Meanwhile back in Communist Kerala

Friday 12 December 2008
Palolem Beach, Goa – Thrivunanthapuram, Kerala – Neyyar Dam, Kerala

So I sleep OK on the train though I'm woken up a bit earlier than I would have liked by the guy bringing us breakfast. It was a little bit hot and sticky but bearable. There was hotter weather around the last day, and we're heading south too. I manage to doze a bit more before waking up properly and eating. I have a dosa for the first time, though I can't really tell what it is – some pastry, some vegetable matter. It's probably not the best introduction to it anyway.

I crack out the iPod and listen to that to pass the time. I doze off occasionally on my elbow. The tropical landscape of Kerala passes by outside the window. Lots of palm trees. The men down here wear sarongs with a vengeance. I don't think I've seen any men wearing sarongs until now. But from what I can tell the majority of men – or certainly a large number of them – wear them in the south. Some of them tie up the ends at the front, which makes them look like they're wearing big nappies. Also, the lingua franca here is Malayalam which has to be the longest if not only palindromic name for a language, and as a bonus has a lovely curly-wurly script. I have a byriani for lunch which this time has chicken in it at least.

My iPod runs out as it's only half charged so I resort to reading, which I haven't done much of over the last few days. As the journey progresses I take out my laptop and update my blog for the last few days as I haven't been doing that either. I didn't want to take it out early so as not to give too many people a chance to know that I have it.

As we pass through more developed parts of the state it becomes clear that people are fairly well off here. The houses are in good condition and actually look really desirable – not something that can often be said. The socialist-communist government of this state seems to be doing something right. Indeed, Kerala has the highest literacy and life expectancy of any state in India. However their industrialisation lags behind somewhat.

Talking of life expectancy, when the British first came to India the life expectancy of the area was a mere 21 years. After they left, it was 33.

So we arrive at Thiruvananthapuram at night. Evan needs to sort out his return ticket so he does that. We toy with the idea of getting a bus but luckily Evan agrees to taking a rickshaw which makes everything much easier. We travel for the best part of an hour up and down hill roads, through various towns until we eventually reach the ashram.

It's a nice place, landscaped well, set into the side of a mountain beside a lake formed from a dam. We grab a bite to eat (vegetarian of course) and then go to the dormitory which is nice and clean. It's some of the best accommodation that Evan has stayed in so far, which I guess says something about his budget.

I have a much welcomed shower after our long trip, and I notice that I'm looking pretty tanned and toned from the exercise that I've been doing, which is nice. By the time I finish it's lights out; it's 10:00, and we have to wake up at 5:30...