Left Coir Village @ 9 and walked to bus through villages. 4 hour drive ahead.
Lost 5 of the group on walk as they walked the wrong way having hung back taking photos! Found them pretty easily however on the route the rickshaws took the day before.
Drove through Mannar, Thiruvalla, Changanacherry, Thengana, Vazoor, Ponkunnam.
Lots of busy Indian traffic but otherwise a bit dull.
We stopped for coffee and drinks at the Queens Restaurant, Cheppumpara, Ponkunnam. Instant coffee but actually quite good.
More driving through Kanjirapally, Thidanad and then Teekoy just hear our final destination the Homestay – Vanilla County. See www.vanillacounty.in.
The houses is amazing – made of teak and mahogany with think walls and verandas. Our room has teak ceiling, mahogany floor, rosewood furniture and a extra bed hanging from the ceiling. All the rooms in the house are similar. Charlotte, Millie and Fiz all sharing with Tim in his own room but with all 4 sharing a bathroom.
The house is owned by Baby Mathews – the youngest of 6 – 5 boys and 1 girl. By tradition the youngest inherits the house to look after the parents with. the estate being split between the sons. So Baby is the youngest (49) and has 160 acres of what was a 1000 acre estate bought by his grandfather in about 1947 from the local royal family.
After an excellent lunch we set off for a short 45 min walk down for a swin in the local rock pool below the house. It was lovely and cool! We stopped for a glass of locally brewed chai on the walk back. I walked back with Nick a good 30 min walk but nearly everyone else got the jeep driven by
Dinner at a berry civilised 8.00 pm was excellent – chicken, dhal, pharatas, rice, veg curry etc all washed down with either local Kingfisher beer or Gold Label. Both good.
Bed after a game of scrabble played on the iPad.