It is raining and that pretty much summarized my mood. I am not completely recovered, but as soon as the rain stopped I started on the first leg of my trip, which for the first hour consisted on getting out of Kochi and its urban tendrils. "Great", I thought "so this is what Kerala looks like". The traffic and overcast sky did not do much to improve my mood, and after an hour it started raining again. Now, the good thing about monsoon rain squalls is that they don't last very long, so all you have to do is find a friendly awning under which you can seek cover. The first one I saw was a tire shop, and the boss, who was standing at the door looking at the rain fall, welcomed me with a broad sweep of his arm. Now I see that the rain opens an opportunity to meet new friendly people. His English was enough that we could get some conversation going, and within a few minutes two of his friends had joined us and the time passed quickly until the rain stopped.
Small businesses here all have the same close supervision of the boss. If there are employees the boss sits at his desk in the back, from opening to closing time, keeping an eye on what is going on and dealing with money issues. In this part of the country the boss is a typically a middle age man, with a thick mustache (I am sure there are some small businesses run my women, but I didn't see any combination of a saree and a mustache).
The small break made wonders to improve my mood, and my outlook in life. The city gave way to the country, and the plain gave way to the foothills, so it really felt like I was seeing what southern India looks like. I have seen palm oil plantations in Borneo, and tea and coconut palm plantations in Sri Lanka, but here one sees aloe vera plantations and interspersed small farms. Slowly the road kept climbing, and pretty soon we were hugging the base of a huge granite ridge that seemed impassable until the road turned sharply and in a series of very steep switchbacks brought me to a mountain pass from which I could see deep canyons and mist-shrouded mountains going on forever. It was exhilarating to be on top of the Kerala world.
The sun was shining by now, and Google Maps kept guiding me through a veritable maze of wide roads, skinny roads, back to a medium sized road, back to a narrow road suited only for tuk-tuks. It was in such road when a jeep appeared suddenly around a bend and almost ran me out into the abyss (when in a motorcycle, the machine will go wherever your eyes go, so if you stare in horror at the sharp drop-off that is exactly where you will go). I slammed on the breaks and--curse the shop that installed a sleek cover on the seat--I slid forward and crashed onto the instrument panel, just a few inches from plunging into my death!
According to Google Maps I was getting very close to my destination but (1) the battery in my phone had less that 20% charge, and (2) I was very remote in the high Kerala mountains to believe that there would be a lodge anywhere near. Irvan will smile at learning that my Booking.com place had posted the wrong address and all I found at the end was a bend on the road surrounded by wilderness. Rats! Fortunately the village of Nedumkandam was not very far away, and on approach I saw a home stay offer at the top of a very steep driveway. I turned in, ready to give gas, when the rear tire slid on the wet smooth concrete and down I went, in slow-motion, until I was flat on the floor. Helpful hands soon appeared, who helped me up and lifted the bike, so little more than my self-pride was hurt (actually, I got a scrape on the side of my knee that I only discovered by noticing small streaks of blood in the gleaming whiteness of my bedroom).
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