India's working women

Coir manufacturing and

Cashew farms.

Feeling sleepy in the mornings came from the extreme heat and dehydration from constantly eating sugary spicy meals.

A trip to the local industries was enlightening and energising. 

To get the the Coir factory we had to park and walk a way through the jungle and across a railway track. Under a small hut by the river, some women were tearing the husk off coconuts with their bare hands, as other women unloaded more coconuts from a canoe. Large piles of husk were then taken over to another area where the women there were spinning the husk into rope. They did this with a merry song and yelled and laughed if they dropped the yarn. As I was leaving I noticed a shed piled to the roof with thick Coir rope.

I took some time to take pictures of the beautiful ad unique flowers at Fragrant Nature:

My favourite. From far it looks like bunches of peach silks.

A cute flower vine, climbing up a palm tree.

By the coffee house:
This flower and it's faned leaves were posing a perfect frame and focus.

Around mid-day, I was feeling so calm and relaxed, I actually sat and drew a picture, (of a Tiger cub.)

The Rainy season started whilst we were visiting the Cashew Factory that afternoon. They roast the raw nuts to begin. Then a shed of women who would bash the cashew nut shell open with rocks. 

The women breaking open the Cashews.

A water well at the factory.

A second shed has mant women cleaning up the cashews and sorting the bad ones out. They are then roasted for a second time and sent away for packaging.

The women here, leave there shoes at the door and scrape the cashews to a clean shape.

The final roasting... Love this photograph.
It might be found framed on my wall one day.

YUM!

Authentic India

Cooking in an Indian Home!

One of the highlights of my time in the South. My (non-English-speaking) Guide took me to an Indian Market place where I saw nothing on the shelves like you would see in Australia. The fresh market place was a real eye opener! There were many men sitting on a wooden box or in the mud with a wooden box in front of them, and their fish for sale, displayed in the open air. The fish varieties were small and the meat was hanging in tents. A butcher was chopping meat with an axe on a raw old stump, covered in gashes and dried meat from previous preparations.

We then drove deep into the tropical jungle and arrived a tiny concrete house. The house was as big as a king size bedroom but had a loung corner, bed corner, sectioned off kitchen corner and table in the middle.

The Grandmother and the mother taught me meal preparations on the dining table. Behind them is a bed and a sink!

There was also an upstairs area, half the size of the main living area on the ground floor. There were 7 people living in this house. Father, Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, daughter and 2 sons. They also had some chickens, many trees and plants and a each several meters away. The family welcomed me in and taught me to cook several authentic Indian dishes, the traditional way. They didn't speak much English, just words like "Chilli" "Rice" and "Coconut."

My Indian Meal.

I had previously learnt the respectful way to eat Indian*. However some regions have different techniques  We ate from a Banana leaf, there was coconut rice and popadoms and all sorts of spicy bean salads and sources. 

*Most Indians eat with two fingers of their left hand. they gather a bit of spicy goo and add it to the rice to provide texture to pick up a mouthful. They then place it in their mouth, without tilting their head back, or touching their mouth with their fingers. 

I payed many respects to the family for letting me into their hoe. I left them a tip through Fragrant Nature and they would have been able to feed their family for the  remainder of the week, with the food I left from the lesson.

This is me with the daughter, next the the GranMother and Father.

Exploring Kerala

Exploring the South of India.

On the second day in Fragrant Nature resort I woke up with the sun, to the sound of birds and nature. The breakfast room looked out over the resort and I would usually have a Lassie, (mango and soft yoghurt, probably lots of sugar!)

Mid morning I took a paddle boat ride through the local area. I saw children waving to me from there small, riverside settlements, with cows and chickens, grazing freely. 

The sunset in the evening was most impressive. This picture was taken from my porch. The air was warm and dusty and the sun turned and warm red as it passed through the haze on the horizon. All the bird migrated to the palm tree on the islands to the west of the canal.

Stunning sunset from my porch. Actual color!

View from my porch.

In the evening, I went to visit an Elephant farm. The elephants there were owned by one of the boys there. I didn't get much information about what the Elephants do because my guide didn't speak english. The Indian guys at the farm only knew enough English to tell me to stay away from most of the elephants, as they were extremely temperamental. I felt they may have been mistreated and they were chained up. Though they did have plenty of food and water. 

The old Female Elephant... I got yelled at for getting this close. Apparently she's dangerous!

Mel with the "nice" Elephant.
I was terrified of them, and feeling very sorry for them!

Varkala Beach

Indian Ocean.

In the afternoon of the second day, I was driven to a secluded beach, in Varkala. I took 15 minutes on the cliffs top to meditate to the sound of the Indian Ocean and wildlife.

Gorgeous Flora on the cliff top.

Cliffs of Varkala Beach.

Markets, on the cliff-top, overlooking the beach. 

A trail leading down to the beach.

Varkala Beach, a sunset to the West.

Took my camera to capture some of the atmosphere. Wild dogs, dark, soft sand and a hazey sunset. 

Splashing my toes in the Indian Ocean.

Main stairs to the beach near the car park.

Looking down the main stairs to the beach.