Day 2 to 4 Photos: Mysore-Wyanad https://photos.app.goo.gl/tazF3miEPJr7ckwG8
Wyanad https://photos.app.goo.gl/gwnjqbLF4iC6yqLm8
Travelling in India always involves some anticipatory fear (eg will the next fart be a shart??). I’m pleased to say that after my leaf indiscretion at the market, I have suffered no detectable consequences so far.
After Efkay breakfast off to Wayanad. First part of the drive nothing special, but gradually became greener and more pleasant.
Stopped for petrol at Gundlupete, a forlorn place. However, there was a cool old cinema next door, and a wine shop (I didn’t go in – I was scared they wouldn’t let me out without buying something – I still haven’t learned to say no to Indian shopkeepers).
It was the last stop in Karnataka. We would briefly pass through a corner of Tamil Nadu, before entering Kerala. We entered Bandipur National Park, which has a lot of wildlife, including tigers, but they are impossible to see. Expensive safaris have a hit rate of probably 10% if that, but nobody says so as it will kill tourist bookings.
Tigers are camera shy, and find tourists loud, boorish and not very tasty. It is a single lane road with 40k speed limit and lots of speedbumps, and signs say ‘no photos’. If a ranger sees you take a picture from an open window while stopped, you will be fined. This is to keep traffic flowing, and stop people getting out of their cars and harassing the wildlife. I saw monkeys and a deer. The highway is closed off at night, and apparently wild elephants wander the road – looking for a street party I guess.
From this park, we entered Kerala.
It’s like another country compared to the India I have seen before. Lush, green, verdant, tropical. The roads are better, wider, smoother, and the traffic calmer. There is very little rubbish around. The towns are prosperous and clean.
Sultan Bathery town was a standout – CARS AND BIKES ARE PARALLEL PARKED IN AN ORDERLY MANNER!!
We continued driving through ever more lush country up the hills to Aranyakam Homestay. This place is incredible. It’s on a 30 acre organic coffee plantation (alas only robusta – they sell it for $3/kilo), and has everything else growing there. Cinnamon, pepper, cardamon, chillies, betel, every herb you can think of, bananas, flowers, so many fruits – it’s a botanic garden of delights. Within minutes of arrival I had turned into a full on forest-bathing hippie.
Coffee is being harvested now, and there are flowers on the bushes – coffee flowers have a beautiful scent. That combined with all the other spices here resulted in a truly overpowering perfume pushed around by the odd cool breeze (very welcome as it’s quite warm). I have to use hyperlatives (superlatives are nowhere near good enough) and wave my arms around like one of these (ctrl-click here) to give a sense of the intensity of the experience.
The food here is pretty good, and not just zero kilometre, but zero metre, and the owner Rajesh is very proud of his 100% organic status. He has a deep love for this place and needs little prompting to show and explain everything. He had his own elephant, which he recently sold (too expensive to keep). Fresh pepper and cardamon off the bush are incredibly fragrant and intense. I tried a small red chilli – jeeeezuz, the burn, but it was delicious (the bigger problem was eye burn from chilli-finger later – like a police spray assault). The spice we experience at home is so dialled back compared to this (like a village Burg compared to Grand Cru).
Rajesh picked a cinnamon leaf off the tree, and said “Chew the stalk”. A really sweet, pure, intense burst of cinnamon superconcentrate – if you ever get a chance, try it. The grapes here taste almost like passionfruit.
Looking at the last few paragraphs, you might be thinking ‘He’s taking drugs’. I’m not, but if this is how one experiences life on drugs, I might take them up.
Or move here.
The homestay is perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking a deep valley with the Chulika River at the base. It’s very basic, but I’m OK with that. There is a lovely bamboo tree house at the cliff with a spectacular view (I was concerned it might not be rated for my weight, but it held, although a chair didn’t…).The only drawback is a Mosque nearby (with the usual out-of-tune Imam, and shitty distorted speakers), which murders sleep. The non-Muslim locals are clearly VERY tolerant and non-violent.
Went for a walk through a local tribe village - Ambalakunnu ‘Scheduled Tribe’, at Chulliyode in Wayanad. They are among the most marginalized – an interesting story. The govt is supporting them with housing and services. Amongst the poverty I met a woman there who is studying an MSc in Psychology – impressive that so many obstacles were overcome.