Abrams Family World Travel

Alleppey: Hot On India's Tracks

WE have been travelling for nearly 750 days and this, amazingly, was our first long-distance train journey - on an Indian railway from Varkala to Alleppey (about three hours) in Kerala, southern India.

First we booked a tuk-tuk in the morning to take us from our hotel to the railway station, where we waited for our friend Bob Lesson, who was also on his way to Alleppey (Alappuzha) - to visit a family he had previously stayed with. We were heading for the famous backwaters to stay on a houseboat.

I waited in line to buy our train tickets. Used to London prices, I was blown away by the low cost. We purchased 'sleeper class' tickets at approximately £1 per person. Cheapest tickets are about 30 pence, although the compartments are usually crammed.

We waited for the train. The platform is incredibly long. And you soon discover why. Indian trains have so many carriages. They seem to go on endlessly.

You see all sorts on the platforms: tourists, Indian families, people sleeping on the floor or benches, businessmen, school kids. It soon fills up, even if it was only the weekend.

And then, almost on time, the train rolled in. We located our carriage, jumped on board, loaded our luggage and found some seats.

While it wasn't exactly sparkling clean (and what trains are?), I was impressed. All the seats folded down to make beds, in case you wanted to snooze. There was plenty of ventilation and storage space. There were even power points for those who preferred to plug in a laptop or electrical appliance.

Our journey was relatively short. For some, it was only just beginning. The train was heading towards and beyond Mumbai (Bombay) - 36 hours away!

We soon settled in. Bob and Zenchai consulted the map and Kobra, as usual, attracted attention from fascinated locals. She posed for photos on request. Zenchai watched Kerala go by, looking out of the window, or climbed up and down the ladders.

Throughout the journey men came through the aisles selling food and snacks - hot and cold drinks, banana fritters, nuts, tasty, crispy lentil cakes (above) and even meals, like biriyani. You hear them coming, calling out really fast, "Biriyani-biriyani-biriyani" like it's all one word.

You meet lots of people. Indians are sociable, at least it seems that way towards tourists and families with young children. Jamie got chatting to one man we called Mr. Brahman, as he'd explained to Jamie about India's caste system and his position in it. He then got talking to Bob.

"If you want to know about anything just aske me," he boasted to Bob, as if he wanted to be tested.

"Yes," said Bob with enthusiasm. "Can you tell me when they have the boat races in Alleppey (Bob had heard about)?"

"Yes, yes, yes of course. Just ask the tourist information," said the wise Mr. Brahman!

Time seemed to whirl by. Before we knew it, we had arrived in Alleppey, which is larger than Varkala and, consequently, much noisier and busier. Every other vehicle on the road seemed to be a bus or tuk-tuk. All roads were lined with shops or fruit-sellers. Dust and the sound of hooters filled the air.

Zenchai, sitting on the driver's lap, took us to our hotel, the Palmy Residency, which my Lonely Planet guidebook had so appealing described as "the best deal in town. It's a brand new building and fab location - just over the Matha footbridge from the bus station, but set back from the road amid lush greenery. Rooms are spacious and floored in Italian marble." It was everything the Lonely Planet said, except more pricey at R750 (£10) per night.

No-one batted an eyelid as our near-six-year-old vehicle-obsessed driver whizzed through town on a tuk-tuk - not even a police officer directing traffic! Kobra held on for dear life. 

They call Alleppey the "Indian Venice", but it's not nearly as striking as the Italian city. If you walk along the riverfront, though, be prepared to be asked every 10 paces if you want to take a boat trip - expect to pay around R200 (£3) per hour for a small group.

I went off in search of a houseboat - which is another story - and then we shared some time with Bob before he had to depart (sadly, we weren't sure we'd see him again on our trip).

As Bob set off, Zenchai shouted, "I love you, Bob", and local children arrived, looking from the hotel entrance at Kobra - the girls being particularly enchanted. Jamie wondered over with a camera and turned the tables on them - taking their picture instead!

Our time in Alleppey, though brief, was only just beginning.

 

World Travel: Nuts For Coconuts

WHAT I missed most when back in England recently - and since leaving the tropics - is access to fresh coconuts.

They now sell packaged coconut water in western cities, but it's not the same as cracking one open straight from the tree, drinking the water and scooping out the flesh.

The packaged water doesn't taste quite the same, despite claims it is 100 per cent coconut water.

But there can be no denying the high nutritional and medicinal value of the coconut, partially processed or otherwise.

Although coconuts here in India so far haven't been up to quite the same standard we had a plentiful access to in Brazil last year, on hot days - and it's around a constant 34 degrees this time of year in Kerala - it's the best thing to drink to rehydrate.

In Piracanga, Brazil, Zenchai and I often used to set off in the morning with a wheelbarrow and return about 30 minutes later with it loaded with delicious coconuts. I'd cut them down and he'd push the barrow. 

Browsing a newspaper just the other day made me realise how special this nut is. I came across an advert for coconuts, listing its many qualities.

Coconuts are natural, packed with vitamins and minerals, have more potassium than most sports energy drinks and contain natural sugars.

The most amazing endorsement for coconut water, though, is the fact that during the Pacific War (1941-45) coconut water was used regularly, taken directly from the nut for emergency plasma transfusions on wounded soldiers!

With a blender, you can mix the flesh and water to make coconut milk, which has less fat than animal milk and no cholesterol. Coconut milk is used widely here in southern India in cooking as well as drinks (smoothies etc).

We often used the flesh to make puddings - which is a great way to ensure children get a regular intake of quality food. 

The flesh can also be eaten raw. Generally, the older the coconut the thicker the pulp, but less tasty the water. Sometimes you can find coconuts with perfect tasting water and nice flesh, too.

Luckily, our children love both the flesh and water. And here in southern India it's also ridiculously cheap - just R20 (about 35 pence).

 

Varkala Beach: The Lesson Man And Food Glorious Food

THE main reason we are here, in Varkala Beach, is because of my great long-time friend Bob Lesson. 

He introduced us, verbally, to this southern Indian town and, from his adventures here, sewed the seeds for us to plant ourselves in India for six weeks as we grow to discover Asia.

Bob first travelled to India back in the 1970s, when he was at school. I love telling the story of how, in his school summer holidays, Bob disappeared for six weeks, hitch-hiking halfway around the world - unbeknown to his parents, who couldn't afford to take him on holiday! Bob went through India, via Afghanistan, barely with any money in his pocket, on his way to Sri Lanka.

It was in India, where he was exposed to great poverty and, ironically, generosity, that Bob was most greatly influenced. 

Naturally, Bob can't get enough of this huge country, the seventh largest in the world, and for three of the last four years he has come to Varkala.

So when we planned our journey to Asia and knew Bob was intending to visit Varkala again, we exchanged notes and decided to rendezvous here. 

Bob's arrival was fairly typical - a knock at the door and a big grin at 6am after his early-morning arrival via Dubai.

Since then it's been fun, games and adventures. Zenchai loves Bob.

Bob introduced us to a wonderful Indian woman called Kumari, who at her home cooks the most fantastic Kerala-style meals (above), including a great banana curry. She has been doing it for over 20 years and doesn't advertise (and has refused to be included in the Lonely Planet). But by word of mouth visitors learn of her cooking and generous spreads (at a cost of R200 [approximately £3] per person). Everyone eats with their hands and on banana leafs instead of plates. She just comes round and dishes out the food until you can eat no more. On one recent occasion she served us 14 different dishes! We were all thoroughly stuffed and Kumari so happy.

She genuinely loves entertaining and pleasing people with her food. And there is always more than enough. We went once for dinner and again for lunch a few days later, when Zenchai, much to his delight, got to ride up front in a tuk-tuk. The food at Kumari's was delicious each time.

If you want to experience 'real' Kerala food, you can contact Kumari by telephone (9387911309). She takes customers for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, but needs to know in advance when you are coming. 

While in the food mood, Bob and I signed up for one of Varkala Beach's cooking courses (at the Bamboo Village).

Although the organisation was poor - the price wasn't made clear (we ended up paying R900 [£13] between us) and, when we arrived, we were told to wait in reception while the chef was impatiently waiting for us - it was worth it.

We very nearly didn't go through with it, though. When the chef lectured us about punctuality, Bob took great offence, which is unusual for Bob. He told the chef how he felt and was close to walking out. The chef didn't quite understand it wasn't our fault.

So we stayed - and I'm glad we did. So, too, was Bob. He and I served up some amazing nosh, as good as anything we have eaten in Varkala thus far (except perhaps for Kumari!) He taught us a few things, too, like putting a slice of onion over each ear to prevent tears when cutting it (look closely at pic above). And we adapted all the dishes to be vegan (except for Bob's fish, of course) by substituting coconut milk for cow's milk and vegetable or coconut oil for ghee.

On our menu was Masala Dosa, Vegetable Biriyani, Green Papaya Masala, Fish in Banana Leaf, Onion Pakora and Dhal Curry. It was all made from scratch and with (mostly) natural ingredients - in less than 90 minutes. This included preparation time.

Afterwards, Bob and I sat down and scoffed the lot (about 90 per cent of it) and didn't feel to eat again for the rest of the day. It was that delicious and satisfying. But if you choose to do the course, be sure to invite your friends and family. There is plenty to go around. 

 

Kollam, India: Feeling Like A Star In An Elephant Parade

AFTER only a week in India the opportunity came up to visit a special elephant festival in the neighbouring town of Kollam. Not wanting to miss what could be a spectacular event for our senses, we decided to go.

We had been warned that it could be a very noisy experience as each village surrounding Kollam would be sending their decorated elephants and a musical entourage to accompany the great giants. Each village in effect was competing to have the most elaborately adorned elephant and loudest musical show.

We hired a tuk-tuk driver to take us there, wait for us and drive us back to Varkala (the going rate was R1,000 [£15] as it was 45 minutes each way). The drive was smooth and luckily there were no hair-raising moments either!

When we arrived at the main drag where the festival would take place, the atmosphere was electrical. People were buzzing around everywhere. It felt like we had arrived in the 'real India'.

There were street vendors selling snacks, drinks, noise-makers, toys and all things party-related. Children were lining the streets in anticipation of the upcoming parade. Westerners were dotted through the crowds, taking in the sensual orb surrounding the event.

And there we were in the middle of it all, drinking in our first Indian festival. Having two children, especially a baby, we attracted a lot of attention. I was stopped every few paces as people wanted to smile, raise their eyebrows, click their fingers and touch Kobra. 

I even had a few teenage boys stop me, but to my surprise they wanted to know MY name and not Kobra's. As we strolled the street, those boys just kept appearing and would lovingly call "Hello Jamie!" in their sweet Indian accents. Claude, of course, found this very amusing - actually he still does!

We watched as several elephants and their blinged-up groupies passed, but the noise was getting to be too much - as was seeing the elephants' shackled legs, so we decided to find our tuk-tuk driver and head out. 

Our driver wasn't familiar with Kollam, so took the advice of another driver on the best exit route from all the chaos. However, I think he was mislead because it turned out the recommended short-cut actually put us smack in the middle of the procession. 

We were following the elephant's journey. Our driver tried his hardest to overtake as many elephants as he safely could, but it was difficult as we were being lead down many winding lanes, passing the homes of all the local people who were out in force to see the show. 

Each family stood at the edge of their property with puja offerings to the elephants. They had decorated tables with fruits, candles and incense. Everyone had the biggest smile imaginable and waved to us as we passed them. It felt like we were royalty. We were all beaming from the warmth the people of Kollam so generously showered upon us. I think this may be the closet experience I will ever have to feeling like a superstar.

After our driver finally found a turn-off from the procession and was on the road back to Varkala, we had a good laugh about how much fun we had being in the parade.

 

 

World Travel: Jackfruit Trumps All Others

WE love Jackfruit. All of us - including Kobra! 

Officially, it's the biggest tree fruit in the world, weighing up to 36kgs and growing to 3ft. We couldn't get enough of its sweet bubblegum flavour when we were living last year in Brazil. 

It's a seasonal fruit in the tropics - prickly on the outside and incredibly sticky inside it's like glue. But the trouble you need to go to in order to devour this fruit is well worth it.

An important tip: oil the knife and your fingers well before cutting and eating. And when it comes to cleaning, use oil and not water - otherwise you will be scrubbing for a long time.

Also worth considering is there are two types of jackfruit - one being sweet and the other milder and firmer in texture.

While we prefer eating it straight after cutting it open, jackfruit can also be cooked and has a chicken-like texture. It's also nutritious - low in cholesterol, a good source of fibre and vitamin C. The large seeds can also be used - boiled, crushed and mixed in a food processor to make hummus. 

Here in Kerala, India, we are in the heart of jackfruit country. This is where the fruit originated. I was walking back from Varkala town a few days ago when I noticed some sliced jackfruit on the roadside.

I didn't want to eat fruit exposed to traffic, so asked the gentleman nearby if he was selling whole ones. He walked me to his garden, showed me a large tree and asked me to pick one, which I did.

He hacked it down and it fell with a thud. Wiping away the sticky milk-like substance that comes from the stem, he put the 'beast' in a sturdy bag and charged me R70 (about £1). 

It took about four-five days to ripen and then went soft very quickly. When we cut it open it was already over-ripe in areas. Luckily, there was still plenty to go around.

Indians might consider me an exception, because they joke that most visitors from the west have never before seen a jackfruit and wouldn't know what to do with it. They say that when tourists eat bananas, they remove the skin and eat the fruit. So when tourists slice open a jackfruit, Indians like to tease that Europeans peel off and throw away the fruit and eat the seed! 

 

Varkala Beach: Bodyboarding

THERE'S only one thing to do on a hot day like this - go into the sea and cool off

My daddy rented me a bodyboard for an hour (R100 - £1.50) and the waves look good. I am really excited

I am all set - sunblock on my face, sunproof shirt and surf shorts. I feel the part

I haven't done any bodyboarding since Brazil. I hope I can remember what to do

Oops. Let's try again 

Now I've got the hang of it - wait for the right wave and then jump on to enjoy the ride 

This is such great fun. Can't wait to do it again

 

India: If I Were Young, Free And Single Again...

For many years I have wanted to visit India. I guess this is only natural considering the ongoing affair I have with yoga and all things yoga-related. 

When we first touched down in India - in Trivandrum - I felt an inexplicable inner peace. I felt at home and I hadn't even stepped off the plane. 

After clearing immigration and customs, I prepared myself for the mania that I thought would be waiting on just the other side of the doors - the exit from the airport and my entrance into Indian culture.

While Claude quickly changed some money, I meekly walked to the exit just to peek and really prepare myself. With that first glimpse I saw hundreds of Indian people waiting behind a low fence to collect their loved ones. I breathed in and thought to myself 'okay, I can handle this.'

So we walked out. Hmmm. No horrid smells to contend with. No ear-assaulting sounds. I wasn't instantly saturated with sweat from the heat. We didn't have a mob of people trying to sell us a taxi ride. It was all very civilised.

We had a prepaid taxi waiting for us and again the roads weren't crazy or bustling with tons of traffic. It felt quiet. Our driver never had to do any daring manoeuvres and he even pulled off to the side of the road to answer his phone.

I had to pinch myself. Was I really in India? Nothing about my first few hours in Kerala resembled anything that I was told to expect.

Upon arriving in Varkala, where we are staying, it was apparent that our destination was a bit of a tourist haven. Europeans where everywhere. 

After we settled into our very modest accommodation, we went for a saunter along the beach walkway. The one thought that hit me over and over again was how this would have been the perfect landing spot for me when I was a young, solo traveller.

Yoga and meditation classes, Ayurvedic services (massages and treatments), as well Ayurvedic cooking classes are abundantly available. Teacher-training courses in many of the healing/alternative therapies are widely available, too, not to mention there is stall after stall selling colourful garments that I would happily adorn myself with.

Now don't get me wrong, this is an excellent place as a family. But I do wonder what it would have been like being here as a twenty-something with nothing but time on my side. 

 

 

 

 

Varkala Beach: First Impressions

FOR westerners visiting Varkala Beach in Southern India, there are a few things you should know and accept - like if you have a young daughter, she will likely be stolen from your arms by doting women, younger girls and even men!

This, I am certain, isn't just a fascination unique to the ultra-friendly people of this region. I suspect it is nationwide.

On a recent trip to the beach with Zenchai and Kobra, at least 16 visitors - men, woman, younger men and girls - came to introduce themselves and smile and touch Kobra (Jamie wasn't with us).

At one point a group of young men started passing Kobra around and each having their photo taken with her, like she was some kind of zoo exhibit. I wasn't sure whether to be proud or offended. 

Thank God Kobra is such a good sport. She never gets flustered by the attention, unlike her older brother. And while Zenchai doesn't much like being approached by strangers, I am sure he's finding all the loving attention his sister gets to be difficult to deal with. 

He has found an outlet bodysurfing, building sand castles and playing with the local boys where we are staying. His lego and matchbox cars are particularly popular. 

We are not the only visitors here by any stretch. In fact, we were quite shocked by the numbers of tourists. It has a sort of Greek holiday resort feel. There are lots of British, Australian, American, German, French, Italian and Russian visitors. And the restaurants serve multi-national cuisine.

It's a place in India where people come to relax by the beach (and watch the magnificent sunsets) and as we are next going to Chiang Mai in Thailand, a city in the north, we thought we'd get enough sun and sand to hold us over.

Varkala Beach is laid back - it can take a while to get served in restaurants, although the food is often prepared freshly and well worth the wait. 

The prices, compared to London at least, are mind-blowing - and Kerala is apparently one of the more expensive Indian states! We usually fill our bellies for between £4 and £7, ordering the quantity of food that would cost at least £30-£40 in England.

There are a number of places which make fresh juices  - papaya, watermelon, pineapple, veggie juices etc. Take your pick. Expect to pay around 50 rupees (60 pence). Try the Juice Shack or Chillout Lounge (where they also show Premiership football).

Surprisingly, fresh coconut water and coconuts are not abundant. You have to head to the end of the beach, in the direction of the helipad and heading to Varkala town, for the few stalls which supply them. 

Accommodation is not in short supply, though. Resorts, hostels and homestays line the beachfront and, compared with western standards, offer fairly inexpensive rates. For instance, we paid R935 (£12) per night for our room for the first week and then negotiated a cheaper rate elsewhere for the remainder of our stay. We did look at rented houses and apartments, but they are harder to find and usually much further from the beach. Given the heat (about 33 degrees on average in January) and carrying Kobra around, we opted to be close to the beaches and restaurants. 

Talking of heat, make sure you bring with you sunscreen lotion. The sun, especially around mid-day, is particularly strong. My favourites times of day are 6am, as the sun rises, and 4pm, when it starts to set.

I like to get up early to exercise. There are no parks around here, so people congregate on the beach and even as the sun comes up the beach is surprisingly populated with joggers, people doing yoga, playing volleyball, cricket and football. There is a gym, with machines and free weights, on the way to Varkala town. Cost for about a month is R1,000 (£13).

And if you over-do it, there is no shortage of massage therapists. Not a day passes without me being asked if I'd like a massage or, for that matter, to check out the many shops selling colourful clothes and artefacts.

Make sure you take off your shoes before entering any building. It's worth considering your footwear, because a shoe that doesn't come off or go on easily can become an irritation if you decide to go in and out on a shopping spree. Flip-flops are perfect. 

Prices are reasonable, even if it is inflated for tourists. Be sure to bargain with them, even if you are arguing over what turns out to be a few pence. Otherwise the price of goods will go through the roof. Also, bring cash with you. There are no ATMs. To change money and get the best rates, you have to go to Varkala town, a walk of a few kilometres.

It's early days for us still. We haven't yet fully explored Varkala town. Zenchai enjoyed a tuk-tuk ride I took him on. And he's keen to go on a train, too, but I haven't looked into that. We also want to spend a night on a boat in the backwaters, so there is plenty to do and see besides enjoying the leisurely pace of life. 

 

World Travel: Pack To Basics

ON every trip so far we have packed too much. No matter how hard we attempt to cut back, we always carry items that never get used.

Even after two years on the road, we are still learning and now we are on a strict mission to be more minimalist. Ahead of our journey to Asia, we deliberated whether to continue travelling with large suitcases or explore alternatives. We decided on the latter.

Suitcases are big and often cumbersome, especially if your final destination is in the sticks and/or involves carting your luggage across rugged terrain (as has happened with us several times). And often, because of the shape and size of a suitcase, passenger and bag frequently get separated.

So, following a little research, we opted for a large duffel bag (on wheels) and a big, rugged rucksack that we had purchased some years earlier for a visit to Costa Rica. That would be our checked luggage and each of us would have a small rucksack.

Jamie is the master-packer in our family. A few days ahead of our departure for India, we laid out what we wanted to take with us and then tried to see how much space it would use up.

There are pros and cons with duffel bags and suitcases, of course. Suitcases are more durable and secure. And when we travelled with suitcases, we often packed our clothes in vacuum-seal bags, which protected the clothing, enabled you to utilise space better and made it easier to find your items. With rucksacks and duffel bags, rooting through to find your clothes is harder and messier. 

Flying with Emirates Airlines (via Dubai), we were each allowed 30kgs of checked luggage. Jamie felt quite proud that our load was 15.5kgs and 18.5kgs - well under the limit.

And we managed just fine. Jamie, carrying Kobra in a sling, wheeled the large duffel bag and carried a rucksack, Zenchai pulled his own bag and I took the rest - my rucksack (with computer etc), carry-on food items and the big rucksack.

Getting all the bags in a car was much easier than with suitcases. Often on previous journeys we would have one suitcase in the boot (trunk for American readers) and one inside or, as I recall on one taxi adventure in Ecuador, our second suitcase hanging precariously out of an open boot.

The journey to India, with children in tow and given the time of our arrival and layover, was potentially awkward, but we handled it rather well. Leaving London at 1.30pm, we arrived in Dubai at midnight and had four hours to kill before going onwards to Trivandrum in India.

None of us (except for Kobra) slept until our final flight - and only after about an hour into it. And when we did, we crashed out, only to be woken a few hours later by the landing on Indian soil.

Immediately upon disembarking we felt the heat…and then the commotion. We were handed landing papers at the airport that took a while to complete, by when the queue had grown to almost ridiculous proportions.

We waited in line patiently and all tired, wondering if there were any special privileges for families with young children. And after lining up for, say, 20 minutes, someone finally took us out of the line and to the front.

All in all, it was a fairly painless experience. Emirates is an excellent airline with comfortable seats (for economy), friendly and helpful staff and a first class entertainment system. Dubai airport is almost like a Las Vegas casino - vast and full of lights and shops. I felt quite proud to have not been tempted to spend a penny.

As for India, it is still early days. Although there is the lingering smell of spices in the air and the noise is constant (in towns), the people are unbelievably friendly and welcoming (though many, I suspect, in order to get your business). And where we are, in the south in rather touristic Varkala Beach, it's so nice to be back in the sun and by the sea again, where the kids can be outside playing so freely.