KERALA, INDIA
A TROPICAL AND NATURE SANCTUARY BY DORIE MORALES
W
hen one thinks of India, many things come to mind—overcrowding, the Taj Mahal, delicious food, holy cows, crazy driving, dancing and singing.
People also usually wonder if it’s safe. I can tell you I felt very safe during my trip. It takes about 3 to 5 business days to get a visa, and if you’re wondering if you need to get shots or malaria pills, those are things that you can talk to your doctor or naturopath about. I had the hepatitis A and typhoid shots. I bought the malaria pills, but only took a couple. When most people travel to India they do not think of Kerala, which is where I visited. Here, I felt an immediate connection to nature, culture and community. I flew into the only solar-powered airport in the world, which is located in Cochin, India. It was 3 a.m. I was greeted by a nice man who took my bags and connected me to an enthusiastic driver who pointed out all the local attractions on the way to the Brunton Boatyard hotel. A beautiful Indian woman welcomed me with a fresh wet towel, and water with lemon and cardamom. It was refreshingly delicious. The bell man took me to my room, which had a breathtaking view of the water. I was very
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greenliving | February 2020
Photos by Dorie Morales and Julie Baum
blessed to sleep for a couple of hours in a comfortable bed in a beautiful room. At 9 a.m., Beata Kaminski, regional sales manager at Discover the World Canada, and Joanne Lundy, director, Discover the World Canada, and I enjoyed a wonderful yoga class that tested our abilities to do headstands. After we each showered, we went to breakfast at the restaurant overlooking the water where the cruise ships were coming in. We enjoyed tea and coffee with milk; and fresh, tantalizing pineapple juice; fresh fruit; dosa; and eggs made with local ingredients. We had a walking tour of the old port that had lots of different types of vendors selling fish in colorful baskets, local gifts, and cards made with leaves. I noticed signs that declared, “plastic free zone.” We walked to a spice market that was run by women, where we purchased teas, masalas, saffron, spices and gifts. We went to a washing center, which is where the locals washed, dried (in the sun) and ironed all of the laundry for hotels and other people in the area. After, we headed down to the boat for a striking sunset cruise around the harbor. We met Shilendran Mohanachandran, the vice president of sales at CGH Earth Hotels, for dinner at Casino hotel, which is the company’s flagship hotel in Willingdon Island, greenlivingaz.com
