Thekkady - Munnar - Coimbatore - Mysore
Briefly leaving the cities behind and entering one of India’s wildlife parks was refreshing. We arrived in the afternoon at our homestay in Thekkady. During our walk around the city, we found a small supermarket similar to a European one. And guess what? We found Nutella and some bread-a big relief for Delphine! That evening, we discovered that there was a traditional dance performance, called Kathakali, and luckily there were still some tickets available. We bought some and were amazed by the unique dance, nothing like we’d ever seen. For example, they had amazing big colourful costumes and masks. They dance with their arms and legs and put a lot of effort into facial expressions. It looked as if their eyes, eyebrows, and mouths had their own dance moves. Impressive to see how they are able to control every muscle separately. The performance was mesmerizing, and it was amazing to witness not only the talent of the artists but also the enthusiasm of the Indian audience. An unexpected yet fascinating evening.
Early the next morning, we woke up for an exciting new day. Thanks to some amazing people, we managed to book a day hike in the wildlife park to get closer to nature and its animals. Since we already knew that India is not the most organised and things are not always clear, we arrived extra early-only to be pleasantly surprised that everything went smoothly. We received a backpack with breakfast, lunch, snacks, and water to survive the eight-hour hike.
Without any information, we started the hike with three other participants and three rangers who knew the park out of their pockets. We learned that the rangers are part of a tribe living in the wildlife reserve. Many such tribes still exist in India, disconnected from the modern world. One had a stick, the other a large machete, and the last a gun-so yes, they were prepared. This was a completely new experience for us. The feeling when you walk through the forest, looking and listening to find some animals, is thrilling. You feel the tension in your body when the rangers suddenly stopped to listen. You never know what animals you will see or if you even see one.
We didn’t have high hopes; just being in nature was already enough. Little did we know what was coming, but the rangers were onto a track. After passing some monkeys, lots of poop and footprints, one of the rangers suddenly stopped. He did a sign to be quiet and stand still. Looking around to figure out what he had spotted, it suddenly hit us. What Delphine first thought to be a big grey rock a few meters away was a sleeping elephant. Awakened by our presents, it got up and looked around. We quietly and slowly backed away. It wasn’t too close, so we couldn’t take a picture, but this was truly a breathtaking moment!
As this was only within the first two hours of the hike, our hopes of seeing more animals rose. After lunch, we saw lots of other animals: giant squirrels, chipmunks, various birds, wild boars and (water) bison. The tigers and sloth bears weren’t so eager to reveal themselves, but we passed some traces along the way. We can say this is one of the highlights of our trip!
Spending another day in nature, we discovered Munnar. We think this is one of India’s most beautiful places we’ve seen so far. Munnar is a hilly region known for its large tea plantations-and vast they are! Driving through Munnar, all we could see were endless green hills covered in tea plants.
Wanting to take in the landscape from a better vantage point, we decided to go on a mountain hike up to Chokramudi Peak. It is a short, steep walk with four peaks along the way. Due to time constraints, we decided not to walk all the way up. Still, we had a stunning overview of Munnar and the tea plantations. During our walk, we met many friendly locals who wanted to know where we came from and recommended places all around the country. To be honest, it was one of the first times in India we talked to so many people who were so kind and eager to have a conversation.
Back in the car, we continued our journey to Coimbatore for a new experience.
Recommended by a friend, we stayed one night at the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore. Even though we looked it up online, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. Knowing that yoga is a big part of Indian culture, we definitely wanted to give it a try.
At the entrance stands Adiyogi Shiva-the first yogi-an enormous stunning statue. Walking further along the path, we passed the sustainable transport of the centre, cow and car. Once we entered the centre and did all the administration, we could enjoy the peace. The whole domain is clean and exudes a peaceful atmosphere. Something we haven’t encountered much in India yet.
On the domain are multiple buildings to visit and things to do. First, we went to see the light and sound show at the Adiyogi. The whole statue is lit up in different colours while telling a story. We were standing a bit too far and couldn’t hear the story but we loved the projections and music!
After this spectacle, we went to eat. In keeping with the center’s philosophy of simple living and inner connection, everyone sat on mats, eating with their hands from plates placed on the ground.
The next day we woke up early to explore the center. The Isha Foundation has grown into a big, peaceful property over the years. Phones and photography were not allowed, which made it easier to disconnect and be present in the moment. Walking around the center is a big contrast from the streets in India. Another peaceful morning was exactly what we needed!
We explored different buildings, though we had little knowledge of the Isha Foundation’s rituals, so we occasionally felt a bit out of place. We didn’t want to offend or disturb other people and didn’t always know what to do. Thankfully some people helped us to get around. We even got the opportunity to participate in an introductory yoga and meditation session. It was shorter than we had hoped but it reminded us to do this more at home. Sitting cross-legged on a hard floor is something we need to get used to, but once you’re over that it’s relaxing. I’m not the body, I’m not even the mind.
Feeling re-energized, it was time to get back on the road. Our driver took us to Mysore, one of the bigger cities in south India. Arriving in the late afternoon, we didn’t have a lot of plans except to see the illuminated Mysore Palace.
On our way to the palace, when it was getting dark, we noticed that big things were flying above our heads, but it took a minute to realise that they were flying foxes. Fascinating to see them all flying in the same direction. Once arrived at the palace, it turned out there was a whole light show with an Indian story. Amazing! Even though we couldn’t understand the story (again) we loved the lights. It felt like Aladdin.
Before leaving Mysore, we visited one of its temples. Not a big colourful one like the others but a smaller one almost fully covered in gold. We went inside, and sadly, we experienced some disrespectful behaviour. People were impatient, pushing, and trying to get in front of the line. We saw this behaviour before but didn’t expect it in a temple.
Despite this, the temple itself and its surroundings were beautiful. We even received an explanation of the circle of life-how everything repeats every 5000 years. We are not the body, we are not even the mind, but a point of light.
Mysore marked the near end of our road trip with our driver. There was just one more stop before reaching Goa—but we’ll tell you all about that in our next blog!
