India - Part 2

 INDIA - Frolicking in another Waterfall, Conquering Mountains and Gorging on Masala

 Mysore was soon behind us as we set out from the Bus station on the 5 or so hour journey to Wayand. We were being dropped off at some town in the area, then we would have to make our way to our accommodation for the next 3-4 days. The bus, as it happens wasn't so bad if you forget the lunch break which seemed designed as a way for flocks of beggars to erupt from the street and flood the vehicle like a lava flow, hands outstretched through the windows and surrounding you on all sides.

The Group - Courtesy of James

I have been asked for many undoubtedly hundreds of times in the last 6 months and yet have never given it. I'm currently writing this passage in a hostel in Yogyakarta and have been confronted with beggars numerous times in the last couple of hours. It's a difficult moral dilemma and one in which i don't have the moral high ground. But I'll address that another time.

We arrived in Wayand and after much bartering managed to get a couple of Tuk Tuks out to the farm whose address was not strictly known to them. Regardless we made it and arrived at "Blooms Green Farm" a place where i have only positive things to say about it.

 Immediately we were at home, shown to our private Vila (made private by the fact they had given us an additional room for free) and were quickly given Tea, Coffee  Juice etc, whatever the vice of the person in question was.

The Villa - Courtesy of George

 We sat down and admired the Ping Pong table in our apartment, an unexpected perk and were soon taken on a tour of the farm. Using Manure to generate biogass for all the cooking on the premises, growing their own chicken feed in ponds and using banana leaf and the like to feed the cows all an impressive level of sustainability that i didn't expect.

From the Kitchen

It was a charming place and we quickly relaxed into it. That night we went to bed early largely down to the fine and heavy food they prepared for us and didn't do much of anything really.

The next day we visited the Soochipara Waterfalls after hiring a private car and driver for the day and undertaking a 1km walk which I'm afraid to say knackered me out somewhat. We frolicked in those falls, i got a few photos then crawled directly underneath the tumbling water and felt quite exhilarated  Later that day we visited the second largest damn in Asia, admired the sites and took it easy.

Soochipara Waterfalls

The trip has been building up to one thing and one thing only, and that was Chembra Peak. This is a mountain based in the area, a monster around 7,000 feet in heigh.

It is widely regarded as the best thing you can do in the area and so we set our minds to it. Unfortunately for the last week or so my health had been deteriorating, a cough caused by the overuse of air conditioning on my behalf due to the extremely hot weather had taken a hold of me and i was finding it difficult to shake. To use Air Con is take a bite out of a fruit that at first tastes sweet but soon turns sour and grotesque in your mouth. I had fallen foul of this and was paying the price. To put this into context around 2-3 weeks has passed and i still have this cough. It is the same cough that stopped me from climbing the most active Volcano in Indonesia last night and thus why i am wake writing this blog post as opposed to past out in the dorm room with Brad and Keith.

Anyway, i manned up, inhaled all the medication i had to hand and agreed to the expedition. We left around 7am and were driven to the base of the peak. Here Keith signed our lives away with ease, we paid the modest entry fee and soon we were beginning our climb. Now, i am not what you would call a man in the peak of his physical fitness.

 It is true i am only 20 years of age and should be in the prime of my life but it is also true that i am a lazy bastard that returns home form work about 7pm with the brain power and survived intellect of a member of the undead. I had been running off far to little sleep for the last 6 months, sweating out far to hard on site and been brutalised far to much by the Malaysian roads to the extent that there was no will or surplus energy left to carry me to the gym and back. After work i tend to dissolve into my chair and sit down on facebook quite content and thus my body has suffered as a result. Therefore, no training prior to this event had taken place, and i was slightly frightened by this thought.

View from the Starting position

Well, we begun, and with frequent breaks caused by yours truly which allowed me to catch my breath we soon made it thanks to a fairly good place to the mid way mark. This was indicated by a heart shaped lake, which offered fantastic views of the surrounding hills and mountain side.

Das Lake

 It was here that our guide (I would add our paid for guide) communicated to us largely through hand singles that he would go no further. Pointing to the mountain top, well the presumed top as the peak was actually hidden, and then pointing to his knee we presumed he had not enough strength in him to reach the summit. I imagine that noticing my constant breaks he assumed we would stop half way and return back the way we came which is apparently the case more often than not here.

He was wrong.

Brad and James with one of the Peaks in the background

We continued on without a guide, following an easily identifiable path up the mountainside. Sweating and sweating was the main event of the day, too short on breath to speak we trudged on up, with myself admittedly by far the worst for wear. We climbed each peak only to be rewarded with another one behind. I think there were 5 in total, each one a feint for the real summit.

I used the last of my energy lifting my arms for this photo - Courtesy of Brett

I was in a particularly bad way, my lungs felt scorched and my Asthma was doing it's best to slap me round the face and then suddenly like that we were at the top. After confirming the fact with James i collapsed on the floor and after about 5 minutes regained control of my breathing. The view was breathtaking, the lake below was not even visible and we congratulated ourselves with the customary group photo.

We were 7,000 feet above Sea level in rural India, and according to the University member of staff who organises this placement scheme "This, is not a holiday"

 We descended quickly, leaving my knees in shatters and my water bottle dry. Mid way down we took a break and i sat by the edge of the lake, feet in the water and cooing my body down. It really was a very serene and vacant place and a suitable spot for a respite  We made it down and i eventually got up with the others who pulled away on the last walk home as i dropped back to take some photos of the surrounding tea plantations. We drove to the nearest decent restaurant, i ordered litres of various juices, drunk my fill then returned to the land of the living. Chembra Peak had been conquered and it was a very worthwhile experience, regardless of my Knee Caps.

The Summit!

 The next day we took a 4 hour taxi to Calicut and from there caught a train to Kochi, our final destination of the holiday. The drive there was somewhat dangerous  winding down the literal side of a mountain, combined with the pure recklessness of Indian Drivers but we made it there in one peace and relaxed.

Calicut Station

Ket at Calicut

We arrived in Kochi, having to disembark the train in the middle of the station, run across the track which presumably was not live and climb onto the platform to reach safety. I've wanted to do this for a while and it gave me an opportunity to take a few photos so it was all for the best. As it turns out we actually got off at the wrong station so perhaps in this incident we're the ones in the wrong. Moving on:

Kochi Junction Station

Soon after arriving we caught  a taxi and found ourselves at the Bastian home stay  a place we were to stay for the following 2 nights, sharing the premisses with an old bloke from England, an old women from France and two dodgy looking German guys.

What it says on the Tin

Fort Kochi was originally granted to the Portuguese in 1503 by the Rajah of Kochi and thus Fort Emmanuel was built which was in turn later destoryed my the Dutch. In 1683 the Dutch captured this territory and in turn the British took it in 1795, which was then returned to India with the Independence after the 2nd World War in 1947.

Because of all this colonial presence there exists a large amount of colonial history and architecture left behind in this interesting part of India. We visited some of these sites, most notably St Francis Church, the Stana Cruiz Basilica and the Chinese fishing nets which serve as the symbol of the city, introduced by Chinese traders in the 14th Centruy.

Stana Cruiz Basilica

We actually had a go on these nets hauling in the catch, but unfortunately there were no fish to be found. Of course this privilege was paid for. The Town is a nice little place and well worth a visit.

Bringing in the Catch  - Courtesy of George

The final day we undertook a trip to the backwaters, around an hours drive form Kochi, Boarding a small wooden craft we were punted down the river and into small and confined waterways, gliding past farms, plantations and homes of the occupants. This was a serene way to end the trip, although not without it's faults as little and discarded plastics entered the waterways at some places but overall it was very peaceful and calming. Kerala is famous for it's house boats, we were deemed this luxury to expensive and opted out.

Our Guide whilst punting down the river

Backwaters - Courtesy of Brett

We flew home after a flight delayed into 4am in the morning and i arrived back in KL somewhat dazed but largely hole. It's odd how i know think of my apartment in Kuala Lumpur as my home as opposed to my house in Kent, but there it is.

India had been 7 days well spent, but i was glad to be back in my own bed. Before India i had signed off from my old site and been transferred to one located just opposite my accommodation. Longer sleeps and no more 3 hours of commuting? Awesome.

Check out my Flickr for the polished photos at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/glenncook/sets/72157632067033774/