solo travel – Wander With Stella

United Kingdom 2025 Bed, Bath & Beyond to Bruges

Bed, Bath and Beyond to Bruges

A “Bed” in Isle of Thanet in County Kent

I am blessed and grateful to have a “Bed” in Westgate on Sea at the lovely home of the “J’s” where the foot of said bed reaches out to meet the sea. A home base and a family I love to visit, gives me great opportunity to do short trips to wherever my heart desires.

My Playground (not necessarily rich or famous)

But before I leap ahead to Bath & Beyond to Bruges, come with me while I wander around county Kent with a brief foray to Sussex.

The list of things to see and do goes on and if you have a car it’s easy to get about and if you don’t the trains are everywhere in this eastern part of Kent known as the Isle of Thanet (because it once was an island).

Westgate-on Sea, Canterbury (yes that Canterbury) Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate, Sandwich, Deal and Dover, all within a short drive and all worth the trip if only to see some of the places where folks flood to for beach holidays in the summer.

Holiday makers are given the full treatment along this stretch of coast from beach bathing to amusements and rides such as those at Dreamland in Margate. Fish & chips and pints round out the day with easy stumbling back to one of many hotels or trains.

Thanet is not just a beach destination however, there are also beautiful stately homes with amazing gardens, famous cathedrals, castles, Roman ruins, museums and art galleries.

Quex Park – Once a Stately Home & Garden

The blue plaques on houses indicate that someone of note once stayed or lived therein. Charles Darwin wasn’t alone in Ramsgate, he was in good company with Vincent Van Gogh who spent some time working in a boys school there, documented by his brotherly letters to Theo. You can even plan your stroll around Ramsgate by following in his footsteps to his various haunts. Broadstairs is known to have hosted Charles Dickens for one, and museum there is dedicated to him.

County Sussex – Rye and Winchelsea for the Day

A little further afoot is the ancient town of Rye and a stones through further is Winchelsea.

Winchelsea, where Spike Milligan, Anglo-Irish comedian, author, etc., is buried with his famous Irish enscrtiption, “see I told you I was sick”.

Rye

A wander around the quaint little streets and lanes is the first thing you should do in Rye. As one of the best preserved medieval towns in England, the cobbled streets and the half-timbered buildings give it a story book look that is enchanting.

Mermaid Lane, Wish Street & Bluebell Lane – Some Street Names

Bath – From Roman Ruins to the Regency & Georgian Periods

A return to Bath seemed a good idea as I loved my first time there when I did a Cotswold walk with a friend (dear friend). The purpose of my visit was mainly to see this World Heritage Site again in all its splendour. It’s no wonder the Romans, enjoyed the spa waters as evidenced by one of the best-preserved Roman remains in the world. Not to be out down by the Romans I too took the waters in the modern Thermae Bath Spa, complete with roof top pool and series of steam rooms and saunas.

Sally Lunn – Oldest Restaurant in Bath (Not Cheapest)

Of course to speak of Bath without the mention of Jane Austin would be next to sacrilege, especially as 2025 is the 250th anniversary of her birth. Although she lived in Bath for only five years, Bath has done a good job of claiming her as their own. Festivals, promenades and dress-ups pay homage to this wonderful, funny, witty author who brought attention to the female mind.

Not to be forgotten Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in Bath revealing even more of the dexterity of the female mind and Bath boasts a museum dedicated to her famous monster.

Of course no slouch in architectural beauty, Bath is often the setting for films in need of Georgian or Regency scenery, including Bridgerton, Les Miserables, Vanity Fair and Persuasion to name a few.

Would I go back, you bet!

Beyond to Bruges

My nephew encouraged me to go to Bruges in Belgium and as you will see in the photos below it is an epic monument to medieval times. The energy that is created by modern day living amongst medieval architecture is always a delight to a western Canadian like me.

App of Note: In Bruge, Dubrovnik and Split, I used an app called GPSmycity and found it most helpful in planning my day. Not only does it help you with route planning it gives information about the places both in written and audio formats. Especially useful in places that are densely packed with things to see and do. Particularly good if you lack access or desire to join group tours. Let’s you wander and linger as you wish.

From the 9th to the 15th century Bruges was the northern seat of trade and commerce matching that of Venice in the south. The riches that resulted from being a centre of trade are abundantly evident through the city. At that time Bruges was connected to the sea by the river Reis which eventually silted up becoming impassable and Bruge faded into sleepy obscurity only to be rediscovered as a tourist Mecca in modern times.

The Markt and the Belfry (Belfort)

At the heart of Bruges, the bustling Markt square is lined with colourful gabled houses and cafes and at one end is a belfry that you can climb for a view of the city.

Burg Square & City Hall

A smaller, elegant square showcasing Bruges’s civic and religious power is home to a very ornate City Hall. The city chambers are open to the public and includes a history of the waterways and canals that made Bruge prosperous.

The Canals

The canals are the city’s lifeblood. A boat tour gives a magical view of Bruges from the water, especially around Rozenhoedkaai, the most photographed spot in town, where medieval buildings reflect perfectly in the water.

Gothic Churches and Towers

Of course a reminder of the influence of religion in medieval times is omnipresent in Bruges. Towering churches house treasures, art and other spoils and riches of the time. You can see Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child, one of his few sculptures outside Italy.

Church Attic with Ancient Timbers & Multi-Media

The Begijnhof

An idea ahead of its time? In the 13th C these whitewashed buildings formed a peaceful enclave for lay women who wanted to live a religious life free from marriage and children without becoming a nun. They were free to come and go as they pleased and many worked outside of the community. Today it’s a haven of silence for Benedictine nuns and a lovely contrast to the busy centre.

Windmills of Sint-Janshuismolen

If you fancy a walk to the edges of the city you will see historic windmills built on grassy mounds that could have been dykes or defensive ramparts. In one of them there is a museum but when I got there it was closed for lunch.

Modern Bruges

It’s easy to look to the past in Bruges and certainly that is the polished version that is resplendent for the purpose of tourism. But there are other things that continue to define Bruges and are very much alive and well. From lace making, beer, chocolate, confections and of course waffles, there is plenty to experience.

Changes in Merida and Progreso

Change, the only constant

When you fall in love with a country you have to be prepared to remind yourself that change is the only constant. Especially when your visits, once frequent, have become less so with longer time gaps in between. You are bound to notice some differences and allow yourself to pine a bit for simpler times. Beneath modernization and development can lie the remnants of culture but hopefully Mexico is able to maintain its unique charm as is the case so far in the Yucatán.

Getting There

Not one to take a direct route I had to spend at least a small amount of time in the Yucatan Mexico before heading to Belize for the month of February.

Having been many times there is a real pull for me to return to some of my favourite places in the Yucatan especially Merida and Progreso. I have blogged a fair amount about the Yucatán so will limit myself to some of the changes and highlights for the time I spent there.

New to Me – The Maya Train

Since I first heard about the new Maya Train I’ve wanted to give it a go. You can pre-book your train tickets on the Maya Tren web-site, but while still in Canada, it took a few tries throughout a couple of weeks before I was successful. The web-site indicated that the train left from the Cancun Airport station and the convenience was so inviting that it peaked my enthusiasm to the point that I booked a first class ticket to Mérida, $81.00 CAD.

The new and not quite finished Maya Train stations are monolithic, tons of poured concrete and stylish architecture but situated for the most part in construction zones so they have an eerie quality of not being anchored as of yet. The stations although huge are quiet, deserted and house little in the way of conveniences. What was there was closed for the day. So don’t arrive hungry, thirsty or in need of cash until things are really up and running.

I’m sad to say that the train does not really leave from the Cancun Airport but is located at the farthest end of the airport and I was given to understand that the only way to the station was by taxi. In retrospect I think that if I’d spent more time asking I would have a found a bus or a shuttle to the train station. However, an official at the airport told me that a taxi was the only way to get to the station on time and that the last train left at 6:00 pm which gave me cause to panic as I had a ticket for the 7:20 train. Rookie mistake, I opted for the taxi. The price was exorbitant for a fifteen minute trip and I arrived at the station just before 6:00 pm, discovering of course that my train was indeed leaving at 7:20 as printed on the ticket.

The train departed on time and a short time before departure a fairly good sized crowd had gathered, we were all lined up and a friendly young policeman had us place our bags in a row in front of us and his sniffer dog made it’s way down the line of cases. After that we were allowed into the actual station and then waited for the all clear to ride the escalator down to track level.

The first class train car, all sparkly and new, has two seats on one side and a single on the other so if you are travelling alone you can sit by yourself. Not an issue as I think there were at most about a dozen passengers in the car.

Just over four hours to Merida, we arrived at the station which is way outside of central Merida. The Merida-Teya station again is stunningly big and new and shiney clean and although it is far from town there is a tram (bus) that takes you to another new “station” about forty minutes away in Merida called La Plancha for only 45 pesos.

From there a small shuttle bus takes you to the Center of Merida to a park that thankfully was within walk distance of my hotel. Getting there late at night meant that there weren’t any taxis at La Plancha so I was grateful for the shuttle and the help of a young train worker to get me on it and explain to the driver where I wanted to go, especially since I was yet to acquire a phone card or cash.

New to Me – Trendy Avenida 47.

If you’re going to stay in a hotel in Merida I highly recommend staying somewhere on or just off the Paseo de Montejo as close to the centre of town as possible. The hotel I chose was “The Chariot” right on the Paseo and I was really happy with my stay there. Inexpensive and close to everything I wanted to see and do I discovered a whole new area that has opened up to book stores, antique shops, restaurants, pubs, galleries etc and the art instalments in several of the restaurants are great in themselves.

Now heralded as the “Corredor de Gastronomico” Avenida 47 is busy, fun, great for food and art lovers and leads directly to La Plancha.

International Cuisine, Fusion & Traditional – Delicious

And right around the corner from Avenida 47 is one of the oldest restaurants on the Paseo de Montejo. A favourite spot for the locals and tourists it serves up food in the decor of a fifties diner.

The La Plancha

Wow what an endeavour to modernize and upscale what was once a rundown old train depot. Again sleek, gigantic and people friendly, La Plancha includes kiddy parks, outdoor exercise stations, an amphitheatre, gardens and fountains and covers city blocks of land. Old train cars have been recommissioned and turned into Cafes and Bistros and there is a huge food court with seating for hundreds of people. Very empty the day we went but eventually when this new trendy area and the Maya Train is complete I’m sure it will become a welcome attraction for Meridians. Hopefully one day the train will actually land here!

Progreso

Dear little old Progreso just keeps progressing. Over the years, the Malecon went from a busy traffic street to pedestrian only, there is a now a Starbucks and many of the old mansions have been renovated and turned into expensive dining spots with ocean views. A ramshackle old hotel that I used to pass daily is now the nicely renovated and expensive Scapatta Hotel which is where I stayed in the cheapest room. Quite satisfactory, until a bat took up residence outside my door causing quite a pile of excrement on a nightly/daily basis. Luckily for me the hotel clerk was as offended by the bats behaviour as I was and upgraded me without cost to a much nicer room. I would stay at the Scapatta again but prepare myself for much higher prices than in my pre-covid meanderings. It’s just the way of the world at the moment, what used to be very affordable is no longer the case.

A New to Me Cenote

Of course a trip to the Yucatán must include a visit to a cenote. Every Cenote has its own distinct characteristics and amenities. Some very natural and informal and others organized and regulated. The Hacienda Mucuyche fits in the latter category. It is lovely, not cheap and you need to reserve online to guarantee a spot. You are assigned a guide who first shows you the remains of the old hacienda clearly resplendent in its day. What was thought to be only a well eventually revealed itself to be a series of Cenote joined by underground passages. The guide takes his limited number of people in life jackets into the first cavernous cenote and you eventually swim along an above ground channel only to enter a second dark and cavernous cenote that has a number of interesting limestone formations including numerous stalactites. After your swim there is a restaurant on-site where you can enjoy a meal in your pretty surroundings. See the link below if you’d like to visit.

https://www.cenoteshaciendamucuyche.com/

Certainly if you’re interested in a more expansive view of hacienda life that also includes a swim in a cenote visit the Hacienda Sotuta de Peon.

https://www.haciendaviva.com/en/contacto-sotuta-de-peon-yucatan

Also New to Me – Bacalar

Bacalar is within striking distance of Belize so a chance to visit an area that I’d heard good things about and to spend a few days on a fresh water system (sweet water) of lakes and lagoons presented itself. Sadly, the rainy and cooler temperatures of the Yucatan followed me to Bacalar, and between the rain and one day of feeling ill meant that I was unable to take full advantage of the fun things in Bacalar. Riding a bike out to a beach club one day included sheltering from a deluge for several hours before it was safe to ride back to my hotel.

Bacalar is a nice place however and tourism seems to be the main industry. A pretty town square surrounded by bars and restaurants and a growing number of fusion style restaurants along with the beautiful blue lagoon attracts a lot of tourists, International and Mexican.

Sri Lanka – Part 4 Sigiriya – Cultural and Historical Heart of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka history & Culture in the Central Highlands

Arriving in Sigiriya we were very disappointed in our home stay tree house at the Thick Forest. Having friends who recently stayed in a Tree House it did not measure up. It was a ramshackle mosquito haven, dirty and a little shaky. The mosquito sleeping nets had holes and were so old they smelled musty. To add insult to injury we paid more than the usual rate for this experience. The owner begged us not to write a bad review and brought out a book in which he has customers write “complaints” and “suggestions” It was full of unhappy customers but the last time we left a warranted bad review on a booking website we were harassed. Cutting our losses we checked out a day early and went to a lovely home stay with a pool for the same price per night and had a far better breakfast and dinner, it was spotless, had a great pool and the family was delightful. Don’t go to Thick Forest….stay at Sigiriya Peacock Homestay.

Climbing Sigiriya Rock Up To The Lion Fortress

Sigiriya is a town and and ancient city located close to the town. It is awesome, it is a once in a lifetime experience to be there and to climb the great rock. It is a historical and archaeological site that is dominated by a massive column of granite about 180 meters high. As a UNESCO world heritage site is very popular with both Sri Lankans and foreigners. Would you believe that one of the ancient kings built his palace on top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. It is a steep 1200 step climb to the top of the rock to see the remains of the palace, but it seemed like more in the intense heat of the day.

Entrance fees for foreigners are relatively high, about $35 USD, but not begrudged because the money goes to maintaining this marvellous place. You enter the Park and the first stop is a museum that details the long line of Kingdoms that existed here and the archaeological history of various digs that have taken place since the 1800’s. It is thought that Buddhist monks occupied the rock caves and shelters from as early as the 3rd Century BC. The grounds leading up to the Rock are beautiful and full of ponds and gardens and of course monkeys.

As you start the climb you see immediate evidence of the structures that existed at the foot of the rock. The first 900 or so steps are pretty steep and several stops help make the going easier. Taking your time is essential unless you are young and fit.

About half way up there is a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. Only the claws remain but imagine when the rest of the body and head were intact, it would have been impressive indeed. All this brick work covered with plaster and painted with frescoes is hard to imagine. The Lions paw is a rest stop for sure and there is filtered water for those who have run out. The views from this level are spectacular enough but only serve to fuel the desire to reach the top another 40 meters or so.

The last bit as seen below wasn’t too bad because people moved slowly up the steep steps and as you can see there was quite a crowd. There was no pushing or shoving and for the most part the crowd was Sri Lankan.

Reaching the top was epic for me. The 360 degree views were amazing and you could see that the King who had the palace built could easily survey his Kingdom for miles in every direction. Supplying the palace with the necessities of life was carried out by servants who climbed up and down the rock but the Royals who lived on top were carried up and down in a palanquin. Across from Sigiriya is another Rock, Pindurangala Rock and people with more time and energy will climb it as well.

I couldn’t tell you how long it took to climb Sigiriya, the trek up was so engrossing that I completely lost track of time. I felt on top of the world when I got there and on the way down there was plenty of time to enjoy the views and admire the frescoes that adorned the rock walls. You haven’t been to Sri Lanka until you’ve been to Sigiriya!

Buddhist Caves

After a good night’s rest our next outing was to visit the Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple another Unesco World Heritage Site. A pilgrimage site for 22 centuries, it is the largest and most well-preserved cave-temple in Sri Lanka. The temple is a series of five caves built into the wall of the rock mountain. The Temple has been transformed over the centuries and each of the caves or sanctuary has its own purpose and design. Altogether there are 157 statues important to the life and practice of Buddhism. It’s quite a climb to get up to the caves but nothing like Sigiriya, but like Sigiriya the rock carved stairs are uneven and sometimes very steep.

Girithale and Polonnaruwa

Staying in Girithale at the Agbo Hotel gave us quick access to Polonnaruwa another ancient city site that has undergone extensive archaeological activity.

The Agbo Hotel was one of our favourite stays and our rooms had great views of a lake and the surrounding forest and hills. It also had a large band of monkeys that frequented the property and we were asked to keep our balcony doors closed in the morning and when we were out for the day. However we decided to take our morning tea on the balcony as there was no evidence of monkeys in the vicinity. Enjoying the peaceful view we were startled to realise that some of the red faced nasty mean type macaques (remember they were entertaining in previous blogs) had snuck up on us and one of them leapt up onto our table and attacked our sugar bowl before we could even move. Greedily shovelling the sugar into his mouth with both hands and in between defending his right to it by baring his sharp pointy teeth and hissing at us, completely ignoring our attempts to shoo him away. We were forced to retreat inside but every time we moved he lunged at us, but with some sideways sidling and a chair as a means of defence we both made it safely back inside slamming the sliding door behind us. The monkey then took over the table and made short work of the sugar and the milk with the milk jug being the collateral damage in his rampage.

Mean Monkey

Polonnaruwa

We hired a Tuk Tuk through our hotel and had another great ride through the jungle and the towns on the way to Polnnuarwa.

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Polonnaruwa is a a huge ruin dating back to the 11th Century and was the capital city until the 13th Century. The area of the city is huge and it was much easier to see the different sections by Tuk Tuk and one ticket is all you need to get into each section. With hundreds of ancient structures, tombs, temples, statues and stupas it is well worth a visit.

A prosperous city, well situated for trade and defence it was known as a garden-city and irrigation was used extensively in the ancient city. The city was eventually abandoned and overtaken by jungle after a series of civil wars and invasions.

The main event seems to be the Quadrangle as it is known, a huge collection of buildings in a small area, it is considered a holy site and proper dress (no bare knees or shoulders) is required for entry.

Cooking Lesson – A Definite Highlight

We loved our cooking lesson at Jaga Food Restaurant in Polonnaruwa. We Tuk Tukked it back to the restaurant with our now regular driver, Janaka Sudam. Our excellent teacher, Angelee, spoke English and her youngest two children were being sent to an English school so they had a pretty good grasp of what we were saying. It was a family affair with the two older sons and husband all in attendance. The second oldest son is studying Japanese and was doing his homework atone of the restaurant tables.

The clay pots that are used on the wood-fired ovens are seen all an over Sri Lanka. Roadside stands will have hundreds of pots of all sizes on display.

Our Cooker – Temperature Control with Positioning of Wood

Anjalee Wickramasinghe of Jaga Food Restaurant

Master Coconut Grinder- Only the Freshest Ingredients

Of course when all was said and done we sat down to twelve dishes, Anjalee added rice and custard with treacle for dessert and we implored our driver to join us to help out, there were so many dishes. Another one of my favourite things to do in Sri Lanaka. Thank you Anjalee and family, we so enjoyed our time with you.

Thekkady

The performer that started the show, rolled, raised, lowered, shuffled, circled and otherwise manipulated only his eyes such that your eyes hurt just watching…

The drive from Munnar to Thekkady takes about three hours and continues to be as awe inspiring as the drive from Kochi to Munnar. The picture below gives a good idea of the Shola Forest predominant in the Ghats.

Botanical Garden but No More Flowers…I Promise

Thekkady is quite distinctive from Munnar, has more of a National Park Vibe than does Munnar which for its part is really just a jumble of a town that straddles the highway for the purpose of commerce. The area around Munnar is what makes it a destination whereas Thekkady itself has some actual charm. The big draw for me was Periyar National Park, famous for its flora and fauna. It is also a Tiger Reserve and a great way to see the Park is on a boat cruise. We got extremely lucky by all accounts as we cruised Periyar Lake seeing bison, elephants and deer, all relatively rare sights given that it was a midday sailing.

After paying a bus fare that got me into the park and up close to the lake I purchased a ticket for the boat cruise and while I waited I had some fun people watching and some monkey antics as well. On the cruise I came to regret my decision to be lazy and leave my Nikon with telephoto lens at home. My iPhone just doesn’t cut the distances and my animal shots would have been much more satisfying.

These ladies happily agreed to have their photo taken

Seeing this and not to be outdone these ladies volunteered to be photographed. I love it!

I did alert the owner and he shooed the little fellow off…

Wow just wow! Everyone on the boat was excited.

Cruise over and bussed back to the entrance, I met up with Srihari who took me to my Hotel. Really nice rooms and pool and I had a few hours to relax before the evening activities of a Kalaripayat Martial Arts performance followed by a performance of Kutiyattam the traditional dance of Kerala.

The arena where the martial arts demonstration happened was packed and by an enthusiastic audience of all ages. I sat beside an elderly woman who didn’t hold back when demonstrating her approval, clapping and yelling when something exciting happened. It was really fun. A combination of Kerlalan traditional martial arts and weapons, with extreme yoga poses and acrobatics it was quite entertaining and I was glad I went and equally glad that I avoided the audience participation part as seen below, although I did suggest that the avid older lady fan beside me volunteer which elicited giggles and chuckles.

Increasing number of backs to hurtle over and finish with an aerial tumble.

Immediately following the Martial Arts event I walked to the nearby theatre to see Kutiyattam, India’s oldest living theatrical art form, possibly 2000 years old. Starting out in temples as a story telling form of worship it advanced in the 20th century to stage and theatres. The meaning of the word Kutiyattam is ‘acting and dancing together’. The dance is performed in a specific manner and a lot of rules must be followed. The dance can only be presented by men of Chakiar caste and the music is played by men of the Nambiear caste. All of this was explained to the audience before the performance began. A very deliberate slow moving performance which relies heavily on extreme eye movements.

The performer that started the show, rolled, raised, lowered, shuffled, circled and otherwise manipulated only his eyes such that your eyes hurt just watching. In this first part only the eyes moved everything else was stony still. After the eye tumbling and with controlled breathing, fine facial movements and hand gestures, the story unfolds. Eventually other actors join the stage and the story becomes more dynamic. The music consisted of a drum, conch shell, cymbals and flute. A bit surreal the performance definitely gave the flavour of otherworldly beings as it was intended to do.

Back to my hotel and a good nights rest in a rather swanky hotel whose name escapes me. Tomorrow we leave the mountains and rolling hills of the Western Ghats and return to the Malabar Coast to the city of Alapuzza, south of Kochi.

The Road to Munnar and the Kerala Ghats

The history of the Western Ghats is written in tea leaves..

I had such a good experience with my one day tour that I booked through Nicy Charly at Sight City Tours & Travels, that I decided to go all in with them and book my full itinerary with them. I don’t usually do this, because I am avoiding commercialising my Blog, but this company was outstanding both in their prices and their organisational skills and of course I was lucky and got their star driver again. If you visit Kerala I would highly recommend Nicey. She can be found on Facebook

So Srihari and I set out for Munnar, not too early, and arrived four hours later, but not without several stops.

My Fearless Driver Srihari KS after Lord Vishnu, Lion of Prosperity, Divine Krishna

Being a lover of colour…India fits the bill

Along the way to Munnar there are several suggested stops in the guide books including these two waterfalls, Cheeyapara and Valera one of which is waiting for the Monsoon season to return to glory and the other one that is just hanging in there.

I expressed an interest in Ayurvedics and Srihari suggested we stop at one of many Ayurvedic Farms along the way. I paid for a tour with a practitioner and he ushered me about the garden naming all the plants and their medicinal purposes. Very interesting but a great deal of information to absorb in a short time. Of course there was a retail outlet attached to the farm and I purchased some herbs and spices used for various health related purposes.

Ayurvedic Medicine for Skin Disorders – Type of Burrweed

The higher we got into the Ghats the more beautiful the scenery became with the contours of the slopes planted with tea and of course many road side attractions and Srihari humoured me with many stops for exclaiming and photographing the alluring landscapes.

Terraced Tea Plantations following the steps of the Western Ghats

This is Why I Came for the Beauty and the Colour

I’m sorry but you don’t know green until you’ve
been to the hills of Kerala

Finally at 1880 meters, we arrived at top station and of course the views were never ending, much like India itself,

Kerala is known in India as “God’s own country” for a reason

At one point I saw a sign for a botanical garden and I’m sorry but I had to stop and of course photograph madly and chat up the other garden fans. One family I met were from my home town Calgary and lived not far from the neighbourhood that I grew up in. The cheeky grandson told me his grandfather was single, hint, hint, until he was caught out as the man’s wife rounded the corner.

A garden feels like home to me, so many flowers are the same the world over and the sense of familiarity when seeing them outside of your own back yard, reminds me of the commonalities in this world. (I warned you I took a few pictures.)

Green goes with so many other colours…especially if you stop at a Botanical Garden

The trip to Munnar was so wonderful just when you thought it couldn’t get any prettier it would. The hotel that Nicy had booked for me had a definite alpine feeling and I instantly felt at home and was told that I had been upgraded to a chalet room all of my own. Lovely balcony with views over the garden and the valley, pool and great food, mostly vegetarian and delicious.

In the hotel dining room people were very friendly and I met a young foursome from Pune, Chtrapati Shivaji Nagar near Mumbai. Each couple had been married one year and were super into taking their picture with me and even came one morning to knock on my door so we could take one from my balcony. Following the selfie stage they moved on to the FaceTime stage with their families back home and I was introduced to parents and siblings and grandmothers who were all very happy to meet me. Young and sweet and definitely enjoying their vacation.

Laxmi & Anand Kade and Arti & Shubham Shinde

Likewise in the cabin next door the young couple asked to come over to meet me and I said of course. Selfies and calls home to meet the families ensued and I began to feel like somewhat of a celebrity.

Anika’s Wedding Photo Now Screensaver! Stunning or what!

Three nights in Munnar allowed lots of time for road tripping and visiting the Matupetti Dam and Lake, very scenic and surrounded by Shola Forest. According to Mr. Goggle the Shola Forest are rolling grasslands adorned with evergreen vegetations and stunted trees and spectacularly are now part of an ecosystem that is older than humanThe only disappointment was not being able to visit Eruvikulam National Park said to be home to 26 species of mammals. Leopards and tigers being the main predators with seasonal visits from elephants. But it had been closed as it was breeding time for the deer in the park.

Four Doctors and a Chef – More selfie requests

After spending several days exploring the spectacular growth patterns of the tea plant I wondered how I could have gone on so long drinking the stuff and yet knowing so slittle about it. Well that ignorance is gone following my tour of a tea museum and a processing plant.

The history of the Western Ghats is written in tea leaves. The cool temperature, the soil conditions and the local labour force were the exact right conditions for the British Empire to reap the benefits. When India gained its independence local coops took ownership of many of the factories but today many are owned by multinational corporations based in India such as Tata one of the biggest Indian conglomerates.

The tea museum run by the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company showcases the history of tea cultivation in Munnar since 1876 when tea was first planted in here. On display are several rare artefacts and curios as well as evocative photographs from an era of settlement and isolation and a rail engine wheel of the Kundaly Valley Light Railway, that transported men and material between Munnar and Top Station during the early part of the last century, before then everything was carried by humans or livestock.

Then at the Nullatanni tea processing plant we were walked through the process of harvesting and processing the leaves until the final stage where they are sorted into three levels of quality. Interesting tour and of course I bought some White Tea which I look forward to trying when I get home.

From what I could see education is highly regarded in Kerala, apparently having one of the highest rates of literacy in the country. Large schools, often resembling hotels are government run, church run and private and are frequent sights even out in the countryside, resulting in a 93.9% literacy rate.

Three nights at Arbour Resort Srihari and I say goodbye to Munnar and venture on our way to Thekaddy a town about two hours by car.

Kochi the city, Kerala the state and India…well you know, the country

In case you’re wondering exactly where I am at the moment…

Find the State of Kerala…look down, way down

Then find the city of Kochi on the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea

This being my last day of two whole days in Kochi I have been busy squeezing in as much as possible. I hired a diver with an AC car (it being only 35 C) to take me to the must see sights in Kochi. It was well worth the 2300 Indian Rupees (40 CAD) to be taken through the crazy busy streets from my hotel to the Fort Kochi area where much of the history of the Malabar coast was unfurled.

Amazingly good driver in some very robust traffic.

So many layers of influence converged on this slice of the planet mainly in the name of spice and as all food lovers will tell you that is not a minor consideration. First came the Portuguese, then the Dutch, then the British and finally, after many squabbles, they all went away. Fortunately, they did not abscond with all the spices. They did however leave their mark and Fort Kochi is the place to see it.

As a nod to its precolonial past, Kochi was a princely state ruled by the Maharaja. A surprise to me, “Kochi” includes a group of islands and towns, including Ernakulam, Mantancherry, Fort Cochin, Willingdon Island, Vypin Island, and Gundu Island. The urban mainland areas included the neighbourhoods of Trikkakara, Eloor, Kalamassery, and Trippunithura. That’s a mouthful right? The islands can be reached from the mainland where I stayed by both frequent ferries or several bridges, or better yet if you don’t mind very close quarters there are several hotels on Fort Kochi.

Kochi was a fishing village until, in the 14th century, water erosion caused it to be separated from the mainland but created a safe inside harbour. The Portuguese came and settled in the late 15th C and founded the first European settlement on Indian soil at Kochi in 1500. Fort Kochi remained a Portuguese possession until it was conquered by the Dutch in 1663.

Cantilever Nets Based on Ancient Chinese Method

Under Dutch rule (1663–1795) Kochi had its greatest prosperity, shipping pepper, cardamom and other spices and drugs as well as coir (coconut shell fibre – think doormats), coconut, and copra (dried coconut seeds used for oil and animal feed).

Locked up Tight but some interesting looking very old graves.

According to the museum in the old Mattancherry Palace, the city’s ethnic and religious groups, including its Hindu majority and the Muslim, Syrian Christian, and Jewish minorities, shared in the city’s prosperity.

Interestingly I sat beside a man on the plane from London whose heritage was Jewish. His people left Europe in one of the pogroms to settle in Kochi as spice farmers and merchants but have assimilated and become Catholic over the generations. I also read that the Jewish community in Kochi was the oldest in India, claiming to date from the 4th century. They trickled in over the centuries and lived peacefully until the Portuguese imported the ideas of the Inquisition.

At Fort Cochin is St. Francis Church, built by the Portuguese in 1510 and reputedly the first European church on Indian soil. It was for a time the burial place of Vasco da Gama before his remains were taken to Portugal. Other churches as well as Hindu temples, mosques, and the historic synagogue at Mattancherry all stand in the area.

St. Francis Church History – I don’t expect you to read it but if you do well good on you!

British rule over Kochi lasted from 1795 until 1947, when India became independent. (Watch the movie Gandhi)

A system of inland waterways running parallel to the coast provides Kochi with cheap transportation, and picturesque lagoons and backwaters that attract tourists.

Backwaters as they are known surround the islands
in front of the mainland.

The mainland part of Kochi is one endless jumble of noisy streets, buildings, commerce, life being lived, people constantly on the move using every conveyance possible to get to their jobs, homes, schools, whatever the case may be. In one single block on the main streets you pass a multitude of businesses, homes and schools. Scooters dart between Tuk Tuks darting between cars darting between trucks, daring between buses. You get the drift. (Nothing to my Mexican friends)

My Uber Tuk Tuk Ride

Street scenes always of interest, can present some forms of urban irony wherever you go and I took the opportunity to snap this one. If you know that the woman on the right in the photo is a beggar with a severe limp, you will get my drift.

The good the bad and the ugly all in one moment

Just when I was beginning to recover from jet lag and get the hang of things it was time to leave Kochi but not before I visited the Lulu Mall a temple of consumerism at its best. If this mall was in Vancouver I would not be able to afford to shop there. It has every shop knows to man the world over and is very expensive by Indian standards. My driver/now friend Sreehari told me that the average person does not shop there. That includes me! It is huge and shiny and even has a Starbucks! Of course.

And so Kochi until I pass through on my way to Sri Lanka in a few weeks time, thank you for a lovely stay and special shout out to the Ginger Kochi Hotel! I highly recommend it should you find yourself able to visit Kerala.

A “Bed” in Isle of Thanet in County Kent

County Sussex – Rye and Winchelsea for the Day

Bath – From Roman Ruins to the Regency & Georgian Periods

Beyond to Bruges

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Getting There

New to Me – The Maya Train

New to Me – Trendy Avenida 47.

The La Plancha

Progreso

A New to Me Cenote

Also New to Me – Bacalar

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