Went on a 16km trek in the forest. It was very hot with a very steep ascent. On the way we saw …
and
Trek into the Forest
Varnam Homestay – Wayanad
Travelled to Wayanad from Kannur on the local bone shaker bus. Good air conditioning (no glass in windows) and an easy 3 hour journey.
Varnam is an organic farm and our host Beena is extremely knowledgeable on all the plants and trees on her land, together with their medicinal properties. Here are some photos of the farm.
Thottada beach
Stayed at the Blue Mermaid Homestay on Thottada beach close to Kannur. Delicious food, friendly hosts, lovely garden, and the other side of the garden is this beautiful beach
Travelling by rickshaw
Four crazy guys travelling with hired rickshaws (they are driving!) from Jaisalmer to Cochin
Home stay in Kannur
Our 2nd homestay this one outside Kannur.
Train booking
The Indian rail system is an extraordinary beast. It looks as though the bookings that I made through the irctc web site have worked. Here we are at Ernakulam Town and our names are top of the booking list pinned on the wall.
Arrived in Kerala
Arrived in Cochin and managed to very easily buy Indian SIM cards for our smart phones. About £7 for two months of unlimited calls within India and 1Gb of data per day!
We also had got an Indian Rupee Travel Card from the Indian ICICI bank in the UK which we had pre-loaded with rupees and then use in ATMs to get cash – and it worked.
India 2018
We’re off to India for travels in Kerala and Rajasthan – textiles, forts, palaces, the desert, camels, yoga, food …..
Lisbon – tapestries in the Ritz
When we were in Portugal last year we went to an amazing tapestry factory in Portalegre. The process of creating the tapestry designs from the original works of art was extraordinary to see. They told us that some of their tapestries were in the Ritz in Lisbon, so on this visit we decided to go and see them. They were stunning, massive tapestries hanging on the walls of the lounge, absolutely beautiful. And these three are just some of them.
Evidently the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz is well known for its collection of modern and contemporary art. They gave us the details of an iPad App which provides s walk through of all the art works
http://bit.ly/FSArtApp
Foz do Arelho
A great camperstop by the sea in this beautiful place
Went for a cycle ride and saw a flock of white flamingos on the lagoon. The tide was low and they were wading looking quite extraordinary
Thus was our second time at the camperstop. For €4 you are right by the beach and have water, washing up and laundry, toilets, shower, brilliant. Also a pleasant little village 1k away and cafes restaurants on the beach