place for souvenir and antique hunters,
and even has a Chinese community
dating back to the late fourteenth
century, evidenced by the Chinese
fishing nets lining the entrance to the
harbour.
Day 28 and after 4 weeks of long hard
travelling, I was finally approaching
journey’s end, the southern city of
Kovalam, in the southern most state of
Kerala. Although a week on the beach
beckoned, beforehand was an overnight
cruise on the Keralan backwaters. The
state of Kerala includes a vast network
of inland waterways and an equally
vast number of houseboats ready to
welcome tourists. The houseboats
were traditionally built from anjili wood
and bamboo, a method which has been
used for hundreds of years. Now, rather
than being homes for local Keralans,
they provide a welcome respite to the
weary traveller and an opportunity to
lay back and take in the long, shallow
palm fringed canals and prolific bird life
which is a feature of the area. As prolific
however are the mosquitos, which I
can say, from personal experience, are
immune to all forms of Deet!
A comparatively short coach ride on
Day 29 saw me arrive at the coastal
town and former hippy retreat of
Kovalam. Although in recent years it
has experienced an influx of tourists, it
retains its authenticity and beauty.
for its vast and imposing city palace,
one of the largest in India. Designed by
Henry Irwin and built in 1897, it has been
restored to its original splendour and
contains stained glass all the way from
Glasgow, vast areas of wall painting,
ivory inlaid doors and an ornate golden
throne.
To escape the oppressive heat of the
Indian summers, the British Raj would
move to the cooler climes and clearer air
of the mountains. One of the best known
of these “hill stations” is that of Ooti
which on Day 24, was my destination.
Known as the Queen of the Southern
Hill Stations it was a refuge for British
officials and tea planters from southern
India and at 2,286 metres has a climate
similar to that of the UK. At this point,
after almost 4 weeks of travelling in India,
Ooti was the first place I visited where I
could breathe clean fresh air.
Surrounded by a variety of woodland,
including eucalyptus, conifer and shola,
Ooti boasts the Dodabetta peak, the
second highest in the Western Ghats,
where, on a clear day, it is possible to
see the Mysore plateau below. One of
the highlights of any visit to Ooti is a
trip on the narrow gauge Blue Mountain
railways, which takes in a delightful one
hour train journey to the nearby village
of Conoor. It is not only a source of
tourist income but a also a lifeline for
locals travelling between the villages that
make up this region, particularly those
employed on the nearby tea plantations.
Day 26 saw a descent through the
Niligiri Hills to the beautiful coastal
town of Cochin. Situated on India’s
“Pepper” coast, it is believed to be the
first European settlement in India, rich
in history and retaining a relaxed and
quiet atmosphere. Made up of various
islands, the most interesting was Fort
Cochin, which comprised narrow streets
and alleyways dating back to the time
when the Portuguese explorer, Vasco de
Gama, first landed in 1500 and began
trading with the Rajah of Cochin.
A must on any visitor’s itinerary, Cochin
has a distinctly European feel, having
been founded by the Portuguese and
subsequently developed by the Dutch.
Cochin was the heart of the trade in
peppercorns to Europe, is an amazing
Day 30 saw my final coach ride
(a relatively short 2 hours!) to the
undeveloped but equally beautiful resort
of Varkala. One of the benefits of being a
lawyer working in the travel sector is that
occasionally you get to sample first hand
your clients’ products! I was therefore
able to stay for 5 days with the fantastic
Soul & Surf; a Brighton based company,
located in Varkala and Sri Lanka. This
provided the ideal opportunity to unwind
and although surfing proved to be a step
too far, the yoga and mediation were just
what was needed to sooth a tired aching
body.
Doing it the way I did, was a great way
to scratch the surface of this diverse and
spectacular country. Would I return?
Yes, probably but not covering quite so
much territory next time! And so, what’s
next? Having always had an appetite for
travel and being unable to wait another
4 years for my next big trip, Zambia
beckons! Only for a week this time but
this time white water rafting down the
mighty Zambesi river for the fantastic
charity, Winston’s Wish, will, I am sure,
sustain me through the English summer.
By Lee Hills
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