Desert Sand Trials with 4x4 and Camels

Here are some short videos for your Desert Delectation . . .

Crazy Desert 4x4 driving exhibition . . . . and the 'Desert Oasis' set up for the tourists

Belly Dancing for the Desert tourists . . .

Western Infidel Arrives in Abu Dhabi

The call to prayer as we look out over the balcony . . .

{watch for updates - I've uploaded this after arriving in Honk Kong Dec 1st so will be adding and editing for the next 3 weeks}




More call to prayer amongst the traffic on the The Corniche above and below

An evening at the Sree Poornathrayesa temple

We went to the Sree Poornathrayesa Temple in Tripunithura, Cochin.

"The temple is famous for its yearly Utsavams or festivals. The main one being the Vrishchikoltsawam, which is conducted every year in the month of Vrishchikam (Nov-Dec).

The deity in this temple is Lord Vishnu who is in the form of Santhanagopala Murthy. It is strongly believed that childless couples will be blessed with children on praying Poornathrayesan.

Poornathrayeesan is the Family deity of Cochin Royal Family (Perumpadapu Swaroopam)".

You need to hand in your shoes before entering the Temple

The Heffalumps will stand like this from about 7-11pm and an earlier afternoon session too. Keepers keep them topped up with munchies, and as you can see in the video they seem very content.

http://www.cochin.org.uk/religious-places/poornathrayeesa-temple.html

"The temple is famous for its yearly Utsavams or festivals. The main one being the Vrishchikoltsawam, which is conducted every year in the month of Vrishchikam (Nov-Dec)."

http://shripoornathrayeesa.4t.com/poorna.htm

Cochin Last Evening

If you're going to own a fishing boat, then get it in PINK!

One of the many Chines style Fishing Nets in the area

A one hour boat trip around the immediate area, taking in some of the Chinese Fishing Nets that feature so often in the travel brochures

Coming back in to the dock at the rear of the hotel

Fuzzy pic of the Cochin Port control tower . . .

. . . and the same. with the Taj Malabar on the right of the shot

Long distance of the ones that probably get photographed (up close) the most

. . . and the local nippers waving enthusiastically at the silly tourists :-)

Vids and Pics around Taj Malabar and Cochin

Post questions if you've got any - I can add detail accordingly in response ☺

At one point Joseph drove around the real back lanes of his local village area - we stopped to chat to the fisherman in one of the videos, looked at his selection of crabs, and bought a Kilo for Joseph to take home for tea.
Then we actually went to his home, met the family, had a light lunch of rice and spicy small prawns, all with shoes outside and right hand eating.






These local guys were doing a spot of repairs - with their own resourceful way of seiving & mixing . . .




Even here they can't live without their mobiles . . .



More street craziness as we drive along in Fort Cochin area

Cochin - Around The Taj Malabar

I was outrageously lucky to be able to stay here during the last leg of the India tour ☺

The Taj Malabar on Willingdon Island. They call it 'Wellington Island' on this google location [click on and you can see the amount of water that's around]
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUK309&q=cochin&lr=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Kochi,+Kerala,+India&gl=uk&ei=zZMOS76SJcuBkQXNm8miBw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBEQ8gEwAA

This has to be one of the most luxurious hotels I've ever stayed in - it's almost embarassing, but I didn't book the accommodation - the next few posts on the blog will be snaps & vids to give you a taste. As I write, it's thursday Nov 26th and I'm already in Abu Dhabi - so I must condense in order to 'catch up' . . . (the blog doesn't allow retrospective additions)



This is the area [Kerala region] where the Chinese fishing nets feature on so many of the travel brochures - you'll see them in amongst the pics & vids.

The crows were enjoying themselves using sizal and rope from the marquee to build their nests; the floating weed is everywhere and comes down the rivers in huge mats to congregate around these large areas nearer to the ports - the boats and ships just go straight through them!





There are ferries everywhere, or you can get conventional taxis & auto-riks and go 'the long way' by road and bridge.




And here's the luvverly pool

Driver at rest

Driver at rest ☺

Views around Palolem

It looks idyllic - but don't be fooled - this is an area in the process of being radically changed by the effects of tourism

l

It's a dog's life!

Even the cows like to enjoy the beach

http://goacentral.com/Goabeaches/palolem.htm

This is the one they use for loads of the brochures because of the photogenic horseshoe shaped bay

It was markedly less 'spoiled' the the rest of what I saw

The tourist industry, the tourists, the locals and whoever else gets involved directly or indirectly certainly know how to ruin beautiful things

There are undoubtedly some spectacularly beautiful spots, however - and in my humble opinion - it seemed to me that there was a narrow strip of coastline stretching the length of the region which was frequented and violated by an industry catering for a range from upmarket package visits to budget backpackers.


Move a couple of Km inland and you start to experience the real landscape, which is largely untouched, because there isn't a beach!

Views of Majorda

This small 5 Kms stretch of beach is north of Colva

http://goacentral.com/Goabeaches/majorda.htm