Hill Station in Kerala

As I write this, a mass of cloud is moving up the mountain side in front of me. We are over 800m above sea level sitting on the balcony of our government guest house room. The Hill Station we are staying at here in Kerala is called Ponmudi. (Andrew has just found the World Service on his radio and has broken the peace with his excitement. Economy, terrorism and football. Excellent). We are drinking Vorion 6000 'super strong beer'.


Since our last post we spent a night at the most southern point of India, Kanniyakumari, where the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean meet. Amazing sunrises and sunsets. There are two rock outcrops, small islands, just a few hundred meters off the coast where a massive granite statue of an Indian God and a beautiful temple stand. The ferry ride was surprisingly quick and without hassle, and although we didn't wear our life vests, the rest of the ferry passengers did. We managed to camp at the building which was the center of British Government Administration, before independence. It is now a government guest house for VIP's, MP's etc. For 100 rupees (about $3.10) we were allowed to sleep in our tent but also use the facilities in the building. Very nice clean loos. The night 'watchman' took us on a tour as the building which was empty. The rooms were massive and the view from the rooftop was great. Unfortunately, like many Indian hotels and houses, the grounds were not ever finished.



We drove about 40 kms west to a palace Andrew had read about, planning to camp somewhere nearby. The entry fee board read '25 rupees Indians – 200 rupees Foreigners'. It was definitely worth it. The spectacular wooden carvings in the ceilings, walls and doors were so intricate and cared for. As we wandered around we met up with an English chap, Andy, who was staying in the next city. He asked around as we left the palace grounds for the nearest bar and, after getting fairly believable directions (ask 5 people and take the average answer) we went to find the 'wine shop'. 'No women allowed' we were told, and I wondered if I was going to be left sitting by the car with my book. Funnily enough, western women with 'short hair and a gruff Aussie demeanor' (thanks Andrew) don't count. The bar was full blokes sculling small bottles of brandy. We met 2 college professors who prided themselves in being bold enough to come and chat to us, but I think it was the red wine they mix with strong beer to make it taste better.

We drove to Trivandrum in the dark with Andy. There's no bloody way we would choose to drive at night normally, and the air-horn up grade just paid for itself. It's funny what a 'roo-bar' and load horn can do in the unpredictable and often dangerous Indian traffic. With the exception of buses and trucks, vehicles get out of our way. No one wears seat belts, yet we don't travel 5 meters without one. The traffic is not always bad, but there have been some very close calls.

It really is amazingly peaceful here with a stunning view. A local guy mentioned there are wild elephants not far down from here, but I am dubious. It would be too perfect. We've begun the 'Problems with the car' list for those who are interested:

1. The auxiliary battery is not charging meaning the fridge is only cold when the car is running.
2. Suspicious about the water temperature. Even when charging up hill in 40 degree heat the gauge reads 'normal'. It never wavers...


I've shaved Andrew's head and he now looks just like the village children who've had lice :-)