The Muthoot Plaza Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)

... wash. Ommmmm....... We scored a double room for the first week then moved to a dorm section at the end. There was a pond with fuschia coloured lillies and a statue of Krishna guarding us outside our door and a list of rules stating things like 'food must be kept in a crow-proof container' amongst other things. The first night was a little bit scary in a cultish way and had us thinking we had made a mistake coming to the program. At 6pm we followed the crowds to ...

... ranging from his family to his work to his philosophical outlook on life. This was a happy man with his lot in life and a wise man, even if he did have one heck of a gift of the gab. Since the first leg of our flight was delayed by a good hour, we we were able to catch the first half of the first period of the World Junior final in ice hockey between Canada and Sweden while sipping on a $13 glass of Guinness draught ...

... typical beach-gear; my strappy dress soaking from my wet bikini, didn't really help with the level of attention we were already going to get in a bustling India hospital. I'm hoping that for those whose hospital visit would ordinarily have been an ordeal, we provided some light entertainment. Of course, Dave, my soldier was by my side, as we were escorted from registration into the doctor's office with no queuing, despite there seeming to be long waits for all the locals ...

... before here. Super-good. As far as Indian states go, Kerala is much more chilled than Tamil Nadu. What's nice is that the rickshaw drivers are apparently unionised here, which could explain why they're far less predatory than in Tamil Nadu. Kerala has a Communist gov't, which has both been a) successful and b) popular. There's some kind of political convention soon, so you see the hammer-and-sickle everywhere. There is much less poverty ...

... Beyond the exquisite beauty of the structure and its carving, it is sheer architectural and construction genius at work once you look around. Take for instance the imposing idol of Nandi (Lord Shiva's bull) at the northern side of the temple. Also called Maakkalai, an impressive 13 feet high lime and mortar creation that is 21 feet long and 10 wide, this is arguably the biggest Nandi you could get to see. Just behind ...

... and we decided to go for a special meal to mark four years since we met - a far more sophisticated night than that we had in the Leadmill! We kicked off with a cocktail (see pics) before heading for one of the more grown-up looking places. After a chat with the manager we agreed to have a selection of the day's catch. We started with six jumbo tiger prawns grilled in lemon and garlic - mouthwateringly delicious. We couldn't stop grinning like fools as we ...

... board it , along with all the renewed supplies, around 11 Am. "Sail" off at 12 and return the next morning at the pier by 9 AM. As you walk away, the next backpackers show up engaging in the same ritual you did the day before and so on and so forth, day after day for 3 months. Let us tell you, it was HIGH season there and the boat owners were calling the shots : $ 100 Ca per couple for a nicely outfitted boat, food included ( delicious ...

... I would eat breakfast then head to the temple where, barefoot and clothed in peasant-like dress, I felt a bit like cinderella, sweeping, mopping...and humming all the while. Doing seemingly mundane tasks such as sweeping has actually proved to be one of my favorite parts of the day here because it is one of my most successful meditation times. I can chant my mantra and be completely at peace as I sweep the dirt out of hallways and across the tile floors. The sun is very ...

... I told him to hop it! It surprising how few times I've felt the anger on tour so far - and that's testament to the Indian people! I travel frequently to Greece a country so infuriating that I seem to flare up every other day - mind you it's not as bad as it seems - sometimes its good to release some tension! Anyways, checked into some top notch hotel, complete with pool and bargained big time for a great room. Package holiday accommodation in season - an empty shell now ...

... the canal. We stopped for fresh coconut juice sold from a simple hut at the side of the canal. Later we stopped for fresh pineapple juice too. This was a welcome break during the heat of the day. Eventually we reached our destination of our boat mans ...