Ce's pas le fin du monde - or is it?

Well hello dear blog browsers ....

It's been a while since I checked in - but I've been travelling ... perhaps a little too fast for my own liking.

After six days of sun, surf, tourists and great seafood (see picture) in Varkala, I headed up to Allepy on the train and went on an 8 hour ferry between Allepy and Kollam on Kerala's famouns backwaters. They didn't dissappoint - a peaceful cruise watching village life go by. The houseboats they have for hire - see photo - seem divine .. maybe next time!.

Then it was off to Kanyakumari (also called Cape Comorin, the southernmost part of India) to see the sunrise, and the moon set in the same sea horizon - I'd timed my arrival to coincide with the full mooon and, as a bonus, a total lunar eclipse - amazing. Many others had the same idea .. thousands of pilgrims actually.

On the way back to my hotel after watching sunrise, I had to pass through the very crowded entrance way to the temple - felt something against my leg, and when I emerged from the cowd discovered I'd been relieved of my wallet!

I reported it to the local police who acted politely, but were obviously quite disinterested ... fortuantly I had some travellers cheques in my bag, so could get some cash ... and headed here to Madurai the next day, since none of the ATM's in Kanyakumari accepted International bankcards. ( I had a spare in my room! - whew!) - not the end of the world ... although windswept Kanyakumari had a bit of that feel to it. The place where three seas meet - the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.

It was a hot 6 hr bus ride here to Madurai. On the way we passed the largest wind power farm I have ever seen .... thousands and thousands of huge windmills .. a stunning sight!

Madurai is a temple city of about a million souls. As the heartland of Tamil Dravidian culture it has some amazing temples, although the town has a real tourist hustle edge to it. Far too many unemployed rickshaw drivers and tailors brothers for my liking - but great dosai's and southern Indian food seved on banana leaves. And the banana's ... so many different kinds - the fat red skinned ones are amazing!

Tomorrow I'm heading to the hills, to Kodaikanal ... should be cooler there .. a good place to unwind!

India continues to be an amazing teacher.

The pictures are a bit mixed up.

First is the crowd watching the sunrise at Kanyakumari

followed by:

Ferry to small islets off Cape Comorin ... a wild ride, well worth the 20 rupees!

Herding ducks, Kerala backwaters

Backwater houseboat

Trivandrum Station scene

Sunrise at Kanyakumari

Fish for dinner?

Washing water buffaloes, Varkala

Houseboat, Kerela