Kerala Xmas 2011 / New Year 2012 Archives

2nd January 2012

Day 16 Varkala to Trivandrum 2nd Jan 2012

We got up in good time for a 9.30 departure from the hotel. Breakfast and then some group photos of us all taken by Nick.

The minibus turned up as planned and we got to the airport to drop off the Eustance family at just after 11 in good time for their flight to Mumbai.

We continued onto out hotel The South Park, Fortune Hotel. This was OK a business hotel which is cleaner than the hotel in Periyar and much nicer than the place we could have ended up in when we were in Kochi. Rather than sit in the hotel we decided to venture out to see the temples, and in particular the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, at the fort area of town. This proved to be a bit of a mistake it was too hot, the rickshaw drivers all wanted to take up to Kovalam Beach and did not speak English so we came back. C is also not feeling 100% either.

We decide to spend the afternoon in the hotel and venture out for dinner, there is a very good Italian mentioned in the Rough Guide. C and T get some work done and we get a dodgy room service!

I find out we cannot check in online from Trivandrum airport and arrange a large car to get us to the airport at 2am.

The kids work during the afternoon and B and I read until about 4.30 when we decide to venture out to look around a bit more and so in the opposite direction from the morning towards the Napier Museum and the zoo. The temperature was much better and we had a good time exploring a bit. I even managed to get rid of my 2 1 pisa coins to a coin seller – he was a bit surprised!! We bought some chocolate (Toberlone) for the kids and I got a watch strap for only 150 rupees which is about 1/8 of what I might pay in the UK!

The decision was made not to go out as we were not that hungary and C tummy was playing up so we went to the hotel restaurant instead. They had only go an enormous buffet which the staff were only too keen to show us and also looked delicious. However once B and T had had a bowl of soup and I a few bits of tempura we decided we really were no hungry after all! The staff were really good and we only paid for our drinks!!

We decided to play cards until 9.30 and then went to bed ready to get up at 1.40 to leave the hotel at 2am!!

A bit of an odd day really!

1st January 2012

Day 15 Varkala 1st Jan 2012 – New Years Day

New Years Day 2012 started bright…. The rain has gone …. Sometime after 8.30! We wandered to breakfast about 9.15 N&L were already there. No children surfaced. We eventually work them about 10 as breakfast ended @ 10.30.

We had no real plans for the day other than massages and F had a manicure booked. We decided in the end to spend the day at the beach as it was sunny and the last day.

Lunch was at the Chill Out Cafe and it was impossibly slow. Apparently the staff were all hungover from the night before and there was only one chef! The food arrived eventually but not before F had left for manicure and come back. It took over 1 1/2!

The afternoon was also on the beach and we went back to the hotel at 4.30 ish for a swim and to relax. We decided to have dinner out.

We were greeting with the most amazing surprise from the housekeeping staff! All the beds had been decorated. Ours had a swan made of flannels decorated with bougainvillea leaves and some other flowers, M and F had an elephant, C and T a doll and most amazingly of all the staff had ‘borrowed’ Nick’s Father Xmas mask which he had worn on Boxing Day on the boat trip in Kochi and made a Father Xmas figure sitting in the bed, under the covers, with the TV remote control in his hand. It was wonderful. I don’t think many places would have made such an effort or had the courage to use something from one of the guests! It could not have been more appropriate.

We settled the bill and for the first time in India it was (just about) right and the process easy!

We decided to have a pre dinner drink and the head out to the Lotus Cafe recommended in the Rough Guide. The rickshaws had a hard time finding it as it was on the South Cliff. It was an great spot on top of the cliffs with nothing else around and the lights of the fishing boats at sea. It was very dimly lit and very quiet. Nevertheless they were serving food but again sort staffed as the staff had or were recovering from hangovers and the service was very very slow. Adults all elected to have Kerala fish (butter fish) in banana leaves and the kids a mixture of different things. Despite being slow a good meal. (L pointed out the fish was not well cooked half was through but it was very hard to see as there was so little light…. however as a result there was some mild ill effects the next day which was a pity).

All in all a good day.

31st December 2011

Day 14 Varkala 31st Dec 2011 – New Years Eve

We were woken quite early by torrential rains somewhere around 5. The first real rain of the holiday. The leftover rain from cyclone Thane which hit Tamil Nadu. By the time we got up just after 7 it was still raining but not quite so hard and the power keeps going on and off. The corridors outside our room are flooded but the staff are going a good job of clearing up. As the walls are made with big holes for ventilation the rain came straight in.

Tim’s foot is sore as expected. After some multiple asking we got some ice onto it. Hopefully that will help – it is quite swollen. It seemed to do the trick and the rain cleared about 11-11.30 and so we decided to go and explore.

We wandered down the steps at the back of the hotel and along the beach. The signs of the rain evident in the water rushing down the hill in the gullies and down into the sea. The beach opposite the Hindustan Beach Retreat were as busy as ever but with the addition of lots of people dressed in yellow – which we later established as the 79th annual gathering in respect of some guru.

We ended up in Cafe Kerala – which was meant to do great coffee but as there was a power cut after the rains they could not make any – after a stop in the Tibetan Market which resulted in the acquisition of more bracelets and a Tibetan Shawl.

We left N&L on the cliff top and went back via rick shaw for a swim after having arranged to meet at Little Tibet @ 2.

We went to Cafe del Mar which was not bad – C, M and F went and had had some henna done. Very nice. B and T arranged a massage for New Years Day. Nick and I arranged a minibus to take us to the airport on Tues am as the hotel quoted over 6000 rupees. B bought some earrings for her and C. We then all retired back to the hotel to prepared for the New Years Eve party.

It looked very like rain and by the time we got back the hotel has decided to move all the preparations inside the hotel and it stated to rain hard again at about 5 and lasted about 2 hours.

The evening party was held in reception and was great fun and very different. It was extremely noisy and there was a never ending series of ‘performances’ and games from 7.30 through to midnight. It was all a bit much at times as it could have done with a break and some music to dance to. There was an enormous amount of food as well. Far more then the 80 odd people at the party could possibly eat. The entertainment was a mixture of some classical Indian music played live, a magician who was very good, a dance troupe who were OK with a very odd Michael Jackson impersonator, a Keralan martial arts demonstration, and a series of games like who has the most rings, longest hair, biggest bald patch! The dancers and the martial arts were very restricted by the height of the ceiling. The most extraordinary thing was the fire eating by the dance troupe which was done with the low ceiling and great spouts of fire. The smoke detectors most have been turned off as when I looked at the ceiling he next morning it was singed black in places! The count down to new year was followed by some great fireworks and then a Indian techno disco which was impossible to dance to.

The kids decided to jump into the pool fully clothed and we retired to poolside with a cold bottle of wine.

We got to bed about 1am and the kids stayed up until about 2.30 apparently having all fallen asleep in C and T’s room. How we slept through all the other noise reaching the hotel from other parties I don’t know.

Happy New Year 2012.

30th December 2011

Day 13 Varkala 30th Dec 2011

We have had quite a quiet day which has been nice.

B and I read our books while C and T did some work in preparation for exams. We had all agreed to meet for lunch at 1.

N and L, M and F went out and explored the shops on the cliffs. Something we ne’er really got a chance to do wen we were first here.

I went out and got some water, biscuits and coke and explored a bit for an hour, also looking for free wi-fi as the hotel wi-fi is not cheap. Found free at Eden Gardens just opposite the Hindustan Beach Resort where we first stayed but everywhere else was protected with a password, which they will give you for free if you buy coffee etc.

We had a good buffet lunch at the hotel and the went to the beach. The wind was picking up as a result of the cyclone on the other side of India in Tamil Nadu and eventually the life guards blew their whistles to get everyone out of the sea. B and I had a wander with C and M along the cliff top (C and M did buy some bangles and I got my t-shirt tear mended for 15 rupees (20p).)and ended up in Little Tibet for coffee, cake and drinks. M and C went to get N, L and F but Tim who,had got himself a game of football decided to go back to the hotel to shower.

I managed to upload the rest of the bog to end day 12.

We then went to find out the times of the Katalaki dancing and found make up starts at 5 and by that time it was nearly 6.15 and the show starts at 6.45 and goes onto 8. so we decided to give it a miss and comeback on the 1st. Apparently once you have paid your 250 rupees per head you can nip in and out of the makeup preparations and the show.

We got ricks haws back to the hotel and then back again at 7.30 for a meal at Cafe Italiano. Good pizza and pasta and beer server in tea pots and mugs so it did not look like we were drinking!

Poor Tim has hurt his foot playing football. He kicked someone else’s foot and bent back his three little toes on his right foot and has got quite a limp. Hopefully nothing serious but he will be limping for a day or so.

Bed quite early at about 10.30. Nice easy day.

29th December 2011

Day 12 Kovalam to Varkala and the last Explore holiday day – Thurs 29th Dec 2011

Beep beep beep 5.50am. B and I get up and make our way to say good bye. Sad to see everyone go but I am glad we made the effort.

We all go back to bed and sleep, or try to, until about 7.30. Read a bit, pack. We have arranged via Eugine for a minibus (another friend) to pick us up at 11 and take us the the Gateway Hotel in Varkala for our final days.

Rather than eating in the hotel we decide to go to Waves, the German bakery (again!) for breakfast and have a good breakfast looking out over the breaking waves and swimmers and get back to the hotel just before 11.

The minibus turns up as expected and we cram the bags in with help from the hotel staff and the driver. It is a tight squeeze. 2 hours later after one stop at an ATM we are back in Varkala and the Gateway. The minibus has its underside inspected by a mirror to check for bombs …. apparently this has happened to N&L a few times but is the first time I had seen this and a reaction to the Mumbai incident a few years ago which happened to the Taj Hotel there. The Gateway is also a Taj group hotel.

The hotel is quite obviously a step above anything we have stayed in so far in India. The staff are better trained and more fluent in English and the whole reception airy and welcoming. You can see the sea but more importantly as Tim says ‘the pool is enormous’. Well it is pretty good size and bigger than the pools we have had so far.

Nick and I try and book the driver of the minibus to take us back to Trivandrum but we find out he is going to Kochi… So that is why Eugine knows him and we have done him a favour by paying for some if not all of he journey. Well it worked well for all of us.

We have got the rooms we wanted with gardens but need to wait until about 2 to get into the and so decide to walk to a restaurant on the cliff and the first one we see and leave the main bags in reception. We end up in a cafe called Peace and have a good lunch. Adults all eat Dal Makana and the kids a mixture of Pad Thai, Spag bog, lime juices and lassis. We get a tuk-tuk back it is too hot and a 15 min walk back. It might be quicker to walk down to the beach and get the the cliff that way. We’ll try tomorrow.

Our rooms were ready on our return – rooms 101-104 all at one end of the hotel, all with gardens, nice beds, good bathrooms and very welcoming. we run up and down deciding who gets which room. Adults end of with identical rooms and the kids with ones which are the same size but decorated a bit differently. Apparently all the rooms are being or have been redecorated by 3 different designers and one of the rooms had fresh paint on a patch on the wall!! It was dry before the end of the afternoon.

We potter about, kids to pool, B unpacks, etc. The afternoon passes quite quickly and we meet for a drink in N&L’s room to drink some of the remainder of the beer left from that we bought in Kochi for the Christmas party which never happened.

Dinner was on the terrace overlooking the pool with an excellent buffet, the best for days probably since Vanilla County and a bottle of voignier white wine from Grovers. It was on them menu as a Sauvignon Blanc but there was none and it had been replaced by the voignier. The waiter was quite confused when we said it was not the right one but understood when we pointed out the grape name.

We all retire to bed and the most comfortable beds so far in India.

28th December 2011

Day 11 Kovalam – Wed 28th Dec 2011

Breakfast was the usual buffet but with a new addition there was a chef cooking rotisserie which he formed into cones which sat very proudly on the plates. The buffet also had little tiffin dishes in which to put your curry so the different flavours did not mingle together.

The day was planned as a day at the beach but B and I decided to have another walk along the beach and Libby joined us before meeting in the German bakery for a proper coffee at 11. We saw Malcolm and Caroline with Ellie and Alex leaving in a tuk-tuk and later found they went to explore the local fishing village around the headland the other side of the lighthouse.

I returned my T-shirt for a larger one XL rather than L. Not sure if that is trying to tell me something. We had a good stroll around and decided to come back via the streets behind the main seafront and on our way passed as few other little shops but the ‘find’ was a cobbler making sandals. He could over 2 days make sandals to fit your feet and as we phased a lady was having a pair fitted. They were Birkenstock equivalents and looked nice. He also has a stock of a few hundred ‘ready’ made sandals and Libby and I both ended up with a pair and they could not have been much more than £7-8.

Coffee and cake in the German bakery – called Waves – is to be recommended and we met Nick and Karen and Sven there. The kids turned up about 12 after some drinks and walked away with takeaway cake too.

We spend some time on the beach… Libby and B reading…. I went for a swim and then somehow it was lunchtime. Nick had scouted out a restaurant our end of the beach called Fusion and we had a very nice lunch there. It has an interesting menu which has East, West and a fusion menu. I went to find the kids after having order to make sure they had some money for lunch too and found C and T in the German bakery with Fiz and Mills. Charlotte came back and got money for lunch. We found out that Fusion is linked to Waves. Probably to two most western friendly places we found in Varkala.

The afternoon was spent on the beach. Nick, Libby, B and I decided to climb the lihthouse which is open for viewing in the afternoon. There was a great, but very windy, view from the top and you could see the fishing village and its mosque, where Malcome and Caroline had gone in the morning, and further in the distance a new church in construction, in one direction and all the way round both beaches in the other.

We all meet in the hotel reception at 7.30 for our final dinner. Mills has got the results for,her exams to get to Melbourne Uni – a fantastic achievement with 97% relative ranking vs other applicants. She is over the moon and imcan see Nick & Libby are also proud and pleased. We depart to another restaurant Crab Club along the front (the original plan had been the hotel but they do not serve alcohol and actually no one really wanted to eat in the hotel so we were all pleased to got elsewhere). We had a good dinner and gave Eugine his tip which I think he was pleased with and all swapped email addresses.

The kids went back to chat in their rooms (all in Mills and Fiz) and we went to the German Bakery for coffee, tea, etc and continued to chat until about 10.30-11.

This was the end of the tour for 2 families and they were leaving at 6 so we agreed to meet and say goodbye just before they left in the morning.

27th December 2011

Day 10 Kochi to Kovalam – Tues 27th Dec 2011

Day 10 started very early with our alarm going off at 4.15. We were in reception by 4.30 and all departed on time at 4.45. We were given a packed breakfast by the hotel.

The station was dark but quite busy. The train departed at 5.50 and there was a bit of platform hopping as the departure platform changed. Quite like the UK really but that is where the similarities ended.

I had expected a train similar to that of the train in Thailand last year from Bangkok to Chang Mei or something similar to what I remember from travelling from Delhi to Agra some 40 years ago or the train we took with Explore from Jaipur across Rajestan 20 years ago. It was worse than all of them. We were on a 2nd class a/c carriage and split into 2 groups,breaking the party and a families into two in a carriage which 3 + 2 seats either side of the gangway. As Engine warned the a/c got quite fierce and it got cold. Thank goodness for jumpers. It train was also showing signs of age but functioned just fine. It was a pity it was arranged as it was as there was little opportunity to move about, chat and loom out the window. There was no much to see out the train as it was dark and as we soon found out the windows were filthy and tinted yellow…. Everything looked like it was from an early colour film. If there had been a 1st class that might have been more fun… as it was it was fine and we experienced Indian intercity travel… Tea coffee curry and doughnuts on sale throughout the journey.

We were met at the station and travelled via 2 minibuses to our hotel in Kovalam – the Sagara Beach Resort. This inset of the hillside above Lighthouse beach at the lighthouse end of the beach and had good sized a/c rooms. Really quite nice, and an easy walk to the beach and also with 2 swimming pools. We had to hang around fora hour waiting until 12 before we could check in. It would have been better to have been told and we could have explored straight away as it waste ended up the in restaurant who were ill prepared for a party of 17 just as they were clearing up from breakfast. We did all get a little gift from the hotel a small cloth bag with a bottle of sandalwood oil. Nice touch.

We soon got to the beach and spent the rest of the afternoon there. The sea was great fun with big waves rolling in and breaking with a great crash. We hired two body boards and you could surf the whole way in or get tossed head over heels! We had a bit of fun bargaining for deck chairs and umbrellas and ended up with 8 chairs and 4 umbrellas for the group. It turns out the chap hiring the chairs knows Engine. Does everyone know him? Anyway he looked after us well and I paid him the full price in the end rather than the bargained price – the difference was less than £1!

Kovalam is quite different from Varkala and the sea front is crowded with 100s of shops and restaurants, people selling bits and bobs along the pavement in front of the shops, fruit sellers touting the fruit cut up to people on the beach and tan coloured stray dogs all looking for bits and also as if they are from the same extended family. Lighthouse beach leads around the headland to another beach which was visited by many more Indian families than Lighthouse beach many of them going not the sea fully clothed.

We did some shopping before going back to the hotel and both Charlotte and Tim ended up with silver bracelets, I got a T shirt, we got some Kashmeri placemats and C also got some other cheaper bracelets.

As we had the beer and wine we bought in Cochin cooling in Nick and Libby’s fridge the adults all gathered in their room at 6.30 for pre dinner drinks before we all met for dinner at 7 and went to a restaurant called See Bee. It turns out this must be the local Explore hang out in Kovalam as there were Explore stickers in the restaurant. We had a pretty good meal. Quite a few had tiger prawns which were tasty in a curry sauce (the dish had a more exotic name but I don’t recall what) but as with so much of the food here needed some picking over to get he good bits. The chicken and mutton and beef dishes have been similar with bones to get through and the risk of getting nothing but bone. Anyway not a bad dinner.

We all retired to bed… A very hard bed! … Ready for another day of doing nothing as we all had rejected the possibility of a trip to the tip of India or a cookery course.

26th December 2011

Day 9 Kochi – Mon 26th Dec 2011

We set of at 9.30 after breakfast as planned for the day in Kochi.

Eugine has planned a walk around the old part of Fort Cochin and then Jew Town.

About 30 mins later we arrive and our planned 20 mins becomes more like 35 but the old town is nice. We stroll down some old streets, see the beach, walk past Eugine’s old school, pass the old Dutch Cemetery and go into St Francis’s Church which is the oldest Christian Church in India. The Queen visited a few years ago. It is fascinating with a tin roof, old fashioned fans – Punkas – which would have been pulled by punka wallas in years gone by. We then visit the Chinese fishing nets on the harbour …. the most photographed thing in Kochi …. We get a chance to get on the nets and the kids have a go at pulling up the net and catching fish …. this has become a tourist attraction rather than a commercial fishing operation…. How sad.

The walk seems a bit rushed to me and I would have liked more time to explore the streets. Eugine then leads us to Brights Residency! We visit the a/c emporium on the ground floor. B is annoyed as it is very commercial and Nick and I guess Eugine has promised to take us there as we cancelled the 1000 rupee a head dinner the night before and the hotel wants to get something back. But perhaps we are wrong.

We asked to get a chance to explore a bit but apparently the synagogue we are to visit shuts at 1 pm and it is now 12 so unless we get moving we will not see it. 15-20 mins later we reach Jew town which is very busy. We are also visiting the local museum in an old Dutch palace and as neither allow camera and the synagogue does not allow bags everything is left on the bus including money. It seems odd walking around with none of the tourist bits!

25th December 2011

Day 8 Periyar to Kochi – 25th Dec 2011

Merry Xmas. Woken before 7 with the staff clearing up on the rooftop after the party the night before!

The kids appear at 7.30 right on time and we had a very nice family time doing Xmas stocking! B and I both thought the kids got more than they had expected – good!

Breakfast at 7.45 and ready for the 6 hour journey to Kochi. It is quite chilly and we have the air conditioning off on the start of the journey.

We retrace our steps for some of the way down and stop at a ‘hotel’ Mariya at Pullapara for coffee and tea. This stop has a veranda with wonderful views over the hills.

We quickly descend back to rubber tree zones and into the town of Mundakayam which is quite quiet! Xmas is having its effect on the number of people about and the traffic!

We travel on through Chottupura, Vandipeyiar, Kanjirapally, and then pass the Queens Restaurant where we had our tea/coffee stop on the way up at Ponkunnam. Then through Paika, Pala, and stop at the Hotel Elegance at Kidangoor for the loos and therefore have to have more coffee and tea.

When chatting over drinks it we realise that Eugine has been on the phone a lot and wonder what is going on….. It soon becomes apparent as we travel on.

We continue the journey through Ettumanoor, Udatamperoor and Tripunithora eventually reaching the outskirts of Kochi sometime after 2pm.

What we find out is the hotel we were meant to stay at in the middle of Kochi, Brights Residency, has double booked! There are 2 Explore holidays booked in and they did not realise and have only made bookings for one…. and the other group is already in! Eugine has been phoning to find a replacement!

We turn up at the replacement hotel – the Malabar Court. It looks grotty but the outside in India can be deceptive so we go in and are greeted with small glasses of a very peculiar red, semi alcoholic drink, which is not very nice and wait for the rooms to be sorted.

Eugine then comes it Libby and them me saying that they do not have air conditioned rooms for all of us… 2 of us will need to have rooms with no a/c. Bridget then says we need to see the rooms before deciding…what a good idea that turned out to be. So Nick, Libby, Bridget, Karen, Eugine and so of the staff go up in the lift to see the rooms.

As we turn up there is an Indian family hurriedly leaving one of the two rooms…. I feel a bit embarrassed.. and the rooms are horrid…. Xmas day is turning a bit sour. After a quich chat between ourselves we decide that we do not want to stay at the hotel and turn to Eugine for suggestions. He is now in a bit of a spot and his day is turning into a nightmare too…. The planned trip to see his family, the Indian dancing and the Christmas Party planned at Brights Residency are all fading away as the day moves on.

Nick has a quiet chat with Eugine and asks how the hotel was found…… it transpires that Brights Residency found the hotel as an alternative. To give Eugine he was straight on the phone when he realised that this was not a hotel we would stay at!

We all troop downstairs and decide to taken the kids for chicken and chips and the fast food place next the the hotel while things are sorted as it is now 3.30 ish and no one has eaten properly. Just after ordering we find out that we have been upgraded to a 5 star hotel which has space but is 30 mins drive from Fort Cochin where we were meant to be staying. We are not going to be able to explore Cochin today. As we are planning to attend the party at Brights and the hotel does no serve alcohol the men go off with Eugine to the nearest Kerela State alcoho outlet and buy beer and a cople of bottles of Indian wine (from an estate called Grovers which has resulted in an acceptable – just – Sauvigon Blanc and this time Viognier).

The upgrade is the Bolgatty Palace Hotel on Bolgatty Island an ex Dutch colonial building from 1744 and the site of the British Administration until 1947. It is now run by KTDC the Kerela Tourism Development Corporation. It has a pool.

Halfandouralter sometime between 4 and 5 we arrive. The hotel is set its own spacious grounds, has a 9 hole golf course and is surrounded by water. A lovely spot. The rooms are nice and we are all soon settled in and decide not to leave for the Xmas party but stay put and enjoy the pool and the hotel and just recover!

We sent Eugine off to see his family and arrange to meet the following morning at 9.30. The rest of us enjoy the pool and a buffet dinner in the hotel…. No celebrations here and also no a la carte menu …. it is an Indian buffet but it is fine. Nick and Libby go for a massage…. Only Nick gets one for some reason to do with the lady masseur not being available.

The hotel is preparing for a big party the next day in the conference suites next to the pool area but more of that in tomorrow’s story.

Merry Christmas.

24th December 2011

Day 7 Periyar – 24th Dec 2011 – Xmas Eve

A 7.30 breakfast with a 8.30 departure. The journey to the Peryiar national park and the Peryiar Tiger Sanctuary is approx a 4 hour journey on the coach.

Sad to leave Vanilla County which has been a very pleasant few days.

The coach quite quickly travels up higher than the line of rubber trees. At somewhere between 400 and 500 m from what we learnt about rubber yesterday.

We travel through the villages and towns of Velliklum, Vagamon, Kolakalamenu, Kuttikkanum to Peermede for our first stop for coffee and tea. We soon enter tea growing country after leaving the rubber. The green regimented neatly trimmed bushes of tea carpet the hillside all the way to the side of the road. We stopped the coach fro a few moments to look at the tea being harvested by the workers overseen by the supervisor under his umbrella.

Our coffee/tea stop in Peermade is at a very odd hotel called the Himarani International situated on a near vertical hillside overlooking the river. We had to walk down two flights of stairs to get to the dining room which was painted a strange black on the hillside side of the room but had a commanding view of the river below. We then set of again and after only about 10-15 mins stopped again at the Mount St. Francis, Pattumala Church And Pilgrim Centre otherwise known as the Matha Pilgrim Shrine.

This catholic church is set on top of the hill with fantastic views across the surrounding tea planted hills. The church is decorated with as lovely star with the words “HAPPYX, MAS”. A good stop and the church peaceful with a few locals praying and the local priest sitting reading on one side. Interesting the church has no pews as in the UK and from what could be seen of those praying the locals stand or kneel on the floor but do not sit.

We travel on for approx another hour through Pambanar, Vandiperiyar (a busseling town which apparently is mostly populated with people from the neighbouring Tamil Nadu who work in the tea plantations) to Kumuli and reach our hotel the Grand Thekkady at about 12.30. We were greeted by a very sinister Father Christmas who was dancing outside the hotel to welcome guests and played art of the festivities for the remainder of the day. As we walked in we got a bindi on the forehead, a chocolate sweet and a glass of local sherry in a shot glass!

We all had a rather chaotic lunch with 4 families spread across 3 tables before getting ready for a 2.15 start – a quick walk to the Tiger Sanctuary. The hotel although only 2 years old was a it grubby – we were spoilt over the past few days.

The Tiger Sanctuary walk was termed a “soft trek” and before we set off for our to hour walk we had to put on leech socks which were thick cotton knee length loose socks which went over both feet and lower leg and tie below the knee. We all looked very silly!

The walk was nice but disappointing from a wildlife perspective. We saw some big deer and a couple of monkeys at the start but over the next 100 mins or so saw nothing – the elephants (which we saw signs of had disappeared – there are over 1000 so we had a good chance of seeing these normally) and the potential of tiger (only 30 left) never materialised.

The rest of the day (5.30 on). Shopping and the Christmas Eve celebration on the rooftop restaurant of the hotel.

The shopping was a success with a dhothi for the boys, new silk tops / trousers of the girls and some secret Santa gifts for boxing day all sorted. I am not sure we did a good job bargaining but we got what we wanted. Charlotte was tempted by a silver ankle bracelet at 2500 (then 2000) and might have gone lower (approx £30) but decided she would never wear it!

Dinner was at 8 and Eugine (our guide) gave Nick, Tim and I a quick lesson on tieing a dhothi and we were ready! They had laid on quite a feast (a 500 rupees a head) with 4 different rices, about 6 meat curries, 6 vegetarian, parathas, appams, BBQ fish, sweets (gulab jamon, halwa (sp?), cheesecake, ice cream. We were entertained by some excellent Indian dancing from a young couple.

It was then our turn to dance and, to Boney M and other cliche Xmas songs, the Father Christmas from earlier at the door, started to encourage adults and children to gyrate in from of the other diners. It was all good fun and quite silly.

Things started to peter out at about 10 and the kids disappeared to Mills and Fiz’s room and the adults to Nick and Libby’s. We sat around chatting and said goodnight about 11.30.

After quickly getting stockings ready and telling Charlotte and Tim to be at our door at 7.30 we went to bed.