The French bit

Slowly moving north and stopped in Puducherry. Town of which is full of French character. Part of the town is called “White Town” and this is next to the beach. Many streets have French signs, French cafes and many speaking French residents. Very strange to walk from this area and into the rest of Puducherry real India.
As we walked around we came across a paper factory where visitors were most welcome. There were Europeans in there volunteering with the production of paper and its products. The order they were working on was from the Indian Government who had ordered paper to record their archives by hand!!!!. The painstaking task of checking for flaws was explained in detail to us. Using a craft knife, and good eyesight,  looking for minute pieces of material pressed into the paper during production. Found out they use tea, corn plant leaves, hay and flowers to create the parchment. Very interesting.
We then moved on to a beautiful temple (Elephant Temple). Shame no cameras but it was exceptionally colourful and full of people. We were allowed in which was great.
Off to the Le Café Arts for lunch and met a young couple who had rented out their London house and quit jobs to travel. Very interesting and good to swop travel tips. Them to us more than us to them 😀🌴.
Nice walk down a great Promenade and then back to our dwelling. Now that is a interesting place. Imagine a peaceful haven behind a metal wall. Nice villa with nice pool. Friendly hosts and clean rooms. But don’t look over the walls to a huge rubbish dump!!!! Even our driver said “oh my goodness”. Down the very tiny back streets with in an area of very poor status. Lots of midges due to the situation. And food was from local take away given to us in the foil trays and cold. Very basic breakfast not even fruit. Sorry Daya you just did not make the mark as far as we are concern.
Moved after two night to a hotel in town.
Next day we went to a place called “Auroville”. You might like to google this as a very interesting concept of a universal town all living in peace and harmony, all creeds, no religion and no politics.
Separate blog for this one. Photos below are a mixture of the last few days.
We are now trying to pack to go and fly to Bangalore. Having had a car for over 3 weeks we seem to have gained stuff!!😏😉😎🌴🤔

Having had a look at the hotel we were booked in a place called Trichy and chatting to our driver we decided to try a change for a retreat in the mountains between Maderai and Trichy. This was called Lakeside in a village called Athoor. Ringing them up quickly booked us in so off we set from a very strange hotel in Thenmari in hopes of better things. On the way Sajith stopped and said wedding. Well before we knew it we were being ushered in and joined in the wedding photos. Carnt say the bride looked very happy maybe it was us or the arranged marriage she had just entered into. Keith put 500rs in his bridegrooms hand, which is the custom, and this triggered off more pics. They were so welcoming and it was great to be the history in their wedding album. Something to tell their kids.
Now on to the mystery place.
Into a very rural area near to a reservoir we followed a single roadway into the valley.
Our anticipation was well rewarded with a gem of a hotel.
The photos say it all. We loved it. Lunch was served on the patio overlooking the lake and the food was yummy. Beer as well 😀🌴😎👍. Lots of walking and watching birds of which there were many. An afternoon swim in the fab pool and then a siesta.  More food this time sitting on the roof area with candles. Very romantic. Ahh Keith sure you didn’t plan this 🌹😍.
Curled up in a little room with 5 Ghekkos running around catching the pesky midges we had soundless night.
Kennedy, and his team, ensure we were very well looked after with coffee sitting ready at 7am before we went off for a walk.
Been told there are Leopards, wild boar, snakes etc there none of which we saw but did not stop our enjoyment of this lovely retreat.  Thank you Sajith for this recommendation.

It all works on Indian roads, somehow 🙃👍

Having spent a night in a city centre hotel overlooking a very busy road which had junctions and roundabouts on it thought it would to try and describe the view.
Now watching this at night is fascinating. Let’s start with the larger vehicles which are lorries and then buses. They have the noisy horns, mostly air horns, ranging from one note to a singing of three different pitched sounds. Then into this equation come cars little and large with or without lights on. Of course they also have horns. Now the little Tuk Tuks join in fitted with either one or two headlights neither maybe working but to counterbalance this they sometimes brighten up the world with flashing different coloured ones. Tractors carting extremely wide and preciously lads of various produce trundle through knowing they really do not need bother to look what’s coming.
We then get the scooters and motor bikes with pillion riders sitting side saddle sometimes carrying one or even two children none of which wear crash helmets. These appear to work over their arms instead!!!
Then the bravest of all are the pedal cyclist with no lights, no hi vis jackets (don’t be silly not seen any in the 5 weeks in India). Sometimes they are also pulling a trailer as well.
That’s the human element now let’s add in the occasional cow, goat or dog merrily wondering across the roads stopping to munch on a bit of rubbish on the way.
Now where were we ahh yes in the dark all moving in different directions with no rules eg right of way etc only the horn will be their voice.
This, what we see as chaos, all works with no heated road rage, the occasional bump and no stopping of the flow forwards. Sorry forgot about u turns and reversing. This only goes wrong when they put a traffic cop in the middle with khaki coloured uniforms which even in daylight you have trouble seeing. Drivers persuade others that that bit of space they are moving into is theirs and it’s the case of bravest win. Cross a junction in a group and nothing can stop you.
India is a fascinating place def not for the faint hearted but great fun to watch.
Only seen three lady drivers whilst here. Good for them braving this man element of India.

Festivals galore

We are now gradually heading towards the Western Ghats mountains. First of all had a couple of days in a place called Niraamaya retreat near Trivandrum (short version of name) in Kovalam. Lovely hotel with the best hotel food yet. Nice little cottage surrounded by forest next to a cliff top leading down to a beach. 

Couple of stalls on the beach where it appears the owners have the same life story as the beach guard!!! Three kids, very quiet and even my wife has died leaving me with kids!!! Got to be a hard tourist round here. 

Moving on we take the road leading to Maderai, a temple city. 

On the way up we saw lots of signs of damage from last years flood. Also they are installing massive land drains so a long arduous route with heavy lorries, no road signs, lots of soil  in the road, big holes etc. Well done Sajith our driver. 

We stopped for two nights in a place called Thenmala. Eco signs everywhere saying no plastic zone. REALLY!!!! Must go to spec savers when home. 😎🤓. Had a great walk in a park by the dam. Passing through sculpture forest and Dinosaur everywhere 😀😧 all the while escorted by a very friendly dog. 

For two weeks in the Kerala/Tamil Nadu state the temples celebrate by worshipping their gods (of which there are many) in many ways.  So there are huge speakers on the roads pumping out services and music, bunting flags decorating the roads and temples, flower petal stalls, fireworks  and lots more activity near temples. During this trip we have come across quite a few parades going on and one of them had men with long thin pieces of metal through their cheeks 😧. Local to that particular temple. We watched one night a statue of a goddess being draped in cloth and the buckets of flower petals scattered over her. This was all happening to the sound of bell clanging and dramatic drums. They have so many gods and all get a ceremony during the two weeks. Only saw one dressed Elephant this time but some have many and at the cost of around £500 each this is an expensive way to worship. 

We have seen many new temples, mosque and cathedrals being built and most of theses have been huge. It does give you food for thought when there are so many very poor people, mountains of rubbish and a very fast growing population. Money used for these creations could make a big difference to all the above whilst making gods presence maybe more worth while to humanity. But that is just my thoughts. 

Devotion to all sorts of religion happens in India and it is interesting of how tolerate of each other’s ways of worship there is. One elderly gentleman, we met outside a Hindu temple, was very cross that only Hindus were allowed in. He really wanted to welcome us in to his temple. He was Hindu and 

like that he could visit all other places of worship. Nice man and his family were lovely as have been everyone we have met up in this great country.