Thursday, July 14, 2011

Kerala = Paradise

Welcome to Kerala, listed as one of the top 10 most beautiful places in the world (according to some guidebooks)- I can certainly say it's on my top 10 list. But prior to arriving at such beauty, five other girls and I had a fun evening of riding the overnight train. Our host mom in Thanjavur, Thendral, was so kind and offered to make us dinner to go since we were leaving right at dinner time- she drove to meet us at the train station because she didn't want us to be late but insisted on bringing homemade dosas, curried vegetables, and coconut chutney (to die for). She even waited around with us and helped us find our seats- she's such a sweetheart! The train ride was alright, although sleeping was challenging- something about the stopping and going and swaying kept me awake. But we arrived on time at 6am and were picked up by our driver who took us around Kochi, a town on the Arabian sea. We visited a lovely cathedral, walked along the beachfront- there were numerous Chinese fishing nets, fishermen, and fish, accompanied by swarms of cats and crows eagerly awaiting scraps. Oddly there were also a lot of chicken feet strewn about the sidewalk... interesting. We were all pleasantly surprised at how clean the area was overall- it might have been thanks to the abundance of funny animal-shaped garbage bins which I found amusing. After realizing that most places don't open before 9am we went ahead and left for Alleppey (properly known as Allepuzha), where we ate breakfast, visited a home where people weave rugs out of coconut fibers (really incredible to watch) and finally went to meet up with our houseboat. I had no idea what to expect, but after our short trek on foot down a muddy path to the waterfront I was pleasantly surprised to see large, beautiful boats with comfortable looking decks and rooms enclosed by woven palm-frond roofs. Our boat was more than welcoming, with comfy chairs and benches at the front in the open-air (where we spent most of today) and cute rooms for all of us, and just us. There's a kitchen at the back where our hosts prepare incredible home-cooked meals- lots of fresh seafood and coconut included- and even electricity and running water in the rooms. Who could ask for more? The rest of our day has been nothing but relaxing, enjoying a delicious lunch complete with whole, pan-fried fish, multiple fresh curries, rice, and freshly made tapioca desert (much better than your average tapioca pudding). Tea time included bananas fried in coconut oil, definitely decadent. After spending most of the day sailing around the seemingly endless waters separated by thin patches of land from vast fields of rice paddies, we docked next to an idyllic view and were greeted by a man who had just caught fresh prawns- he held one that was still alive out towards us. We were adventurous and bought one, which our hosts graciously cooked for us with enticing spices. So much delicious food, I'm looking forward to walking around a bit tomorrow to burn some of it off.
While I've been relaxing and on vacation, I still think about why I'm here- it's hard to stop thinking about peoples' health and livelihood here and what would work to improve some of the dramatic health disparities. India itself has tremendous variations in health outcomes across the country- in some of the northern states life expectancy and infant mortality rates are problematic, but in Tamil Nadu and especially Kerala, these areas are not nearly as big of an issue. Kerala was recently noted as having better health outcomes than the rest of India, and often by a long shot. My fellow travelers and I have been wondering why this is. From a day of observations, it appears that Kochin and Allepey at least have fairly good infrastructure- quality roads, garbage collection, laws in place for wearing helmets (and people actually wearing them, not a common sight in other places we've been)... not to mention the sense that people demonstrate caring for their wellbeing through exercise (there were numerous people exercising along the beachfront) and even wearing seatbelts (another rarity elsewhere I've been). It makes me question how these ideas and attitudes came to be- were these the result of strategic governmental promotions, or more a reflection of an overall variance in culture? How much does the environment play into it, with more availability of fresh and healthy foods and beautiful places to exercise? It's tough to say, but interesting to consider. Meanwhile I will continue to soak up the luscious green scenery surrounding me, the sounds of lapping waves, and the smells of cooked fish and coconut- a true paradise.

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