Jungle Palace Kerala

... a boy throwing stones at it. It makes an attempt to jump the curb, fails, and falls. I watch amused, as the rat tries to jump again, struggling to climb the curb. It succeeds and disappears into a drainage pipe. I laugh at this absurd sight and continue on my way.

S. Bathery is not worth mentioning more in detail. Half the town is drunk, as it turns out to be a Muslim holiday (which I get woken up to in ...

... India. By now I have become accustom to this country, though some things I find silly and strange. Like filling up cars full of people, anywhere from 10-15 people shoved in a car Some unfortunate souls do not even get a seat on top of someone, so they simply hang outside the cars, gripping for sheer life around the hairpin curves, coughing up exhaust. Some other things I have also learned is that every vehicle has been blessed with a God name written in cheerful ...

... rain. To correct the sentence there was no road at all throughout the uphill (you will find some hairpin bends to).

The giant bamboos and trees will give you a horror atmosphere. We were not so scared because of our earlier trip gave us more courage. The only concern is about the car tyre. We went and couldn’t spot anything as the forest officer said… but still we gave a try till Kerala border and came back. Almost the thrill was retained and the search was ...

... inside out.
Hollowed out. Will it be better that I stop thinking about beautiful people around me? Will it be better that I assume the camouflage of a cold-hearted cynical person that plays around with humor and defense rather than reveal my fragile heart to this unpredictable world which is full of vile and betrayals? Should I disarm my cynical façade and load off the anger, the ...

... bright blue nets. I wandered among some craft stalls nearby, buying a couple of ’reversible’ puppets (male and female depending on which way they’re turned).

Then I moved on to see St Francis Church, built in wood in 1503 and rebuilt in stone in the mid 16th century. Vasco de Gama died in Cochin (the former name of Kochi) in 1524 and was buried here for 14 years until Portugal took him home to Lisbon. A Dutch cemetery nearby was disappointing ...

... amongst rice paddies, coconut groves and bucolic villages there are 10 - all heading the same way. To be sure, it was still a wonderful experience and we would highly recommend anyone visiting Kerala include this in their itinerary. But go soon and if possible, not in high season. We were in low season and the numbers of other boats sharing the waterways was not intrusive (it was even fun, waving at the mostly Indian families passing in their boats),  but I ...

We had a great two day/two night trip on the houseboat cruising the backwaters of Kerala! The experience is difficult to describe, but I will give it a shot. First, we were greeted by the captain and chef, Rojith and the three man crew, Jijimon, Smile and Sunu with fresh Jasmine leis and coconuts with a straw. They put our luggage in the cabins and we pulled away from the dock. These boats are a copy of the ...

... laws that operate one's thoughts, feelings, judgements and sensations become clear. Through direct experience, the nature of how one grows or regresses, how one produces suffering or frees oneself from suffering is understood. Life becomes characterized by increased awareness, non-delusion, self-control and peace. The technique is taught at one of the ten-day residential courses during which participants follow a prescribed code of discipline, learn the basics ...

Alleppey Beach and Fishermen's Village (*This event occurred some time ago, some time ago being mid July) The drive from Kottayam to Allepey covers some of the most beautiful scenery that I have ever seen. From people working in vibrant rice patties to palm trees swaying in the breeze alongside rivers, the whole spectrum of the color "green" is represented in nature here ( "green" is written as so for extra emphasis ...

... has, as talents are a gift and should be shared. Not many people play music here, there is drum beating and dancing and such, but not much in the way of true musical sound. In any case, John has a fine and strong brain, and many talents, so I think he will go far, even if he never leaves his village. He really wants to get a computer, he will be taking classes for internet in the next session of school, so I'm going to keep my eyes ...