Kerala: "God's Own Country"

I ended my stay in India with a train trip from Bangalore to Kerala to see sights, sample more delicious cuisine, and relax after a whirlwind of a term. Kerala is a state on the southwestern tip of India.  The region has some of the highest social indicators in India, including low infant mortality, high literacy, good access to healthcare and lower rates of poverty.  It is also a very beautiful area, with water logged costal areas to beautiful mountain vistas and forests. 

My first sight of Kerala was by train in the early morning on a sleeper train.  Despite not sleeping, it was a glorious morning, every visitor to India must try the train at least once!

The area has much natural beauty, spending time in the mountains was the best, plenty of clean air, sunshine and humane temperatures.

Kerala is apparently the only state in the world to vote in and out a Marxist-Leninist government.   The CPI was very active here with a very politically mobilized populace.  One big issue is a 100 year-old dam that may break at any moment. 

We were given access to watch actors prepare for Kathakali, a classical  Indian dance-drama famous in Kerala.

A performance of Kathakali.  The eye movements were very striking as well as the dance.  As in many acting traditions, men play the roles of women as it was not considered proper for women to exhibit themselves on stage.  I did not follow the entire plot well, but it ended with the woman being killed.

In the tea fields, a big difference from the Palouse.  The smell was dreamy.

This driver seems to have all his bases covered with icons from all three of the dominant religions in Kerala, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.

We took jeeps up to the highest peaks that separate Kerala from Tamil Nadu.

A tea worker.  Women make INR 120 a day (about $2.50), men make about INR 150 (about $3) for the same work.

Here I am posing on a boat touring the "Venice of the East."  I am wearing a typical South Indian dhoti, I called it a "man-skirt" or mirt if you prefer.

Typical Keralan houseboat on the soggy "backwaters" of an amazingly beautiful region.

The canals are the primary means of commerce and transportation in this area.  It is also a very fertile agricultural region.

Boat crew watching the sunset, I would kill for this job.

Doing the wash just outside the front door

Chinese fishing nets off the harbor.

Poetic tribute to my last sunset in India.  I am very privileged to have had the opportunity to come here and experience so many wonderful things.  I have learned many lessons from my visit here and will share these experiences as much as possible.  Thank you India and to all the people I met along the way!