We wake up at 6:00 AM to catch the 7:00 AM bus to Vienna. Our Wizzair flight to Abu Dhabi departs at 10:35 AM. We arrive in Abu Dhabi at 5:35 PM, with the local time being two hours ahead. Air India has rescheduled our flight by 23 hours. We tryed to find an office to see if we could catch today’s flight, but it was in vain. So, we book a hotel in Abu Dhabi and try to figure out how the buses work here. You need to buy a card for 10 AED, which comes with a 10 AED balance. The trip to the city costs around 4 AED and takes about an hour. We drop off our things at the hotel and finally go out to eat. We found a Filipino restaurant and ordered kottu. Jozef had chicken kottu, and I had one with egg. Jozef’s was better, mine was too spicy. Exhausted, we go to sleep at 11 PM.

Wednesday, 29th March 2023

In the morning, we planned to go to the beach, but the travel had worn us out, so we slept until 11:00 AM and then checked out of the hotel. We headed towards the markets (fish, fruit, dates), but the sun was already quite strong. The markets turned out to be just large warehouses, so we found an Indian restaurant and had lunch instead. We didn’t feel like walking back, so we took the bus. The bus we were on broke down, so the driver transferred us to another one. They have air-conditioned bus stops here, and there are “ladies only” sections on the buses.

We then headed towards the beach. I wanted coffee first, so we tried to find a café. The only one marked on the map was Arabica, located in a skyscraper filled with men in ties. We decided to go a bit further and found a café in a smaller skyscraper.

There were no prices listed, and the place was empty, but we still ordered coffee there. We regretted it when we got the bill—10 euros, which could have covered two dinners. We should have asked first. Afterward, we finally went to the beach, which had pretty good showers, so we went for a swim. You can only swim in a small designated area, so I went into the water twice, and Jozef only once.

We showered and started moving closer to the bus stop for the airport. We searched for a place to eat. Everywhere was offering Ramadan packages for pickup, so it took us a while to find a regular meal. We had shawarma and chicken with rice. After that, we grabbed some snacks and headed to the airport. We arrived with plenty of time to spare, so Jozef did some work.

We went to check-in since it couldn’t be done online and had to be completed at the airport. At least they seated us together. It was the only row without a window, but that didn’t bother us since we were planning to sleep anyway. We were the only two Europeans on a full flight of Indians. During the 4-hour and 25-minute flight, we tried to sleep, but it wasn’t easy. They gave us water, a muffin, and some savory pastries. As we were landing, a child had a screaming fit, making the experience quite memorable. We were the only ones who had to go through immigration. They had some nice retro chairs, but we weren’t allowed to take pictures. The process was quick, though. The officer at the counter was friendly; we gave our fingerprints, signed some forms, and were good to go.

India is another 1.5 hours ahead, making it a 3.5-hour difference from Slovakia

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Thursday, 30th March 2023

At the airport, we exchange some money and ask for information about the bus listed on the airport’s website. The guy has no idea, but at least directs us to the bus stop, where a bus to Aluva will arrive in about half an hour. From there, we can take the metro to Kochi (or one of its parts). It feels like a greenhouse outside, even though the sun is just rising. The bus (60 INR per person) is quite an experience. Everyone rushes inside, playing Tetris with their luggage. I sit next to a woman who strikes up a conversation. She works for Qatar Airways and tells me that she has even been to Slovakia. She’s originally from Tripavaduru and is visiting home.

We switch to the metro, and we seem to be a bit of a rarity, as it’s only 7:00 AM and it’s probably unusual to see tourists at this time of day. We get off at Ernakulam South. We immediately go for breakfast. I order Dosa Masala (a crepe with vegetables), and Jozef gets some kind of egg dish. We also have coffee, which is hot instant coffee with milk. We try to find a mobile operator to buy a SIM card, but it’s hopeless. So, we head to the train station to see if there’s a train we can catch. In half an hour, there’s a train to Alleppey (also known as Alappuzna), so we buy tickets and look for some fresh juice while we wait. We end up back at the same restaurant. The train leaves half an hour later than scheduled, but it’s relatively empty. We sit next to an Indian man in a sleeper coach. He’s quite talkative and recommends some places to visit, telling us about India and his job on a cruise ship.

It’s really hot. There are fans on the train, and all the windows are open to let the air flow through. The journey takes about two hours. We arrive in Alleppey and immediately go to eat. We choose the first place that looks good. The owner ignores me and only speaks to Jozef. After we finish eating, we try to find a mobile operator. We do find one, but they won’t sell us a SIM card, so we head to our accommodation. I had messaged the owner yesterday, saying we would arrive in the evening, but we changed our plans and are already there around 1:00 PM. We have no way to contact the owner, so a neighbor helps us by calling him. Our room isn’t ready yet, but he has another one available, so we can stay there. It has Wi-Fi, so we continue chatting with the owner. The room is more expensive, but we’re too tired to move again, so we decide to take a nap instead.

Later, we go for a walk to the beach, which is quite crowded. The waves are big, so we just dip our feet in the water. There are lots of crabs and a dead turtle being pecked at by crows.

On the way back to the accommodation, we buy a watermelon and have it cut since we don’t have a knife. In the evening, we’re still waiting for the owner. Jozef gives up and goes to town to exchange money, visit the liquor store, and try the mobile operator again, but without success. Jibu (the owner) arrives later with Jozef and arranges tomorrow’s trip to the backwaters for us. We’re really tired, so we quickly fall asleep.

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Friday, 31st March 2023

Today, we plan to take a boat ride through the Alleppey backwaters. At 8 AM, a tuk-tuk is waiting for us at the gate to take us to the ferry stop. Our boatman is already there waiting for us. We wait for a few more people to arrive, and then we board the ferry.

We’re joined by Pavel from Bangladesh and Candelaria from Argentina. We ride on ferry for about half an hour, then stop for breakfast at a local Indian family’s house. We have something like rice with potatoes and coconut with sugarcane. There, we also meet a Polish couple who were on the early morning boat ride. After breakfast, we walk a bit to get to our kayak. On the way, Pavel asks us what our names are, but he doesn’t quite understand, so he thinks Jozef is called Sultan and I am Sultana. We start kayaking around 10 AM in a narrow canal. The first hour is quite interesting—people live all along the backwaters, washing clothes, cleaning fish, or bathing. They even deliver newspapers by boat.

Pavel records everything on video while narrating along the way. He also takes a lot of posed photos, which is quite funny, so we’re entertained. You can also rent a houseboat in the backwaters, complete with rooms and a kitchen, but they’re quite expensive. After about an hour, it starts to get a bit boring, and the heat is intense. I’m starting to feel drained. Our boatman occasionally sings a song and calls me “madam”. We take a short break for a coconut drink.

Afterward, we head back for lunch. Lunch is served on a banana leaf—rice, fish curry, salad, something with mango, something with beets, and a few other dishes. It’s pretty decent.

We then head back to the ferry. We’re at a stop that’s a bit out of the way, so the ferry is summoned by a bag tied to a branch. It’s quite bizarre.

On the ferrry way back, we fall asleep. Once we’re back in the city, we go to exchange some money and look for an Airtel operator. We find a mobile shop, so we ask if they have SIM cards, and they do. We ask him three times how much it costs, and he just keeps saying “passport”. Without thinking too much, we decide to buy them. We end up spending over an hour filling out the paperwork, and then he charges us 550 INR each for activating the SIM cards, even though it normally costs less than 100 INR. We argue with him for a bit, but there’s no turning back. He totally ripped us off (about 10 euros, which could buy four dinners for two).

Later, I message Jibu, as the SIM cards were registered in his name, and the official store was just around corner, but what’s done is done. Then we head for a terrible coffee and take a look at a Hindu temple in the city center, just from the outside. We’re just glad we survived the chaotic traffic. Afterward, we try to catch the sunset at the beach, but we only catch a glimpse of it from the street. By the time we reach the beach, only a small part of sun is visible, and there are about a million people there. So, we turn around and head to Canal Restaurant for dinner. I order something vegetarian, and Jozef gets chicken curry, both served with parotta. For the evening we buy some mangoes and a watermelon.

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Saturday, 1st April 2023

We wake up early, at 5:30 AM. Our train to Varkala leaves at 6:35 AM. We walk to the station. The weather is still pleasant, with the sun just rising. We buy tickets at the station for 110 INR (€1.5 for two people). The train is very long, packed and many people are boarding.

We find a spot to sit, but then the conductor tells us we can’t sit there. We move further and ask people where to sit since we don’t have reserved seats. They tell us we can sit anywhere where’s free. We find seats again, but a group of Indians arrives, unsure of where to sit. I wanted to sit next to Jozef, but somehow, we both ended up standing. So, we sat near the open doors and stayed there. It was quite an experience. The doors remained open throughout the journey.

Varkala

We arrive in Varkala at 9 AM and go straight to eat as we hadn’t had breakfast. We take a bus near the Hindu temple for 20 INR. Afterward, we head to the beach since our accommodation isn’t available until 11 AM. Reportedly, it’s the most beautiful beach in Kerala.

It’s nice here, the beach is lined with cliffs, but there are also quite a lot of people because it’s a popular tourist spot. We’re staying with Riyad, who is quite talkative, but we manage to communicate. I go to sleep, and Jozef goes to work. Once I’ve rested, we go out to buy a pineapple and some bananas.

Later, we head to the beach for a swim. The waves are pretty strong, so swimming isn’t possible, but Jozef enjoys the waves.

I join him for a bit, but after a big wave hit me and cleared out my sinuses, I decided to stay closer to the shore. The lifeguard kept whistling at Jozef, as when he went further, the locals followed him. But when we passed the lifeguard later, he smiled at us. We quickly shower and return to the beach for the sunset.

For dinner, we go to Juicy Cafe. Jozef orders chicken curry again, and I get another vegetarian dish, different from what I had in the morning. We try to find some beer, but it’s a dry day—on the first of the month and some holidays the liquor stores are closed. The stores close on the 1st because it’s payday. So, we head back to our accommodation, and Riyad stops by to ask if everything is okay. He stays and chats with us for about an hour—well, mostly him—talking about Ayurveda and chakras, which made it quite amusing to watch Jozef. Afterward, we eat some watermelon, and since I had napped earlier, I’m not tired, so I edit photos while Jozef goes to sleep.

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Sunday, 2nd April 2023

We sleep in late, until 9:30 AM. But at five in the morning, some bird (Cuckoo) was screeching, and then the Muslims had some ceremonies broadcasted through speakers, so I kept waking up. We go for breakfast at Juicy Cafe, where we meet Ryiad. We want to take a bus to the city, and he offers us his motorbike, but it’s manual, so Jozef declines. He told us that buses are more difficult to catch today because it’s Sunday, but we eventually manage to catch one. In the city, we only go to buy some beer and then enjoy a coconut at one of the stalls.

From there, we take the bus back. We pass by the beach and tourist restaurants so we can have a proper coffee, which makes everything better. Otherwise, it’s like a sauna on the sun, so we head back to the room. We book accommodation in Munnar for the next three nights.

We also try to book a train, but no luck. Before 4 PM, we head out for a walk to Kappil Beach, 5 km away. We walk along the cliffs by the beach and don’t encounter many people. People are throwing trash off the cliffs, and there are some carcasses because it smells pretty bad and there are lots of eagles flying around.

We descend from the cliff to a fishing village, where they grab Jozef to help them with the boat to the sea. Apparently, it’s harder than it looks.

Then we walk another two kilometers along the beach. There’s no one here.

In the distance, we see a group of people, so we head there, hoping to find a drink stand, but all we find is ice cream. They also have backwaters, where more people are swimming than in the sea. We don’t feel like walking back, so we check if there’s a bus to Varkala. There are some people waiting, so we ask, and yes, there is a bus. It arrives in 5 minutes. We pay 40 INR, it’s crowded, so we’re standing. Jozef bang his head on the ceiling. The ride is quite wild, and I feel like we might hit someone any moment. Phew, we survived. We buy some fruit and vegetables, and in the evening, we grill with Ryiad.

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Monday, 3rd April 2023

Yesterday, we stayed up with Riyad until midnight. The Muslim ceremonies last for 15 minutes, from 3:45 AM to 4:00 AM. It was quite warm at night, and we also got bitten by something. We get up at 7 AM and go for a swim, hoping the sea will be calmer. It’s not – the waves are even bigger than yesterday.

A little further along, fishermen are casting their nets, so Jozef goes back to grab the camera. We waited until they pulled the nets out, but there wasn’t much in them. Probably due to the waves, one side of the net slipped, and the fish escaped, leading to an argument among the fishermen.

But we had to go by then. We took a shower, packed up, and went for breakfast. We both ordered egg curry, which was quite spicy, but I survived. Then we went to collect our things from the accommodation, and Riyad offered to take us to the station on his motorbike. Riyad was driving, with my backpack in front of him, I sat behind him, and Jozef sat behind me. For me, it felt like a death ride, but Jozef enjoyed it. At the station, we took a picture and said goodbye.

We went to buy tickets, hoping to reserve seats, but with the cashier we didn’t quite understand each other. So, we bought tickets for 70 INR per person (€0.80) for a 4-hour train ride, about 150 km. These trains are very long, and we were only told to head in one direction. So, we went and sat in a sleeper coach where there were some free spots. Later, the conductor came and told us to move further along. We decided to stay until someone kicked us out, which took about half an hour. So, we moved on and finally found a carriage that seemed like the right one. Even if all four seats are taken, it doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a fifth person. We tried asking if we were in the right place – everyone wanted to help but didn’t know how. We stayed, with everyone staring at us and looking at our phones, curious about what we were doing. Then, a group of girls came and sat down on the luggage rack.

It was extremely hot, and the ride seemed to take forever. Finally, we arrived in Kochi. Some locals approached us to ask if they could take a picture with us for Instagram. We went to eat and then headed to the bus station. We asked about a bus to Munnar. We got lucky, as one was about to leave. We paid 160 INR per person. If we had planned it, it wouldn’t have worked out this well.

After a while, an Indian man sat next to us and started chatting. His English was quite good because he had lived in Scotland for six years. After a bit of conversation, all three of us fell asleep. The ride lasted two hours, and then the man got off. It felt like we were driving through the city the whole time because there were houses everywhere, and the bus kept stopping. It wasn’t until we started ascending into the mountains where were fewer houses. Throughout the journey, we were accompanied by the sound of dying brakes, making the whole bus vibrate. It took us five hours to travel 130 kilometers, so we arrived in Munnar after dark. Spending the whole day traveling, we were drenched in sweat, so we immediately checked into our accommodation, took a shower, and went to eat. We wanted to find some fresh juices, but storm was approaching, so we headed back to the hotel. We spent the evening watching an Indian soap opera.

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Tuesday, 4th April 2023

Today we woke up to music from the Hindu temple, which is right outside our window. We finally slept well because it’s pleasantly cool here. Munnar is situated at 1,600 meters above sea level, so the temperature at night is around 15°C (59°F), and during the day, it’s about 25°C (77°F).

We’re staying in an area about two kilometers from the town center, so we headed there first thing in the morning to rent a scooter. Before that, we had breakfast at a vegetarian restaurant, but it wasn’t very good. Jozef ordered an onion dosa and received a large pancake with a one chopped onion inside, accompanied by some sauces. The local rental shop was run by a Christian. Inside, there was a statue of the Virgin Mary, a rosary on the scooter, and the motorcycle rental logo was a combination of a dove and a rosary. Since it’s Easter, the shop is only open until Wednesday, so we’re renting the scooter for just two days. Since yesterday was my first time on a motorbike, I’m having some trouble getting on and off, but it’ll get better.

We head back to the accommodation to pick up our things and then make our way to Top Station. The road goes through tea plantations and the journey takes us two hours.

We took a lot of photos along the way and visited a tea factory. Jozef declared it was the worst tour he’s ever been on, not just related to tea. At Top Station, they charge a 20 INR entry fee for the viewpoint, and it’s about nothing, but everyone is taking pictures there.

There are also some monkeys, so we take photos of them.

Then we stop for lunch and have the local Chicken Biriyani (chicken with richly spiced rice). The ride back isn’t as exciting, and our butts are sore from the motorbike. We stop at a tea shop to buy some tea (so we can make it at our accommodation, as the restaurants only serve masala tea with milk), and we also order a tea there, hoping for loose-leaf tea, but it’s just a tea bag. We’re baffled.

The traffic in town is crazy, but Jozef has gotten used to driving on the left. We check out the markets and buy a watermelon. Near our accommodation, we saw a sign for espresso, so I go to check if it’s real. There’s no regular coffee anywhere, not even in the stores to buy, it’s all instant, and this is a place where coffee is grown. But in this café, they do have real coffee. Jozef wasn’t too impressed, but I’m happy and will go back tomorrow.

We wanted to visit a nearby national park, but it started raining halfway there, so we turned around and decided to at least stop by the tea museum. It was already closing, but after our tour experience, we probably wouldn’t have gone in anyway. It’s amusing to watch the Indians taking pictures by a few planted tea bushes when there are vast tea fields right along the road. It’s about an hour before sunset, but we don’t have any more close points of interest, so we call it a day and start planning for the next few days. For dinner, we have chicken fry, an omelette, and parotta.

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Wednesday, 5th April 2023

Once again, we were woken up by the sound of a Hindu temple. We quickly packed the things we needed for the trip and set off at 8 AM towards Kolukkumalai. It’s a small village surrounded by the highest tea plantations.

We spent about an hour getting there, and everyone we met along the way tried to sell us a jeep tour, as the road up was in poor condition. However, we wanted to go as far as possible on our own and then continue on foot. Unfortunately, the entire area is private property, and they take advantage of the fact that only jeeps are allowed to enter, with a ride costing 2,500 INR. We were almost there but made the mistake of stopping, and they refused to let us continue unless we bought a jeep ride. Later, we found out online that we could have just paid an entrance fee of 100 INR, and they would have let us through, but of course, they didn’t offer us that option. So, we left and decided to check out a different route where there wasn’t a soul, though our scooter couldn’t handle the steep road.

After that, we headed back, grabbed a coffee while the sound of the Hindu temple continued to play. We drove to the town of Adimali to buy some beer and have lunch. We found a pretty good restaurant—or hotel, as restaurants are called in India.

I ordered chana masala with parotta, and Jozef had fish curry with rice and a variety of sauces. The restaurant owner kept checking if we were eating and insisted on giving us more food.

For dessert, we had mango popsicles. On the way back to Munnar, we stopped by a plantation where they grew cardamom, black pepper, coffee, cocoa, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

The owner gave us a tour, and we ended up buying some spices, chocolate, and real coffee. It was a convenient stop since it started raining. We still had some time before we had to return the motorbike, so we drove to the other side towards Eravikulam National Park, where we took another ride through the tea plantations before returning the bike. After spending the whole day on the motorbike, a walk sounded nice, so we walked the 2 km back to our accommodation. Along the way, I had some boiled corn, which was really good. Indians are truly a unique people. They name a tire shop “Infant Jesus” and add a picture of a muscular guy holding a tire. I honestly don’t know how someone came up with that. In the evening, we tried to figure out where to go next, but we still had no idea. The Hindu temple continued to play in the background.

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Thursday, 6th April 2023

I wake up automatically in the morning, even before the music starts playing. We still don’t know where we’re heading next, so I turn on the laptop, and we try to figure out a plan for the upcoming days. We originally wanted to go to Ooty, another town in the mountains with tea plantations, but since it’s Easter, everything is booked. We decide to head to Kochi instead and plan to go to Ooty on Saturday night. We go for a late breakfast, and since we don’t feel like going into town, we pick a restaurant across from our accommodation. The food wasn’t very good. After that, we make some coffee and tea that we bought yesterday. We quickly pack up and head to the bus station. The bus is due to leave in 15 minutes. We ask for a ticket to Aluva, which costs 155 INR. We’re at an elevation of 1,600 meters and need to descend to sea level.

On the way up, the bus ride was fine because it barely managed to climb, but now that we’re going downhill, it’s a crazy ride with constant honking (especially around the bends). Both of us start feeling sick, and after half an hour, the child in front of us throws up. Since the bus has no windows, it almost hits us. We manage to hold it together, but I feel nauseous for the next two hours until we reach flat ground.

At the bottom, the temperature feels like 40°C. In Aluva, we transfer to an air-conditioned metro and then walk 1.5 kilometers to the ferry. Halfway there, we stop for a refreshing cold mango juice. The ferry ride to Fort Kochi takes 15 minutes.

From the ferry terminal, it’s about two kilometers to our accommodation, but the temperature is gradually dropping, so we decide to walk. We pass through a less pleasant area with lots of trash and goats.

Once we turn onto the main street, things look better. Our accommodation is a small but nice room. There’s a liquor store nearby, so we grab a beer and then head to the beach to get something to eat since we skipped lunch. We take the bus for a short ride, and as soon as we get off, it starts raining.

We try to find a restaurant we saw online, but it seems to no longer exist. So, we take shelter under a roof and keep looking. Once the rain stops, we head towards the beach and come across a fish stall. We buy a tuna fish (1kg) for 300 INR, which is cooked for us in a nearby restaurant. The mosquitoes are relentless, but the fish is really good.

An Indian family sits next to us. After we finish eating and I’m waiting for Jozef, I smile at one of the women, and she then asks to take a picture with me.

We walk back to the accommodation along the beach, where there’s a breeze, but once we turn into the streets, it’s still pretty hot. We wanted to sit on the balcony for a while, but the mosquitoes are unbearable, so we retreat to the room and turn on the fan. Inside, it’s 33.8°C.

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Friday, 7th April 2023

We set our alarm for 5:30 AM this morning to go and see the fishermen. I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad to hear the alarm go off. It was a hell of a night. The room couldn’t be ventilated, and there were mosquitoes everywhere, even though there was a net on the window. I spent half the night killing mosquitoes and the other half trying to sleep. The morning was still somewhat pleasant. By that, I mean it was warm, but bearable.

The fishermen weren’t out today; just a few men with small nets who didn’t catch anything. So, we took a little walk and then headed back to our accommodation. We sat on the terrace, waiting for the kitchen to open. When it finally opened and we went to make coffee, the owner informed us that it was charged separately. So, no coffee, and we went straight for breakfast. After breakfast, we took a nap. Sleeping during the day was better than at night. At 1 PM, we headed to Cherai Beach. We hadn’t had lunch yet, so we looked for something to eat along the way. We didn’t find anything in Kochi, so we took a ferry, hoping to find something on the other side. Still nothing, so we caught a bus that took us to Cherai in an hour. When we got off the bus, I scanned the area and spotted a large sign saying “hotel” in the distance. We headed there. As expected, it was a restaurant. We had one of the best meals we’ve had in India. I ordered green pea curry, and Jozef had chicken curry. Afterward, we bought a watermelon, had it cut in half, and headed to the beach. The beach was 2.2 km away, so we took a tuk-tuk. I asked the driver how much it would cost. We thought he said “six euro,” and both of us were shocked—6 euros??? But after asking him two more times, we realized he was saying “six zero,” meaning around 70 cents.

What we saw on the beach really surprised us. There were as many people as ants. We found a slightly quieter spot, ate our melon, and went for a swim.

The water was so warm, it’s the kind you’d happily fill your bathtub with. After a while, we walked back along the backwaters, took the bus, and again the ferry. I’m not sure if we’re just lucky with perfect timing or if it’s always like this here.

Along the way, we passed many churches and processions. In the state of Kerala, 10% of the population is Christian, which is more than in Slovakia. Here, you can see religious symbols of Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam everywhere. Often in the same place—in a restaurant or on a bus, you can see representations of multiple religions. They even incorporate it into business names; we came across “My Grace Mobiles” with a picture of Jesus. Today, we had only one thing planned. There’s a top-notch barbershop on the corner of our street. Jozef didn’t want to break his tradition of getting a haircut and shave during his trips to Asia, so he went in for one. Judge the result for yourself.

We weren’t very hungry, so we grabbed some flatbreads from a stall and some fruit. Then we returned to our sauna. It does have one advantage: all our clothes dry in just a few hours, so it feels like we came here just to do laundry. Tomorrow, we’re heading back to the mountains.

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