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Southern India

The beginning of a trip to Southern India departing October 5, 2024 San Diego to San Francisco to Singapore to Chennai, India. After flying 27 hours, one flight segment San Francisco to Singapore was 16 hours 50 minutes in the air. After one more flight from Singapore I arrived in Chennai, India and after an hours drive arrived at the Intercontinental Hotel in Mahabalipuram tired but ready for a new adventure in Southern India.

Pool area of the Intercontinental. Mahabalipuram is a town in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, best known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 7th- and 8th-century Hindu Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. It is one of the famous tourist sites in India.

Entrance to the beach side restaurant Koko M Mo, The Shack, at the Intercontinental situated on the Bay of Bengal

Cannot get any closer to the Ocean

Directional signs to the world

Beach entrance from the pool area

Drive into Mahabalipuram. It is about 35 miles from Chennai where we are staying

Some of our group trying to find an ATM that actually worked. Not an easy feat. This was a failure.

I thought it was interesting that the sign listed "Halls"

The sign says Mr. Fancy Store. Really?

Locals shopping

Each of the five monuments in the Pancha Rathas complex resembles a chariot and each is carved over a single, long stone or monolith, of granite which slopes in north–south direction with a slight incline. The center one is Naku Sahadava Ratha. Each of the monouments is named after a member of the family.

The structures are named after the Pancha Pandavas and their common wife Draupadi, of epic Mahabharata fame. In order of their size, they include the Dharmaraja Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Nakula Sahadeva Ratha, and Draupadi Ratha.

Pancha Rathas is an example of monolithic Indian rock-cut architecture. Draupadi Ratha

Dharmaraja Ratha. Though sometimes mistakenly referred to as temples, the structures were never consecrated because they were never completed following the death of Narasimhavarman

The structures are named after the Pancha Pandavas and their common wife Draupadi, of epic Mahabharata fame. In order of their size, they include the Dharmaraja Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Nakula Sahadeva Ratha, and Draupadi Ratha. This particular item is Bhima Ratha.

Arjuna Ratha

Looking at the monuments from a different direction

Back side of the monuments.

View from the bus driving in the early evening

Interesting the sign says rooms AC or non AC .

Cooking corn for sale to eat

The Shore Temple built in 725 A.D. is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD. At the time of its creation, the site was a busy port. Marco Polo and the European merchants who came to Asia after him called the site Seven Pagodas. One of these is believed to be the Shore Temple. The temple probably acted as a landmark for seafarers. As it appears like a Pagoda, the name became familiar to the seafarers.

Next to the Shore Temple we find an area where many locals go to the beach to bath and also find some food. Also a cow wanders through the crowded area.

This is the first photo listed above at night time with the reflection pool area to the left lighted. I found it an intriguing photo with the lighting and the reflections on the water at night. ections on the

Light reflections with the hotel in the background.

Lighted entrance to the beach area and restaurant.

Beach restaurant lighted at night on the ocean.

Guests dining by the ocean enjoying the warm even breezes off the ocean.

This was a great wall mural at the beach restaurant.

Today we experience A Day In The Life of an Indian farming Village Vadakadambadi. We get to share stories and conversations with the villagers about daily life and participate in activities. Here we meet with one of the elders of the village.

Through our translator Dennis our guide we learn about marriage and village tradition. We ask questions about daily life.

The life of a rice farmer is very difficult. We learn they have two seasons. One a shorter period and less value to sell due to the shorter growing time.

We are standing in front of their local library.

Inside the meager library which they are proud of. I do not remember seeing any electricity in the library.

An Indian SUV.. 3 on a motorcycle.

Young children with their teacher

Unique looking front door to this house

We were invited in to her home, a one room home.

She demonstrated how they make designs in chalk in the concrete in front of her home.

Not to be out done by a neighbor that demonstrates his skill of drawing designs.

Neighbors in another home in the village

Dennis explaining our visit and he learning about the abilities of this woman to chase off demons with a ceremony.

The village leader and the woman with the powers to chase off demons listening to Dennis speak to us.

Neighbors come to meet the visitors and watch the ceremony to chase any demons from a person

Dennis was the volunteer to have the demons removed from his life by this lady and the branches she hits him over the head with. Quite interesting.

Walking past another village home

Grand Circle Foundations is funds donated by Travelers of Overseas Adventure Travel, our tour company. They have donated funds to build the next photo a temple for the village. They do this all over the world.

This temple in the village has been built with funds from travelers of Overseas Adventure Travel donated to Grand Circle Foundation. Grand Circle Foundations builds many buildings, schools and more with funds donated to them all over the world.

Grand Circle Foundation. their Motto, Changes lives. One project at a time. Grand Circle Foundation together with the Anoba Lewis Family Foundation, has pledged or donated $250 million dollars for 500 projects in 59 countries.

Lunch was prepared for our group by a group of local ladies from the village. It was delicious.

Lunch was served as is the custom on a banana leaf. Many times you eat your foods with only one hand.

After lunch we had time to ask questions to our hosts. We learned of the recent rise in suicide rates in farming communities like this community due to an inability to repay loans taken to purchase seeds and fertilizers . We also learned that the problem is not acknowledged by the Indian government.

Descent of the Ganges, known locally as Arjuna's Penance, is a monument at Mamallapuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the Chengalpattu district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Measuring 96 by 43 feet, it is a giant open-air rock relief carved on two monolithic rock boulders.

The legend depicted in the relief is the story of the descent of the sacred river Ganges to earth from the heavens led by Bhagiratha.

The sculptures carved in the natural fissure that divides the cliff not only depict the cosmic event of Ganges descending to Earth but also show the event being watched by many gods, goddesses, puranic figurines and also wild and domestic animals. The total number of carvings are probably about 146.

The carvings of elephants, facing north and south, are almost life size. Another humorous scene is the carvings of monkeys copying the yogic scenes of the sages. Wild lions are also shown with large mane and also rams which are interpreted as representing the Himalayan habitat

The elephants represent a herd moving towards the river to drink water. The male elephant carving precedes that of its female partner.

A group of locals checking out the group of Americans re boarding our bus after a stop in a small town.

Motor cycle repair shop

Local side street

Lots of Autos, small 3 wheel vehicles, as they call them in all the villages

Train in India. There are lots of classes between railroad cars. There are many different train classes in India, including sleeper class trains, and it can be confusing to navigate Indian Railways'

There are cars with just open windows and then there are the cars with real AC.

The end cars have Actual AC.

A traveler getting some real "fresh air" from his car.

Here we are arriving in Trichy, also known as Tiruchirappalli

Evening bus backed to the hilt.

Walking the evening markets outside of Sri Ranganatha

You can find anything here local foods. People were friendly

Flowers for sale. These smelled very similar to the Hawaiian Pikake flower. Blooms are very similar. A stroong sweet smelling flower.

Dolls for sale. We are here during the holiday with dolls called Golu. It is celebrated annually during the Navaratri festival of Hinduism.

Markets around Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam, Tiruchirappali

Ladies buying sari's, an long dress worn by most Indian women.

Local sweets

So many specialty shops

Many varieties of bananas.

A photo of the rear side of the Sri Ranganatha entrance.

A detail close up of the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple. The detail is amazing.

Even an elephant in the crowd

A couple buying fresh fruit

Looking at the Sri Ranganath from the front entrance with shops on both sides of the walking street.

A chip wagon.. purchasing what we would call potato chips.

The Brihadisvara Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Completed in 1035 as a part of his new capital, this Chola dynasty era temple is similar in design, and has a similar name, as the older 11th century,

A group of ladies were visiting temple and were interested in talking with a group of Americans.

Walking though the first gate and looking forward to the second gate.

Entering the second gate which leads into a massively large courtyard and more buildings and temples.

A map of the entire inner courtyard of the temple.

Pon our guide in India is explaining the Lotus Flower to us.

Pon is explaining the flower to us and what it means to the local Hindi people.

We now see the second temple in front of us and its

The tower elements are all square shaped and incorporate circles and principles of geometric symmetry.

There are about fifty sculptural reliefs around the walls of the sanctum,

The main temple dedicated to Shiva is based on a square plan, but it displays other Hindu deities such as Vishnu, Durga, Surya, Harihara, Ardhanarishvara, and others

The ceilings are incredible in this outdoor building.

Local temple priest is placing blessings on those that wish to receive it.

The ceilings are incredible works of art

Looking back to the second building we entered onto the large plaza

A young boy listening through the ear plug we all have when our guide is speaking. The first time he has ever seen or heard of this. He admitted that he was playing hooke from school for the day.

Looking back at where we had just been with the priest giving blessings.

On each side are carvings on the wall with four horizontal rows of friezes.

The layers of rows narrate Hindu legends and Puranic mythologies from the Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shakta traditions on the sides of the temple walls.

Students on a day visit to the temple. They were very curious of the Americans asking lots of questions where I was from, what did I think of India and about the Nikon camera I was using.

One of the students asked to take several photos with the camera which I showed him how. He was really enthralled with the camera.

When I showed them the group photos they were really amazed and were smiling at looking at each of themselves.

The temple was built between 1003 and 1010 AD. It was constructed from more than 130,000 tons of granite to reflect the power of Chola King Rajaraja and honor the Hindu god Shiva.

Through the centuries the art can still be seen in locations that are not in sunlight.

The landmark site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The entire time spent at the site we were not wear any shoes but walk in our socks or bare feet.

After our visit to the temple we drove to a Bronze Foundry to meet a family of local artisans keeping the bronze making traditions alive.

Their works of art are incredible to see it made each individually with molds and then carefully creating works of art in Bronze.

It is explained to us how these Bronze items are made in to works of art.

Talk about tedious work this is amazing the end products all done by hand.

I spotted this horse and the orate work all done by hand through bronze with incredible talent to make the so special a piece of art. The price was very expensive but for the right person this will be a very memorable work of art. It was magnificent.

Early morning at 6:30 4 of us left the hotel with Pon who took us to the Cauvery River where locals and families bathe daily along with religious activities.. The location offer religious ceremonies for the departed. It was fascination to see. Those that did not go missed an incredible adventure to see locals early in the morning riverside.

The area is coming alive with activities for the day.

The vibrant clothes colors of the locals and garments they were wearing.

A local checking us out. Everyone was friendly to us.

A local vendor with fruits, banana leaves to eat on and other items.

You gotta go you gotta pay.

A small temple to pray

Birds flying in early morning formations over the river.

The Cauvery River is used for bathing in Trichy, India. The Amma Mandapam Bathing Ghats are located on the banks of the river in Srirangam

The Cauvery River is a holy site for Hindus, who bathe in the river to find salvation

An elephant throwing water on itself in the early morning. I was very lucky when in Nepal to have the opportunity to bathe an elephant in a shallow river. What a kick that was.

The Trichy corporation has fenced the bathing ghats to ensure public safety

Trichy corporation has fenced bathing ghats on the Cauvery river banks in the city to prevent people from entering the river, as the discharge from Mettur dam is gradually increasing.

Barricades were also installed on the entry points of the ghats ..

The ghats are also a place for Hindus to perform rituals for their ancestors.

In Hinduism, religious leaders are typically called "Pandits" or "Pujaris" which refers to a Hindu priest who performs temple rituals, while a more general term for a spiritual teacher or guide is "Guru"

A member of our group Ellen secured the services of a Hindi Priest along with Pon who translated for her during the ceremony for her.

Hindi Priests waiting for people to secure their services for possible a memorial or funeral.

Here we have Hindi Priest performing a cermony

More Hindi Priests

A small temple for locals to pray

A mother an small daughter

A family getting ready to go to the waters edge for a morning bath.

A father helping his children bathe in the river water

Here I am with the elephant that was receiving a bath earlier in the morning with the handler.

The entrance to the river and baths from the street

Everyone works no mater what day and time

Our bus driver and bus attendant decorate the front of the bus for a religious holiday. The holiday is Mahanavami. Final day of the Navratn Festival. Symbolizes the victory of good over evil.

the outer edge of Ilangudipatti village in Pudukottai district, you will be transfixed by what you see: thousands of terracotta horses in rows of two, three or four on either side of a road for a distance of up to 700 metres.

Midway down the road is a stucco elephant, flanked by two equally big stucco horses. (Stucco consists of lime, sand, mortar and other materials.

More of the terracotta horse heads as we walk down the road into the small village

Photo of a centipede walking across a rock. First one I have ever seen.

End of the road into the small village

The area was filled with small monkeys watching our every movement. You did not want to set anything aside of you for a second. They would steel it in a second.

I have not a clue what this symbolizes except it was placed predominately.

This monkey must be head of security because he had this aimed right at us as we walked by.

Visalam Chettinad Palace. Visalam is a century-old lovingly-restored palatial home in Kanadukathan village of the Chettinad region in Tamil Nadu.

Our group of travelers dined in this dining room. The food was traditional Indian food and was excellent. Our lunch was served on banana leaves. No plates did we eat from. All food was served onto the banana leaves. Very tradidtional in India .

Visalam is a heritage property in Chettinad, India, that was built in the 19th century as a wedding gift for KVAL Ramanathan Chettiar's daughter, Visalakshi

The mansion was built in the art deco style and was intended to be a family home.

However, Visalakshi passed away before the house-warming ceremony, and the mansion remained unused for almost 65 years.

In 2007 the home was restored to its original glory The restoration used local materials and traditional practices The interiors remained largely untouched. It was build during WW II

Cows walking through town at the decorations off the front of our bus.

Kanadukathan is a small town located in the district of Sivaganga.The specialty of the place lies in the structure of its houses and the local food. The houses in Kanadukathan are huge and built in the typical Chettinad style.

These houses are located within a block of the Manson where we had lunch

We are now in the city of Madurai, Tamil. After dark on the streets.

The Madurai Bazaar is a vibrant destination especially for those seeking a lively shopping experience at night,

The lively interactions with vendors and fellow shoppers create a warm, inviting atmosphere that captures the essence of Madurai

Located close to the iconic Meenakshi Temple. These people are in long lines waiting to get into the temple.

This bustling market comes alive after sunset, offering an energetic atmosphere filled with the chatter of vendors and the hustle of shoppers.

Exploring the bazaar is not just a shopping trip, it is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture and experience the vibrant spirit of the city,

Madurai is also known as the food capital of Tamil Nadu. Here we find the classic street food of South India being prepared in front of us.

Preparing the Kothu Parotta with rice chicken or vegetable and spices chopped on the flat grill. It was so good. on the flat grill.

Dennis is explaining what we are eating all for about $1.40. Several of us in our group jumped at the chance to eat this well known street food.

Locals watching us enjoy our street cooking delights.

Flat bread is being prepared in front of us on a large flat griddle.

After a fun evening out we return to the hotel to find "Golu" a display of dolls and figurines during the festival of Navaratri, which is a Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of the goddess Durga.

We have the chance to walk through a day time market in Madurai. It is also an important industrial and educational hub in South Tamil Nadu. The city is home to various automobile, rubber, chemical and granite manufacturing industries

As you can see you shop on the streets and not in supermarkets. Everything is grown locally and everyone works. You see no one begging anywhere.

Lots of great produce up and down the street. Great time to meet some of the locals and talk with them too. .

Lots of "autos" tuk tuk in other countries. Just hold your hand up and hail a ride.

A variety of cucumerina, raised as a vegetable much like a summer squash in Asia. It is also called a snake gourd. In some countries in checking into it can be turned into a soap.

Load of coconuts. A local distributor

Lots of small businesses in every village and cities in India.

More small businesses along the street

Which direction is in a straight line?

If you do not work you do not eat and care for your family.

The tractor is even decorated for the holiday.

Betel Leaves are used for chewing, as a medicine, and in cooking.

Betel leaves are chewed with areca nut and lime, and sometimes tobacco. It's used to freshen breath, stimulate the body, and aid digestion. The juice is used to treat eye problems, sore throats, and coughs.

Dennis is explaining all the uses for the Betel product. Betel leaf oil is used as an antiseptic and to treat respiratory problems. Betel leaf extracts are used to treat skin allergies and diarrhea. Betel leaves are used to add flavor and aroma to dishes. Betel leaves are sometimes cooked and added to vegetable soups. I would say you cannot live without it if you live in India.

We had to take off our shoes and walk barefoot for 2 hours throughout the temple inside and out. We left our cameras and items in this store for safe keeping. We later returned and shopped. It was a beautiful craft and carpet store.

In the distance is the Meenakshi Amman Temple, considered one of the most beautiful temples in all of India No cameras are allowed inside the Temple. It is made up of 14 towers with thousands of sculptures depicting animals, gods, and demons.

Apples displayed for sale along the street market

Banana Leaves to eat off of

The street activity

Motorcycle parking and fresh fruits for sale in the market area

Two legged U haul delivery in traffic barefoot on the street.

Motorcycle SUV with a family riding. Only the driver needs a helmet.

Typical traffic in Madurai and most parts of India.

Passenger view from inside an "Auto" 3 wheel cart in traffic.

Bicycle delivery cart in street traffic

Inside Thirumalai Nayak Palace built in built in 1636 by the ruler whose name it bears. The Palace is famous for the stuccowork on its domes and impressive arches.

This is a perfect example of different styles of saris, dresses or garments, worn by Indian women and young girls. The sari is a female garment in the Indian subcontinent. A sari is a strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine meters in length, that is draped over the body in various styles.

Among other striking features of the palace are the massive white pillars, several of which line the corridor that runs along the courtyard.

A fruit cart selling local fruits

Flowers for special occasions or funerals

This lady was selling beautiful leis to wear. The white flower leis reminded me of the same aroma as the leis of Hawaii. Beautiful.

A lady selling a little bit of everything including the Betel for health benefits.

After leaving Madurai about an hour out of town we stopped at a small town that had a local market in full course taking place. Each market is so different to walk through and talk with locals, see the products being sold and just viewing the everyday life of local Indian people. They are curious of the tourists. Notice the number of varieties of local bananas.

This market is like walking through a mini city of items for sale.

This lady in her colorful sari is selling garlic and other freshly home grown items.

Whenever I take photo of someone not posed I will shown them the photo just taken. When they see themselves they smile and smile.

Huge bunches of bananas cut from the trees

A vendor deep in conversation with a friend or a customer

Another part of the local open air market

This lady was so happy to have here photo taken. She is selling dried fish. When I showed her her photo.. did she ever smile.

Same young lady posed

Dennis explaining items for us in the market

This stall had everything almost for sale one could need..

Selling variations of nuts

This couple was curious what I was taking photos of. I showed them and then took their photo. Did they ever smile when I showed them their photo.

Business at the market

Note the numbers of locals barefoot without shoes or sandals.

More dried fish

Fields of tapioca growing in the rear parts of the photo. I love tapioca. It is the root that makes the tapioca.

More of the tapioca fields as we drove down the highway

Fire works set off for the celebration of the young boy

Drummers drumming in a parade

In this small town it was a bog goings on.

The young boy being honored is walking barefoot.

We really were not sure if it was a baptism for the young boy.

We were pulled into the parade and marched with the family and friends.

The ladies are bringing food, bananas and other dishes for the celebration.

The goat you see in the parade later in the day was slaughtered and was part of the meal.

We then drove up into to Thekkady, a resort and spice trading town nestled in the Cardamum hills next to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.

We had a tour of a Spice Plantation. We learned how spices are good for our health. Here we have a Nutmeg seed. The tour was excellent,

We literally drove only a couple blocks to the Periyear Wildlife Sanctuary early in the morning.

The topography consists of steep and rolling hills which are thickly wooded.

Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area located in the state of Kerala, India. It is a renowned elephant and tiger reserve.

The area encompasses 357 square miles of land and is a repository of rare, endemic, and endangered flora and fauna and forms the major watershed of two important rivers of Kerala the Periyar and the Pamba.

The park is home to a wide variety of animals including birds, reptiles, deer, wild pigs, king cobras, Indian python, macaques, water buffalo seen in this photo.

The orange flower tree is the African Tulip Rain Tree

Monkeys

A family of Wild Boar

35 species of mammals have been recorded in the park, including many threatened species. It is an important tiger and elephant reserve. A total of 40 Bengal tigers have been counted in recent years.

Just outside of Thekkady tea fields are plentiful. They are so green and healthy,

We now journey along the highway through the state of Kerala to the village of Nedumudi where we board a houseboat, originally former rice barges now floating house boats.

The Kerala backwaters are a network of brackish lagoons and canals lying parallel to the Arabian Sea of the Malabar coast of Kerala state in south-western India. It also includes interconnected lakes, rivers, and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 560 miles of waterways.

This is one of our two houseboats we are cruising for 2 nights. Each had 5 bedrooms, 3 downstairs and two up. A large dining room up stairs. a kitchen aft and room at the front to just relax and watch the Kerala Backwaters float by.

We anchor at Pally Kayal and step shore to meet and talk with locals about rice cultivation. He we find a hut where rice farmers live while working the fields.

We have the chance to speak with some of the rice farmers who tell us about rice cultivation below sea level, collective farming and the problems face in this southern area of India

A rudimentary farming of allowing the water from the canals into the rice cultivation. A damn so to speak.

Sunset over Kerala's palm fringed canals in a very tranquil part of southern India.

Our first night stopping along the canal. Each of our Houseboats have 5 bedrooms, 3 downstairs and two up. A large dining room up stairs. a kitchen aft downstairs and room at the front to just relax and watch the Kerala Backwaters float by.

After a super dinner and great breakfast the net morning we motor on the canal. Our first stop is at the home of one of our Captains of the two Houseboats. We are stop to learn about living along a river that floods frequently and living outside of town with the only transportation on the canal to towns.

The mother of the family shows how they start a fire and boil mussels from the mud of the canal. The wife is beginning to cut up a coconut.

Here she is splitting the coconut for us to sample.

We have a demonstration of taking a palm leaf and preparing it for use braiding the palm leaf.

The mussels are complete and ready for sampling.

We have a tour of the home. Here is the kitchen.

After our first stop we board small boats to use on the canal called Shikara boats. We are about to explore some of the more narrow canals.

We thank our hosts for letting us stop at their home and learning what life is like along the canals.

Dennis on one of the Shikara boats.

These boats are the suv's and trucks for the canals to transport goods and people.

Large homes built along the canals. In cases they are second homes from nearby cities.

Kerala backwaters have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture.

Family of ducks

The region has supported the efforts of the local people to earn a livelihood. In more recent times, agricultural efforts have been strengthened with the reclamation of some backwater lands for rice growing, Boat-making has been a traditional craft industry.

Laundry Day every day

The region is the lowest lying of any in India and is one of the few places in the world where farming is carried around 4 to 10 feet below sea level.

Regular ferry services connect most locations on both banks of the backwaters

The Kerala State Water Transport Department operates ferries for passengers as well as tourists. It is the cheapest mode of transport through the backwaters.

Just like anywhere in the world a group of ladies get together to talk about the latest gossip maybe.

For centuries locals gather to taste the sweet sap of the coconut palm after letting it ferment to create a mild alcoholic brew called Toddy. A few of us sampled the fizzy white palm wine along with several of the spiciest dishes in India.

The Kettuvallam were traditionally used as grain barges, to transport the rice harvested in the fertile fields alongside the backwaters. Thatched roof covers over wooden hulls, 100 ft (30 m) in length, providing protected from the elements.

As you can see there are different varieties of Kettuvallm, One and 2 story. Ketuvallam are motorized but generally proceed at a slow speed for smooth travel.

The houseboats have become floating cottages having a sleeping area, with western-style toilets, a dining area and a sit out on the deck. Most tourists spend the night on a houseboat. Food is cooked on board by the accompanying staff—mostly having a flavor of Kerala.

As you can see the houseboat is steered from the forward part of the vessel. The front of the houseboat is where you board and depart each stop from the front bow area.

Another variety of houseboats.

Many of these homes are literally built below the flow of the canals.

A local washing various items from the water in the canal.

One of the many cross waterways in the network of canals.

In this area of the canal there is a walkway along the canal for locals. Rare for most of the canal zone.

One of the continuous water ferries that run on the canals.

This gentleman is climbing the palm to obtain coconuts to extract the sweet sap from the coconut palm prior to it fermenting to create the alcohol brew Toddy.

The forward section, a general area to relax and enjoy the scerery as it passes by, for everyone, just behind where the pilot of the houseboat sits at the bow.

This young girl we met while walking along the canal prior to dinner on the second night. When I showed her the photo of her she was very pleased. She smiled. She wanted to practice her English which she was very proficient.

This is the Mattancherry Palace or Dutch Palace . There a large number of murals on the walls of the palace, executed in the traditions of Hindu temple art, which are religious, decorative and stylized. It is located in the city of Cochin.

This is a 16th century Paradesi synagogue which is still active today. Unfortunately there are very few remaining practicing Jews in Cochin or Kochi.

The main street in the area of the Palace and the Synagogue with many shops along the streets today.

Interesting sign hung over the street.

In the afternoon we walked to a local theater where we saw a Kathakali performance for just our group. An Indian tradition of storytelling through dance and music.

The story is portrayed through dancing and hand gestures called mudras. It definitely was different.

The harbor and ferry station was only 2 minutes from our hotel in Kochi.

Interesting throughout southern India you can rent rooms with or without A/C

View of a pedestrian and car ferry crossing the bay. We took it several times.

Ship leaving the harbor of Kochi for the open ocean close by.

Fishing nets

Casting out the net from beach.

Inside the Church of Our Lady of Hope. A mass taking place.

The church was Blessed in 1605 AD

Pedestrians ready to leave the ferry with cars and bicycles to follow. They run every few minutes.

You can see how close the other side of the river is to cross.

Pedestrians departing the ferry.

Unique combs made by hand with bone

Fishermen leaving and returning on the Periyar river to the Arabian Sea in Kochi

A group of young guys headed to a beach nearby for bathing and fun.

A fish sales person proudly displaying today's ketch for sale

Blue lobster and shrimp for sale

Explaining the ketch and what each of the items are

Indian Coast Guard ship headed out to the Arabian Sea a short distance where we are

A local fisherman explaining to a few of us how the fishing nets are used

This is the small group of us who walked out on this dock that was about ready to collapse into the river. We were the adventurous ones.

These nets we are learning about are the iconic Chinese fishing nets still in use daily.

This is the dock we were sitting on with the net set to drop into the river

We drove by this group of young kids with parents and couches enjoying the competition in athletic contests on a Saturday morning.

Saint Francis Church, in Fort Kochi, Kochi, originally built in 1503, by the Franciscian Fathers is one of the oldest European churches in India and has historical significance as a witness to the European colonial ambitions in the subcontinent. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama died in Kochi in 1524 when he was on his third visit to India.

It is thought to be India's oldest European built church. Vasco da Gama was buried in this church in 1524 . His tombstone is still inside the church. His remains were later moved to Lisbon.

This is one of the sites where the Marigold Hotel was filmed in India in 2011. The Real Marigold Hotel, this portion, was at Le Colonial in Kochi, India. The movie is a great movie to see.

Sunset Harbor view entrance to the Arabian Sea while taking a sunset cruise on the Periyar River

In the distance is a ferry approaching the island across from Kochi city.

Fishermen in the evening getting their fishing boat ready for the next days catch.

Fishermen returning with the days catch

City of Kochi in the distance

Fishermen in the foreground, vehicle ferry in the center and the port docks in the distance.

In the distance are the port docks where cargo is unloaded and loaded onto freighters from around the world.

Sunset on the river and a final look west at the Arabian Sea harbor entrance

One of the most enjoyable times of the whole trip for me occurred early the next morning when a group of young men "Youth of Cochin" was waiting for us at the hotel to take us through their city on motorbikes as the city wakes up. Meet my new friend Titan and his new Honda motorcycle he had.

We rode through many streets and parts of the city. What a blast. It made my day for sure.

Salt is used for various spiritual reasons, with several testimonies recorded from breakthrough to restoration to spiritual protection, fortification, and others. This is why it is often used in important events and rituals that involve declarations and prayers.

Titan with his Honda motorcycle

Yours truly with Titan's Honda. That was so much fun riding the streets of Cochin.

We stopped at a local restaurant for coffee and learn more about our new friends. They have been sharing their town on backs of motorcycles for sometime , even prior to the Covid shut down. They are so glad to be able to restart program of friendship.

Ran into a group of local Boy Scouts and their leader. I told them I was a Boy Scout many years ago in the US and they wanted a photo with me. A great exchange of friendship.

We arrived mid day in Mumbai. Here you find a mobile carriage to get around the city

Mumbai Harbor

Gateway to India monument under restoration harbor side.

Dennis our guide speaking with some of the local vendors along the harbor side.

Popcorn for sale

Side view of the famous Taj Mahal Palace Hotel

Intersection in front of the Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway to India Monument.

The Gateway of India is an arch-monument completed in 1924 on the waterfront of Mumbai (Bombay), India. It was erected to commemorate the landing of George V for his coronation as the Emperor of India in December 1911. He was the first British monarch to visit India.

Built in 1903, The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai is India's first luxury hotel. Offering panoramic views of the Arabian Sea and the Gateway of India.

Everyone wants to take your photo for a price. He did take the group photo of us.

On November 26, 2008, Mumbai's Taj Hotel witnessed a terrorist siege, leaving many dead and taken many hostages. The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, was occupied by the terrorists for more than three days, resulting in the deaths of 34 people and 28 people injured.

The tower at the Taj Mahal Palace

View of the restoration of the Gateway to India monument.

View of the Gateway to India lit up in the early evening.

A tourist in the crowd at the Gateway to India.. me.

The Taj Mahal Palace lit up in the early evening.

Driving by the Gate Way to India the following morning with no one on the plaza

City park Saturday morning filled with teams playing Cricket

Central downtown area of Mumbai, formerly called Bombay, across the bay

The Mosque Haji Ali Dargah is located on a small island in the Arabian Sea, in Mumbai. The pathway leading to it gets submerged during high tide, making it accessible only during low tide periods. The Haji Ali Dargah was constructed in 1431 in memory of a wealthy Muslim merchant, who gave up all his worldly possessions before making a pilgrimage to Mecca.

This area is near the Dharavi slum area.

Dharavi is home to an estimated one million people.

Amazingly 60% of Mumbai's populations live in Dharavi or other slums located within Mumbai.

The total area of Dharavi is only about 1.5 square miles.

Here we have a young man ironing clothes. He later showed me that the iron has hot coal inside the iron to keep it hot to iron the clothes as a living for him..

Car decked out for a special occasion.

As we walked through the maze of buildings, alleyways it was very easy to get lost in just one turn of a corner.

Dennis looking back to see if I am lost again. I kept stopping and talking to kids, shop keepers, locals.

Around ever corner or turn was another photo opportunity of daily life.

Even through an open window and bars it is easy to make a new friend, take a photo and share. He was so thrilled to see as photo of himself.

We were told that Dharavi is one of the most densely populated areas on earth.

There are so many people of varied religions, trades and ethnicities from all regions of India.

They live side by side.

We were invited into a very small one room home that was sell kept.

This young girl was learning English from her mother and was eager to speak with us. Her mother prepared some Chi Tea for us to share with her.

The neighbor next door was washing clothes at her front door outside.

Young boys playing Cricket in the passage ways for recreation.

I was told that for every 1,000 people living in this area there is one toilet. Think about that.

The young girl standing down in the door way is the entrance to the small home we visited.

The cat resting on the motorcycle is keeping an eye on the man cleaning some fish. One more away from the fish and it is lunch for the cat.

Hungry for lunch. A local set up food to go. Instead of a drive through this is a walk by.

Across a main street apartments and homes.

A main thoroughfare. Notice driving is with right hand drive.

You name it you can find it on the street to purchase. Everyone works at something to live.

Working areas barely able to walk through.

Working conditions with clean air and ventilation is nowhere to be found.

Maze of alleys, tiny shops and homes all close together.

Pottery and leather working are two big industries in this area of Dharavi.

Notice the air within this area of Dharavi.

This alley puts a whole new meaning to narrow. Everything in this area passes through here.

Just a little traffic congestion.

Pottery for sale

New high rise going up. Lets hope they all have a toilet and running water.

Trains arriving from West, East and Central India rest at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

It is a massive building for arriving and departing trains.

Inside in the area to purchase tickets

Waiting area inside near departing and arriving trains

Constant coming and going early morning to late in the evening.

Travelers hurrying after train arrived

Ceiling in the area where tickets are sold.

Outside on the street in front of the Train station.

Pedestrian traffic near the train station

I passed by the young man ironing and this time he showed me the inside of his iron and the hot coals he uses to work with.

Kids are the happiest when they get to see the photos of themselves.

Finally an area you can breath and walk at the same time.

Kids happy to have a photo taken of themselves.

The next morning we are off to visit to Dhobi Ghat, Mumbai's open air laundromat where daily a half millions articles of clothing are laundered each day by hand.

It was constructed in 1890. This is the street entrance to Dhobi Ghat.

Home to the Dhobis and their families, it is estimated around 200 families live in and around this area, the Dhobi Ghat has seen this occupation passed down from one generation to the next.

There are rows of open-air concrete wash pens, each fitted with its own flogging stone. Claimed to be the world's largest outdoor laundry,

Just opposite the wash areas is a small one room school for the youngest that live in the Dhobis.

For 18 to 20 hours each day, these workers tirelessly flog, scrub, dye and bleach clothes on concrete wash pens, dry them on ropes, neatly press them and transport the garments to different parts of the city.

Over 100,000 clothes are washed each day. Some of the wealthier dhobis have given up on manual cleaning and have now installed large mechanical washing and drying machines. The dhobis collect clothes from all corners of the city

The washers, known as dhobis, work in the open to clean clothes and linens from Mumbai's hotels and hospitals.

Their biggest clients are neighborhood laundries, garment dealers, wedding decorators and caterers, and mid-sized hotels and clubs.

It is estimated that there are over 7,000 working in this profession across Mumbai scattered throughout the city. This open air is the largest.

This photo says a lot of the Dhobi Ghat. You live and work all in the same location. The wash tubs belong to the city and must be rented. The rent is 300 rupees a month, I am told the equivalent $5.60. How much one earns depends on how many items are laundered. Usually, on average about10,000 rupees a month. That’s $186 with long hours..

Working day in and day out in these conditions is hard to imagine.

Here we find an automatic washing machine.

We find a young man ironing all day long.

We discover a family lives where in the location the work is taking place.

This young man is folding laundry after it being laundered.

A group of men struggle to move these laundry bags through the tight areas on a dolly.

Taking a break

Check out this electrical handiwork.

This is my third trip to India over the years and it never ceases to amaze me the electrical imagination they have all over the country. Help I think I see the problem.

Homes and laundry business together just outside the Dobhi Ghat along the street

Late morning we returned to a different part of the Train station to witness something we did not know existed. Lunch delivery service. .

Need to have a shoes shined?

Every day in Mumbai, some 5,000 deliverymen called dabba wallahs hand deliver 200,000 hot meals to doorsteps across the city.

Trains arriving and departing every few minutes at the station.

It's an intricate network that requires precise timing and numerous hand offs from courier to courier.

The century-old service is a staple for the city's office workers. But as the city has changed, so too has the service.

After a night of cooking and a morning of packing, each meal is put into a small metal canister, or tiffin, in time for the dabba wallah's pickup. "When he comes at 9, everything has to be ready for him ... because they are on a very tight schedule,

To make sure each lunch pail ends up at the right place, each container has a hieroglyphic-like coding system painted on the lid that is checks before heading outside to load up. The rider clips the containers to the handlebars of his bicycle and starts his 45-minute cycle to the train station.

The lunches are transferred to other trains to go to different parts of the city. Lunches can be transferred three or four times before finally ending up on desktops of customers

There are close to 5,000 dabba wallah deliverymen who ferry some 200,000 lunches to offices across the city. It works a lot like Takeout Taxi. The couriers make 500 rupees, or about $10, per person for a month of deliveries. Talk about an intricate delivery system for lunch.

Close up of the front of the Mumbai Central railway station, Western Railway.

A heritage steam locomotive, a symbol of development and modernity through the 19th and 20th centuries, was repaired and repainted to its old-world glory along with a heritage lawn, outside the Mumbai Central railway station by the Western Railway,

Driving across the central Mumbai with skyscrapers abounding all around.

In the center of the skyscrapers we discover another of the many laundries.

We find yet another laundry in the center of the city.

You would be hard pressed to find another place where the contrasts of modern India manifest as strikingly as in Mumbai. There is, on one hand, the almost shocking poverty. Millions of people looking for work stream into the city from all over India. Most of them end up as ragmen. Then there are the vestiges of obscene wealth in a globalized world. On nearby Marine Drive, dozens of high-end high rises gleam like mirrors in the sunlight. .

Indian society is changing fast, and its heirarchies are becoming more porous. But the caste system still determines the choice of life partner and line of work for many millions of people.

On our last afternoon a few of us visited the home and former headquarters of Ghandi. It is a museum. Very interesting to visit.

Mani Bhavan is a museum and historical building dedicated to Gandhi, A room left the same as when occupied the residence and made history here at the same time for India

Mani Bhavan, on Laburnum Road, a beautiful old mansion with wooden balconies was Gandhi's home and headquarters in Bombay from 1917 to 1934, where he held meetings with Congress leaders, mill workers, local traders and merchants, his supporters all.

Bombay, Mumbai today, was the staging post for Ghandi's launch of three movements that were central to the fight for independence, namely the first Non-Cooperation Movement 1920, Khilafat Movement 1919, and the Quit India Movement 1942.

The home today, a museum is very much similar to when Ghandi lived and worked there.

Southern India is a fascinating place to visit. We stayed on beaches on the Bay of Bengal in Chennai, visited a farming village in in Mahabalipuram, visited a Hindu site in Madurai, a Spice plantation and a wildlife preserve in Periyar, spent 2 nights in the back waters of Kerala. In Cochin on the Arabian Sea we enjoyed a motorbike ride around the city, in the early morning, with a group of young guys who like to share their like of Cochin with others. We dined in a restaurant 150 years old. Mumbai has so much to see.

This photo should have followed when we left the Kerala Backwaters. This is a photo of our tour group along with the crew of the 2 houseboats which made for a wonderful experience for all of us on the Kerala backwaters.

In Cochin a group of us adventurists were out early in the morning meeting up with The Youth Of Cochin, a group of young men on motorcycles, who enjoy sharing great friendship with us as we rode through their city of Cochin. What a great time we had. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me.

A photo of our group at the Gateway to India Plaza with the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in the background.

We had a delicious lunch here on our last day together. I hope you enjoyed the commentary and photos. Remember Friendship Moves the World. Jim Schroder

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© 2025 Jim Schroder