spare Jan 8th liz

It was lovely to see Sunil at the airport, even though he wasn't able to drive us from the hotel. I hope it didn't put him out too much to come to the airport. I wonder if he lives in Cochin? near the airport or near where the Radisson hotel is?

That hotel is like another world, a compound quite cut off from the rest of India. One day there we borrowed a couple of bikes and husband and I went out for a cycle ride, to see what it was like outside. Inside was quiet, with perhaps few guests strolling round, but more often you saw security guards, especially near the lake where the houseboat arrived. And there were gardeners there in the day time, with little green hats like sunshades on their heads while they worked in the sun. The bathroom in our cottage had a bath and two showers, one in an outdoor courtyard and even if the electricity went off there was a generator so that the hotel still carried on with light, sound, or whatever electrical use was required. One night there was a presentation of India classical dance, followed by Indian classical music, but for a few moments when the electricity cut, before the generator came in, the sound did not echo round the amphitheatre (yes, there's a small amphitheatre in there too!)

As you can imagine, outside the compound, there was no evidence of electricity, running water, plumbed sewage and I realised that women riding bicyles was a rare sight too. One girl of around 15 on her way home from school hid her eyes in shock when she saw me riding along.

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Our driver

Sunil was our driver for nearly all the ten days, and was excellent. His English was good, and what he had to say was worth listening to, so, for instance he told us various Malayam meanings, like Periyar - sweet water and Kerala - land of coconuts.

Driving on Keralan roads meant the usual avoiding of other road users, but also of numerous potholes and ramps as we passed from one stretch to another, built by different contractors presumably. Sunil slowed down and negotiated each without damage to car wheels or our tummies.

He also directed us away from over expensive shops and restaurants. The day that he started with a huge bee sting from sleeping in the car park near big bees, was also the day that he missed breakfast because our start time was before the staff canteen was open. By lunch time he must have been so hungry. He took us to a small town restaurant - we'd never have found it - but it was clean, simple and had typical Keralan food. So we enjoyed our lunch - a sort of smorgasbord of vegetables and tuna curry, washed down with water boiled with a herb that made it go red - very good for digestion apparently. Finally, he insisted on paying for our meals.

Sunil found the Kalari for us, helped us book it. He knew the spice garden was worth visiting, because he had obviously been there lots of times before because he knew a lot of the information that the guide gave us - they had become good friends. And he also found us a cheaper massage parlour outside the hotel, pointing out that these masseurs - a husband and wife team - were very experienced, and explained that hotels tended to use trainees. Sunil was the one who realising that I was enthusiastically photographing everything pointed out interesting things to photo.

Sunil dropped us off on the eighth day at Lake Venabad, and we hoped that on our last day he would be free to pick us up from the hotel and take us to the airport - we'd really enjoyed his company, but in the event someone else turned up - his English was not up to conversation.

However, after we'd checked in, Anesh, our rep from Distant Frontiers, pointed at the door - there was Sunil waving at us. We couldn't go out because we'd checked in, and he wasn't allowed to come in to the airport - so we could only chat through the gap by the guard as people came in. We have - had his email and meant to keep in contact, find out how his two children do at school and hope to hear that his wife keeps well. But I've lost the email. :-(