From Kodaikanal, I wound and rattled back out of the hills to Madurai. Got (briefly) stuck in the rain (the bus dropped us at the highway instead of turning off two blocks and stopping at the station... with the shelter and the rickshaws). Two minutes of walking and I was soaked. Fortunately, 1) everything in the bag remained dry, 2) my first choice hotel had rooms and 3) someone was willing to point to the right bus to get there. It was so comfy I stayed an extra day. And you could see the Sri Meenakshi temple complex from the roof.

My next hop took me six hours south to Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin). The highway is quite new making the bus trip surprisingly comfortable. About an hour before the city you pass through a field with easily a hundred-plus mismatched windmills. These might be the highlight of the city for me - that or finally getting some postcards.

Trivandrum's zoo made a great day out. Unlike every other animal in India, these seemed cared for and relatively comfortable. It's a little confusing to get around with no maps and only the occasional "This way -->" sign but it's not like you could really get lost. And the baby hippo was terribly cute. On the same grounds I visited the Napier museum and an art gallery. Both collections were nice but the most interesting bit is the interior of the Keralan mansion that houses the Napier holdings. No pictures allowed though. They didn't even sell postcards showing the inside. I guess if you are curious you just have to make the trip.

Getting to Varkala (1.5 hours from Trivandrum) took four buses and an autorickshaw. That's what happens when you can't read the signs on the buses for yourself. After the third bus, I was sorely tempted to take a proper taxi the rest of the way there, whatever the cost. But the fourth bus actually said "Varkala" on it and I saw that before I found a taxi. Besides sit at the beach and sit at the cliff-side cafes there is nothing to keep you in Varkala. I stayed a week. The police do a good job of keeping the hawkers and gawkers away and to the best of my knowledge no one was swept out to sea during my staying making this my best beach experience in India so far despite the crowds.

From Varkala, I caught my first-ever train in India north to Kochi. I even managed to grab a seat after the first station and hold said territory the remaining four hours of my journey. Getting off a train in India is like getting off a train that's on fire in the US. Except with an equal number of people trying to force their way on. But the ride itself was more comfortable than that on a bus and if you have an aisle seat you don't get sooty. It's even quiet enough to talk to the other passengers.

I fell ill the day after my train trip - thus the week-long stay in Kochi. The worst of it only lasted a day but if was three before my headache abated. Now I'm actually well enough to do my tourist things (shopping) before heading to Calicut and then Mysore. Pictures soon! (I'm sure Bangalore will have functional USB ports...)

Alive and (mostly) well in Kochi (Fort Cochin)

Sorry for the long break in contact - it's not easy to find an internet cafe and electricity at the same time. I'll recap the last few weeks next time I get online - I just wanted to check in (in case anyone was worried). I'm still recovering from my first illness in India and all this typing just wears me out. See you soon - Claire

{Please pardon the revisionist history - editing old posts to include photos - I thought it made for easier reading}

Despite the weather, I've got a good shot of the lake here at Kodaikannal. At 30°F cooler than anywhere I've been in the last six weeks, this could be my favorite place in India. Maybe in all of Asia. It just seems so much more managable when I'm not concerned about heat stroke or getting hit by an autorickshaw (not that there aren't motorbikes and Land Rovers and cows weaving around the roads - there's just no autorickshaws).

My plan is seven cities in the next month [Madurai, Kanyakumari, Trivandrum, Varkala (not really a city stop, I'm visiting for the beach), Kochi, Bangalore, Hampi] then a nice leisurely week or so in Goa. I think I have a mild concussion from the six hour bus trip from Trichy so I'm looking forward to doing much of this trip by train. (The buses aren't as bad as you'd think by looking at them, just... bouncy. And you get really dirty sitting by the window). It's a bit rushed but this schedule gets me to Delhi by the start of April should I wish to move my flights up or hide from the growing heat in the North or Northeast. I'm really trying to like India and I think moving around helps. Finding something to eat besides curry and biryani would help too - I'm such a chicken when it comes to food.

Maybe I'll give up autorickshaws for Lent... or beef - that would be way easier.

Well... today I'm in Thanjavur (Thanjore). Lonely Planet describes this city as easy going which makes me seriously concerned about cities described as hectic or chaotic. But if you've got the chance to see a world heritage listed temple (Brihadishwara Temple, or "The Big Temple" as it is locally known) I feel you ought to do it. To the left is my best picture of the day - doesn't really show you the grounds or much of the temple itself but it does give a sense of the place.

Mamallapuram was an improvement on Chennai in that, because of the large tourist population and much smaller size, it was easier to find safe looking restuarants and to navigate by foot. Of course, with tourists comes souvenir shops and hawkers and beggars. It's not a place where you forget you are in India. Especially if you try to sit at the beach. Nothing really prepares you for that much unwanted attention, at least nothing I've ever been through. But you can have a few good minutes here and there - especially if you sit below the overhang of the beach where you're harder to spot.

In the French quarter of Pondy, the 'rues' are cleaner and wider than typical and many of the buildings are in good repair and prettily painted. From the veranda of my hotel (on Bharathi Park), you could almost think you are in New Orleans - then the traffic would flare up in all its honking and revving glory putting you right back on the sub-continent. I probably would have grown to like the place (it had street signs!) but I couldn't find a good place to stay so I moved on...

...to Chidambarum. The attraction here is the Nataraja temple, erected around 1300. This is where a good photo would really help - I just can't describe this type of structure, there's nothing else like it. It's the sort of building people write books about. The city surrounds the temple, which is an active place of worship, giving every would-be guide the opportunity to say that faith is central to life in the city. And my hotel was nice - the first place I've stayed where the water and electricity routinely worked. It was even clean(-ish).

Five jiggly hours later I arrived by bus in Thanjore. Tomorrow I leave for Trichy then I head for the hills. I may still leave early but I am at least planning to stay through March. Hope you are getting on well back home - stay safe.