afternoon at the pool.

Very pleasant climate with a daytime high of 28C and a night time low of about 22C. The ceiling fans cope well so there is no need for AC. On the downside, being so close to the backwaters means that there are a lot of mosquitoes but so far the bug spray and the bite pen are coping. Have also got accustomed to the morning prayers which are broadcast from the temple at about 5.30am - a bit of a challenge on day one but hardly noticed them today.

Because the majority of the sand on beach was removed during the cyclone, many of the local tourist business are empty and there are only two real choices for our meals - thankfully they are both good but they have very similar menus with an international / Indian mix so not really typical local food - guess there will be plenty of that in the next week or so.

Moving on tomorrow to our yoga retreat so a whole new experience awaits - watch this space!