Day Nine. Captivating Kerala. Last Bits and Bobs in Cochin and Return to Bombay

Saturday, January 17, 2026:

Last Day in Kerala and Return to Bombay

And so our stay in Kerala came to a close today as we ended our travels covering the last bits and bobs of sightseeing in Cochin.

We awoke within the peaceful cocoon of our Kodianthara Heritage House where the two little grandsons, Zack and Zane, of the host couple, Crispin and Sony, came to our villa to greet us. They were delighted to have us on their property for company and insisted on completing their walking tour with us. We decided to indulge them after we showered, got dressed and packed our bags and kept them ready for departure. But first, breakfast.

Last Breakfast in our Heritage House B and B:

Sony's breakfast of omelets, dosas and dal payassam fuelled us up well for the day. With bananas and coffee, it made a very good meal with which to set out. We spent the next few minutes taking pictures of the property as we walked around to preserve for posterity the happy moments we had spent here. We also asked the lovely host family to pose with us for pictures and they willingly did so—the boys even bringing out their toy cameras to take our pictures. And then it was time for us to say Goodbye. We’d had such a memorable stay in this place that we hope to return and also tell other travelers about our experience. Shiju, our driver, was waiting for us and with our bags piled in the booth, we were ready to drive away

Driving to Cochin:

The drive from Kumarakom to Cochin is not far as the crow flies—but on narrow, country roads, it takes ages to get anywhere. We, therefore, decided to give ourselves up to the true pleasure of passing by rural routes where the daily life of the common people was always in evidence. We crossed a long bridge over Lake Vembanad, saw our last houseboats, and were well into the heart of agricultural Kerala. Banana plantations, coconut groves, mile after mile of toddy tapping trees, spice gardens galore—all the scenes that make up the green, clean and serene quality of our drive were in evidence. We were in no hurry to get anywhere as our flight would be leaving Cochin only at 5.00 pm. We needed to be at the airport by 3.00 pm. This would leave us plenty of time for just two items on our agenda: A visit to the Church of St. George Forane at Edapally in Cochin and a visit to a shop telling the famous banana and jackfruit chips to take as presents for a few people in Bombay. Eventually, we did arrive at Edapally where we parked in the parking lot to see the Church.

The Church of St George Forane at Edapally in Cochin:

I have visited this church before—about seven years ago as I had been told about it by my friends, Bishop Michael and his wife, Cynthia Colclough of London, who had visited it on their travels in South India, a few years ago. The church has been built entirely from the personal and family funds of the Joyaluccas Family of Kerala who are said to be the world’s largest-seller of 24 carat gold jewelry. They have made a staggering fortune from gold trading. Apparently, they began their business in Kerala but then moved it quickly to the countries of the Middle East—essentially the UAE, where their name became synonymous with the purchase of gold ornaments by expatriate Keralites who saved money carefully to buy gold or to construct cottage homes in Kerala.

Well, the church is built on something of a low hill. There are ramps on either side to access it. It is a conical shaped church that resembles, slightly, the Medieval round churches that you occasionally see in the UK (London, Cambridge). You are required to remove your footwear at the door before entering. Once inside, you will be struck by the visual extravaganza that is the church. In keeping with the taste of Keralites, it is ornamental in the extreme. Colors, forms, shapes, decorations coalesce to produce what one might call pure religious eye-candy. And in keeping with their professional interests in gold, the main motif of Christ on the altarpiece is surrounded by lavish gilding—real gold paint, I would assume. There are also wooden carved vignettes on either side of the altar depicting scenes from the Bible. We made a prayerful visit and were struck by the silence and cleanliness of the place. It really is a very attractive house of worship and a testament of thanksgiving by a family that have much gratitude for the financial blessings that have been bestowed upon them.

Off to Buy Edible Gifts:

And then we instructed Shiju to take us to a store from where we could buy edible souvenirs and gifts. He said that there were many shops en route to the airport where we decided we would also eat lunch. And sure enough, we were in a very large shop in about fifteen minutes. From there, we purchased banana chips, jackfruit chips and the famous black halwa for which Kerala is famous and of which my Dad is particularly fond. Those buys done, we got into our car again and drove directly to the airport.

Lunch at Cochin Airport and Departure for Bombay:

We were at the airport at 2.00 pm. This left us enough time to say goodbye and thank-you to Shiju who had provided us with such excellent service for the past ten days. He had driven through extremely tough circumstances—we would never forget the dangerous, fog-ridden drive along the hairpin slopes of the mountains which he had negotiated with courage and ease. Yes, we did have a major language problem with him, but we were able to get around that issue satisfactorily.

With the last few pictures of Shiju and his car taken, we said goodbye and walked towards the terminal. After clearing Security, we had enough time to sit in the food court at KFC and get ourselves crispy chicken burgers with a Coke. It was the only fast food we ate on our entire trip. And when our boarding was announced, we made our way to our gate and, just a little while later, with about a half hour’s delay, we were in a bus heading to the plane and then setting off into the twilight skies as we made our two-hour return flight to Bombay on an Indigo aircraft. Service was brisk and good—we ate chicken tikka sandwiches and blue spiced tea—before it was time to land. In the last of the Ubers that we would hail on this trip, we made our way back home and were in our flat by 9.00 pm.

Conclusion:

Kerala had provided us with a good ten days that were clean, green and serene. It was a real privilege to be able to leave the smog and air pollution of Bombay and retreat to a world where Nature reigns supreme, where the people are even-tempered and kind, where the food is simply outstanding, where the cost of living is low and where one can feel rejuvenated in just a few days. Llew’s first visit to the state was thoroughly enjoyable and I, who had been here before, was equally taken, all over again, by everything that God’s Own Country had to offer.

Thank you for following me on this journey. I hope you will feel tempted to visit this part of the world if you have never been and that you will reconsider a repeat visit if you have.

Until you follow me again on one of my travels, may the road rise up to meet you…

Day Eight. Captivating Kerala. An Ayurvedic Experience, A Solitary Walk Along the Incredibly Beautiful Backwaters of Kerala, A Traditional Home-Cooked Brunch and Afternoon Tea at a Friend’s Home in Kottayam

Friday, January 16, 2026:

An Ayurvedic Experience, A Solitary Walk Along the Incredibly Beautiful Backwaters of Kerala, A Traditional Home-Cooked Brunch and Afternoon Tea at a Friend’s Home in Kottayam.

Today was truly idyllic. We saw Kerala at its best. It revealed itself to us in layers, offering incredibly beautiful natural sightings that were unexpected in the extreme, wonderful aromatherapy and physical massages that soothed the muscles of the body and lifted the cobwebs of the mind and meals that were simple but deeply soul-satisfying.

A Lovely Walk with the Kids Before Breakfast:

One of my greatest joys in Kerala has been waking up to the most delightful bird song in the mornings. I walked out to sit on the balcony of our villa to watch and listen to a variety of birds who were singing their hearts out before breakfast. Then, when the little boys, Zack and Zane, showed up, they insisted on taking us for a walk on the farm. We had a most charming time with them as we visited the ducks and the dog and a bridge over which they suggested I walk—except it was much too narrow and daunting. We passed by coconut groves and banana plantations for this is a working farm that produces an abundant yield each year. By the time we had finished our walk, it was time for showers, to get dressed and organized for the rest of our day. At my recommendation, Llew decided to get a massage—a typically Kerala experience that involves aromatic ayurvedic oils. Accordingly, our hosts Crispin and Sony, tried to find an appointment for him. It was quite impossible for me to get one too as the place was fully booked.

A Light Snack of Coffee and Rusks at our Heritage Home:

Before we set off, Sony brought us cups of steaming coffee and offered us rusks. She told us that a proper breakfast would await us upon our return from the massage. I was grateful for the snack or light breakfast as the clean, unpolluted air, seemed to be doing wonders for my appetite.

Off for An Ayurvedic Massage:

Sony gave instructions to our driver Shiju on how to get us to the place where Llew was scheduled to have an ayurvedic massage. It was a fifteen minute drive away and once we arrived there, we saw that it was a whole ‘village’ (a gated community, really) devoted to ayurvedic healing. It was called Deepmahi Ayurvedic Village and as I read up more about it, I discovered that it is a residential community consisting of boarding and lodging facilities for people interested in retreating from their stressful lives, recharging their batteries and returning rejuvenated for another go at a more serene existence. Among the many facilities that it offers are physical massages using aromatic oils. Llew was connected with a masseur who led him into a room where he disappeared for an hour. I said bye to him and was directed to a small cafe where I could sit down and wait for him. I, however, decided to go for a long walk and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

A Lone Walk Along the Backwaters of Kerala:

The road outside the village led me along one of the canals that then networked with another canal and yet another so that as I walked further away from the village, I was surrounded by the most blissful images of Nature at her undisturbed best. I started off by spying a huge white egret and an Indian pond heron and, of course I took pictures. There were two fishermen who rowed right by me in a narrow canoe, their fishing tackle in their hands. They were headed out to the Lake to bring in the day’s catch. Just a little ahead of me were brilliant patches of water-lilies in full bloom in vivid shades of pink and magenta. Still ahead were a group of black cormorants basking in the sunshine. At every stage, my camera worked hard to try to capture the stillness and serenity of the scene because I wanted to preserve it in my memory for posterity. A group of ducks then created streams of foaming water as they skimmed past me. Their iridescent feathers were such a striking sight as they paddled furiously alongside the banks.

And on the canal banks themselves, there were more domesticated ducks. They’d just eaten their breakfast and were ready for their first swims of the day. A little arched bridge spanned the banks, a few meters ahead of me. Men wearing mundus (the customary linen lengths of cloth that they wrap around their waists to cover their legs in place of trousers) were attempting to get some coconuts off the trees right outside their little shacks. In the distance, where the lake widened, I could see houseboats and other river craft. Birds circled in the skies above me. It was all so beautiful and so soul-satisfying that I simply cannot put into words how uplifted I felt by this walk. It was the only time in Kerala that I was really and truly alone and I have to say that I enjoyed every bit of my solitude.

After about half an hour, I turned back and retraced my steps to the Ayurvedic village. I entered the gates and then took a walk around it, passing by the cafe and the swimming pool and then, eventually, found a quiet spot in the cafe to sit down and await Llew’s return. At this point, I entered into conversation with one of the residents who had come to this spot from Washington DC. She had spent two weeks detoxing from her fretful life and would be returning home, the next day. She told me a whole lot about the village, its aims and objectives and how relaxing it had been for her to take a break from the rat race in this rural haven.

In about ten minuets, Llew was ready. He had enjoyed his massage and found it very refreshing. He settled the bill (it cost him Rs. 1200—about $15–for an hour’s massage) and then he was all set and ready for us to get back home. We were both ready to do justice to breakfast which, we knew, awaited us.

Breakfast at our Heritage Home:

at our heritage home was truly that—a very homey affair. There was iddiappam which was served with (of all things) maple syrup. It was very good indeed. There were also small dosas with coconut chutney and poha (beaten rice) sweetened with jaggery and freshly grated coconut and bananas. All this was dished out by Sony who worked hard in the kitchen to give us a great spread. We washed it all down with filter coffee—a truly wonderful South Indian breakfast.

Off to Marari Beach for the Morning:

As we had decided that we would have a truly relaxing day today with no real agenda, we resolved to spend a few hours at Marari Beach. This is a lovey stretch of beach that is popular with locals and visitors alike. Shiju drove us there and we procured beach chairs that for Rs. 100 an hour (rental) that allowed us to face the crashing waves of the Arabian Sea and enjoy watching the antics of children and adults as they fought the waves or attempted to swim. It is always fun to watch Indians at the beach as their inhibitions make them behave in really peculiar ways. Women go in fully clad in saris and salwar kameez suits. Men wear jeans and full-sleeve shirts. It is next to impossible to find a local Indian actually wearing a swim suit. Dogs were wading in the waves chasing balls, children were attempting to build sand castles. There were no vendors to be seen—they were all safely placed near the car park and are not allowed to litter the beach which is impressively clean. We spent a most relaxing couple of hours in this manner—doing nothing more strenuous that people-watching and enjoying the quiet relaxation of it all.

A Drive to Kottayam for Afternoon Tea:

At about 2.00 pm, we were ready to move on to the next item on our agenda: an invitation to Afternoon Tea at the home of my school classmate Rachel and her husband Joe. They had given us their address and directions, but we did not realize how very far away it was or how much time it would take for us to reach there. We also had a bit of difficulty finding the place as the road leading to their home was closed for repair work and we needed to take a roundabout route to get there. However, finally, we were at their doorstep—at least an hour behind schedule, much to our chagrin.

However, our hosts were very understanding indeed and it was not long before we sat down to eat. We were badly in need of refreshment as our last meal had been a late breakfast. We met Joe’s mother and sister Elsie and enjoyed a lot of lovely small talk as the ladies fried bajjias and pakoras for us at their stove while also supervising the making of hot cups of tea. When all the ado about food offerings were done in Rachel’s humongous kitchen, we sat down to chat about old times and our childhood in Byculla, Bombay, our convent school days and the like. We were simply overwhelmed by Rachel and Joe’s outpouring of hospitality that included a most generous spread: there were onion bajjias, mixed vegetable pakoras, rice dumplings filled with sweetened grated coconut, banana chips, appams and for dessert (at my request) vermicelli payassam (or pudding). And, of course, cups of tea. Suffice it to say that we never stopped talking and that the evening flew past. We were given a wonderful tour of the garden (a vast sprawling space that is filled with flowers and fruit trees) and then took the grand tour of the home. It is amazing how much domestic space one can occupy when away from a big city like Bombay.

It was a really lovely reunion with a very warm and affectionate friend. Rachel has always been caring and was the only one of my classmates who actually called me during my very first week in Bombay, to welcome me back to the city and offer me any help, if needed, when I relocated to India. I have never forgotten her gesture and will appreciate it all my life. It is little things like these that stay with me forever and I told her how much that call meant to me and why I will never forget it. I was also glad that Llew had a chance to meet Rachel and that both of us had the opportunity to get to know Joe a little better.

With night having fallen over the garden, it was time for us to leave. Don’t ask me where time had flown as we spent precious quality time together. However, after we said our goodbyes, we were back in the car and in Shiju’s hands as he returned us to our lodging where we made straight for a good night’s sleep.

Until tomorrow, see ya’ …

Day Seven. Captivating Kerala. Departure from Cochin and Drive to Lake Vembanad:

Thursday, January 15, 2026:

Departure from Cochin and Drive to Lake Vembanad:

Today was a far more relaxed day and quite the opposite of the highly active time we’d had yesterday. We awoke in our Fort Bridge View Hotel, showered, dressed and had our stuff all packed away before we went downstairs at 8.30 am to eat breakfast, check out and leave.

Breakfast was a repeat performance of our repast yesterday: masala omelettes with three slices of buttered toast and coffee. It was enough to fuel us well for the day as our next meal would be a rather late lunch. We had instructed our driver, Shiju, to return at about 9.30 am to pick us up from our hotel after eating his own breakfast. And, promptly, he arrived at the appointed hour. We checked out, thanked the manager for a comfortable stay and left.

The Long Drive to Lake Vembanad:

The next item on our agenda was a two night stay at Lake Vembanad, which involved a three hour drive from Cochin. This was a distance of just 50 kms (or about 25 miles), but given that most of it would occur through small villages, narrow roads and little towns, it would be slow going. We did not expect to get there before 12 noon (and we left just a little after 9.30 am).

The drive was very pleasant, I have to say. For me, the greatest part of traveling by road anywhere in the world is the opportunity to see local life as it is lived in the area. This is the sort of experience that jetting over lands in an aircraft, thousands of miles above real life, can’t ever give you. We passed by small rustic dwellings, miles of agricultural plantations growing rice, coconuts, spices, arena nuts, ice-apples, etc. We saw many toddy-tapping trees whose sap is collected to make a fermented drink called toddy. This is used as a leavening agent in a lot of the South Indian flatbreads. It gives the bread a tangy flavor. We also passed by dozens of churches in various Cristians denominations including ones of which I had never even heard such as the Knayas and the Foranes. We also passed by scores of newly-built bungalows or cottages—all made with the new money that is remitted by Keralites who live and work in various parts of the world (the UAE and other Middle Eastern nations, the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK, etc). This newly-generated wealth is certainly enriching the coffers of the state which is extremely prosperous. I did not see a single beggar during our entire stay in Kerala—or even a really poor person. People seem to be economically well-contented, no matter their profession in life. We also passed by many small wayside shacks selling tender coconuts and we stopped at one of them to sip cooling tender coconut water. We saw loads of hybrid coconut trees that are really short—no more than six to seven feet tall but already fully capable of producing saffron-colored fruit which you can literally just reach out and pluck off. It is amazing what genetic engineering is doing to agriculture in India and in Kerala, in particular. Meandering through these fields and farms gave us the opportunity to see how common people live in the rural areas, far from the madding crowd of traffic and horns, expensive important merchandise and gold ornaments—for there are literally hundreds of jewelry shops selling 24 carat gold in Kerala. Amazing!

Eventually, we arrived at Lake Vembanad which involved driving across a really long and very broad bridge over a water body which resembles the sea—it was that vast. At the banks, we saw Chinese fishing nets and realized that lake fish is caught daily. We also saw our very first houseboats on the lake and became excited as our first excursion of the day would involve a ride in a houseboat.

A House Boat Stint on Lake Vembanad:

My school classmate Rachel who lives in Kottayam, not far from Lake Venbanad, had put me in touch with a man who hires out his houseboat for short or overnight stays and I had been communicating with him for a week. His name is Crispin Kodianthara and he instructed our driver to arrive at a restaurant called Menani from where his contact would come and pick us up and take us directly to the houseboat. We followed his instructions meticulously and, true to his word, his contact, a man named Ajish Kunnikutan, arrived at the restaurant on his motor bike and told our driver Shiju to follow him to the spot at which we would board the houseboat.

And, about twenty minutes later, we were on the banks of a river where a small houseboat was moored. Ajish turned out to be a very nice man who spoke very good English. For Rs. 7000, we had hired his houseboat to take us on a four hour cruise around Lake Vembanad and the little islets that are part of the famous tour of the Kerala backwaters. This is considered by many visitors to Kerala as a highlight of their stay in this state. This four hour cruise also included lunch on the houseboat—all of which seemed to us like a good deal.

Accordingly, we boarded the houseboat. It was a very modest affair—nothing like the posh ones of which we had seen pictures which have multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, a second balcony tier, etc. This one was a single level vessel with a single bedroom with attached bathroom. We were able to use the rest room right away and then seat ourselves right behind our driver (Ajish) as our cruise began. There was one more person on board, also named Shiju, who assisted in navigation, anchoring, etc. Ajish kept up a steady commentary as we left the mooring and passed by colorful human life on the river’s shores. And then, about twenty minutes later, we were on the huge lake itself, passing by other houseboats and other river craft—there were ferry or taxi services to help the local people get from one shore of the lake to the next.

Throughout our cruise, Ajish kept up a steady commentary. As he is a bird lover and bird watcher, he particularly pointed out to vast numbers of birds that flew all around us: common ones like pond herons, white egrets, loads of seagulls, black cormorants, loons, terns, etc.—even ibis. There were also a couple of really gloriously vivid turquoise-blue kingfishers. We also saw some migratory birds that had arrived from Siberia. We saw some horn-billed birds that were really striking. I loved the bird-watching part of the cruise of all other aspects as this offered an element of nature study that I had not expected. As part of the cruise, Ajish allowed us to the take control of the steering wheel ourselves—which offered some nice photo ops.

Departure from Cochin and Drive to Lake Vembanad:

After two hours, we pulled into a small rivulet which was like an island. Here Ajish told us to take a walk on our own while he got our lunch ready with his associate who cooked in a small kitchen on the island. Llew and I thoroughly enjoyed our 20 minute walk past rice paddies, darting birds and small shops selling local produce (tea, honey) and handicrafts. Kerala is so green and so thick with vegetation that it is truly a pleasure just to loiter around these rural areas, looking at wild flowers, listening to swooping birds as they call to each other or fish for food, etc. The temperature was a bit warm but under the shade of these trees, it was really cool and pleasant.

After our little walk, we made our way back to our houseboat where lunch was all laid out for us on the traditional green banana leaves. There was the thick country-style rice for which Kerala is famed, plus river-fish curry (caught freshly that morning), chicken curry and a platter of delicious, marinated and fried prawns with crispy onion and garlic. Oh my! It was all so delicious and made more flavorful by the river air and our green, serene surroundings. Truly, lunch on this houseboat was one of the highlights of our trip—and there were many.

The Houseboat Cruise Continues:

With Lunch all done and cleared away (there were little yellow bananas for dessert, by the way), we continued for the next two hours of our cruise. I took a short twenty-minute nap as is my wont, in the bedroom on the houseboat. It was a really lazy way to spend part of the afternoon and I enjoyed it completely. For a while, I lay down on the bed and watched the river banks glide past me. This time, Ajish steered us away from the lake to the narrow canals or backwaters. This allowed us to take in rural life on the lake’s banks. We saw people go about their daily activities—cycling to the nearest shop to pick up bread or milk; washing their clothes in the river; hanging them out to dry; sweeping their front yards by their little mud or stucco homes; feeding their domesticated fowl (hens, ducks, etc). We even saw white-headed, brown eagles fly high in the sky and then come to rest on the coconut trees.

Yes indeed—we also saw a steady steam of bird life—from mallards and ducks that swam right by our vessel to kingfishers ducking from the trees into the water as they looked for food. We saw hundreds of egrets in the fallow fields pecking for grubs in the freshly mown earth; we saw men climbing coconut trees and bringing down whole bunches of ripe fruit. It was indeed a most wonderful sight as we took in a white-washed church on the lake’s bank (so picturesque and pretty), little bridges that spanned the river and under which we steered ahead. It is these priceless scenes that will stay with me forever when I think of my travels in Kerala.

And then, before we knew it, our four hours were up and Ajish was steering us back to our original mooring. We thanked him very much for being a great sailor as well as for looking after all our needs during lunch and after. We made payment to him and reconnected with Shiju who was waiting on the river bank to pick us up. It has been a tremendous cultural experience and we had enjoyed it fully.

Settling in our Heritage House B and B:

It was with some difficulty that we found our next place of accommodation. This was the Kodianthara Heritage House Bed and Breakfast or Home Stay which belonged to a man named Crispin Kodianthara who had communicated with me by phone throughout to guide us to his dwelling. He gave our driver Shiju the directions (in Malayalam, which we do not speak) on how to find his place (it was quite a production), but eventually, we did get there.

Kodiathara Heritage House B and B turned out to be a most delightful space. It is a 170 year old traditional Kerala home, built in the architectural style that is unique to this region, ie. it is built around a four-sided courtyard with bedrooms radiating from it. The house was clearly old as we could see as soon as we pulled up in the driveway and looked for the proprietor. A little boy named Zack was hanging around and when we told him we were looking for Crispin, he ran inside only to return, after a few minutes, to let us know that Crispin was changing his clothes and would be with us shortly. Little Zack turned out to be the grandson of Crispin (his daughter Mithila’s son) and he was the most delightful companion and friend over our next two days. Zack had a little bother named Zane and between the two of them, they entertained us thoroughly. It turned out that they were visiting from Perth, WesternAustralia, where they normally live. They were on their winter school vacation with their mother who had grown up in this home. It was ancestral in every sense of the word.

When Crispin arrived, he told us that he was the seventh generation member of the Kodianthara family to live in this home. He is a very worthy custodian indeed and is proud of this abode and treats it with the utmost reverence. In course of time, we met his completely gracious and most graceful wife, Sony, who made us our daily breakfasts and chatted with us in the King’s English. It turned out that she had majored in English Literature in college (in Bangalore) and had been an Engllish teacher herself (as is her daughter. Mithila). Overall, this lovely family, representing three generations, were our companions and hosts for our two-day stay and I truly wish we could have stayed longer. What I was left with was the feeling that we were being welcomed and hosted in a real, genuine Keralite home—not in some cold, impersonal five-star hotel.

Our own accommodation was a separate two-bedroom, two-bathroom villa—we, of course, used just one bedroom and en suite bathroom. There was hot running water, air-conditioning and a very comfortable bed. That is basically all you needed to be happy while on vacation. Birds continued to sing outside in the many tall trees as this place is surrounded by acres and acres of privately owned plantations (banana, coconut, spices). There is a rivulet of the backwaters that flows right through this property and a pond in which visitors could swim. There is a dog and ducks and hens all of whom are domesticated for their eggs. It is the job of little Zack and Zane to feed the birds and collect their eggs each day and they take great pleasure in their domestic tasks.

Crispin suggested we take a bit of rest and then offered us the opportunity to have dinner in his private club—the Kottayam Club, which was about a twenty minute drive away. He told us that if we mentioned his name we’d be given entry (even though we are not members ourselves). He suggested this as a good place to have dinner. And that was what we resolved to do after we’d taken a refreshing nap and were ready for the next stage of our day.

Dinner at the Private Kottayam Club:

Lovers of Literature might recognize the name’ Kottayam’. It is the scenic setting of Arundhati Roy’s best-selling and Booker Prize winning novel, The God of Small Things. This is Meenachil river country and you will find the river weaving in and out of the roadways in this part of Kerala. As described in Roy’s novel, it is exceedingly evocative of nature and really quite stunningly beautiful indeed.

We drove to the Kottayam Club only to find that a very big and very noisy wedding was in progress. It was then that I put two and two together and made the proverbial ten! I began to suspect that my classmate Rachel (who had told me that she would be at the Kottayam Club this evening for a wedding) would actually be one of the guests here. I decided to investigate. So after we entered, past the richly-dressed guests who were sipping soft drinks and juices and nibbling on snacks at the entrance, and after our entry was cleared by the manager, we found ourselves walking towards the waterfront past a long stretch of very well-manicured green lawn. At the end of it, right by the water, we found tables and chairs where we sat down and made ourselves at home. Sunset had just occurred so that twilight was falling fast upon the water and the land. I left Llew at the table and went in search of someone who could connect me with Rachel and Joe, if they were indeed at the wedding.

And guess what? They were! I found a couple of ladies and when I introduced myself and told them that I was looking for Rachel and Joe, they told me to wait for a few minutes while they went out in search of my friends. Just five minuets later, Rachel emerged, looking just lovely in a grand, off-white, silk sari. We had a lovely reunion with her and Joe and she urged me to come inside for the pre-wedding reception as she was related to the bride. Of course, we firmly declined as we were not dressed for the occasion and everyone else was dressed to the hilt. Rachel and Joe came over to the table on the lawn to meet Llew and chat with him for a few minutes which is when we also took a few pictures. And then they left us as we would be seeing him again tomorrow as Rachel had invited us to Afternoon Tea at her place. There would be adequate time for a leisurely visit then.

Dinner on the Lawns of The Kottayam Club:

On the lawns of the Club, we made ourselves at home with drinks (frosty G&T for me and a red wine for Llew) together with substantial snacks (chicken samosas, crispy bhajias) before we ordered dinner: a green salad plus Kerala’s famous Roast Duck (which was, funnily enough, roasted and then served in a tick gravy—so that it appeared more like a curry than a roast) served with puttu: steamed rice and grated coconut molded in a bamboo so that it came to the table in long tubes. It as quite wonderful indeed and eaten under the stars with the soft swoosh of swaying coconut palms all around us, it was like eating in Paradise—or in God’s Own Country, as the ads say.

Overall, it had been a most memorable day; But we were grateful to return to the homely comforts of our heritage house and to make ourselves fully at home under the covers as we called a halt to the day and settled down for the night.

Until tomorrow, see ya’…