Kumily, Kerala, India (and Periyar Wildlife Sancturary)

Beloved --
On New Year's Day Anna and I flew to Madurai where we toured the city on January 2nd. After lunch we caught a taxi for the 4 hour ride to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in the state of Kerala. It is described in the "Lonely Planet" as an Indian Disneyland. The difference here is that the elephants, water buffalo, deer, kingfishers, and snakes (both in and out of the water) are real.

We took in a Kathakali dance performance--very stylized traditional dance usually performed in Hindu temples as part of a festival. Then there was an elephant ride. I didn't appreciate just how wide elephants are. I don't usually stretch that far in yoga class. Ouch! But it was worth it. Anna participated in washing down the elephant after our ride. We both had a ball!

We also took in a Kerala traditional martial arts performance. They use real swords. Sparks were flying everywhere. What athletes--agile, flexible, fast, disciplined.

This area of Kerala is also known for cultivation of many Ayeurvedic herbs. We saw several areas under cultivation, mixed in with the herb farms and coffee plantations. Being high in the Western Ghats, the climate was pleasantly cool--Anna was "freezing" and had to get an extra blanket at night. But the air was clean and the stars were beautiful

We spent one day in the nature sancturary, including a three-hour nature walk, a bamboo raft float, and a late afternoon boat trip on Lake Periyar to see the wildlife. We saw a herd of elephants exhibiting an interesting behavior. There was one baby in the herd. When the elephants sensed the approach of our boat, they circled around the baby so that it became almost completely hidden. How protective.

I did have one relection: Injury happens quickly, while healing takes time. This is not great wisdom. It is only observation. I was only on the bamboo raft for a short time, but the leeches attacked my feet unnoticed in seconds. (I had wondered why all the park rangers were wearing gaiters.) After scrubbing and disinfecting the five bloody spots, the healing started by the next morning and all that remains now is a minor itch. I was reassured that the only danger from the leeches is from scratching the bites to the point of infection. That's not the impression I got from watching "African Queen!" Maybe Bogart was overly dramatic?!?

There are some odd place names between Kumily and Madurai, Cumbum for example. This stretch of road is also notable for the many rude brick factories, which featured live firing of the bricks by burning down the building in which the bricks were stacked. Our driver explained that the clay, which is very red in this part of India, is the best in all of Tamil Nadu for making bricks and that they are exported to the rest of India. "They last up to fifty years," he pointed out.

We also say corn fields along the way. That surprised me, since I don't think much about corn being a part of the Indian diet. So much to learn!

Anna returned to Little Lambs School today (Wednesday, 7 January). I will be introduced to her students tomorrow and have been put on notice to behave myself. This weekend I plan to spend time in Mammalapuram (about 50 kilometers south of Chennai) exploring the temples and beach.

I love you and miss you all,

Jim