Visit with Pillai Family in Kerala

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Thanks to Tripthi Pillai Lynn, Darren, Ross and I had a wonderfully special visit with her extended family in Kerala. The picture to the left was taken just before we all headed out for a long afternoon cruise on a houseboat. In addition to the houseboat trip we took a fabulous trip into the western Ghats, high into the mountains where we were able to hike among tea plantations. The pictures I have posted were taken during these two trips, along with a few I took during an idyllic early morning walk. We stayed in a home near Kottayam owned by her cousin, Preman, where much of the food we ate consisted of roots and plants growing in their backyard. The variety of food we've had in India has been fascinating. Forget your idea of "Indian" food as some homogenous mix of chicken tikka and "curry." Each region has is its own particular dishes, and they vary immensely (today in Delhi, for example, we had food from Assam, a state in the north near the border with Bhutan). It was amazing to us how delicious these roots and plants were. Food in Kerala is very different from that found in Delhi or Tamil Nadu, but even within Kerala the food varied enormously from place to place. We often had fresh fish, fried or in curry, but the fresh veg food we had with the Pillai's was quite special. It was simply extraordinary to be able to live with this wonderful Indian family for a few days after traveling in a big group as tourists. We got a real feel for the quality and rhythm of life in India, and were able to see and experience things few tourists are able to. Thanks to Tripthi for arranging this visit.