The Central Highlands
Ride on the Equatorial Express
Leaving behind the seasonless monotony of the lowlands, we arrive in Kandy, the second largest city in Sri Lanka and gateway to the country's central highlands. Lacking entirely in the impersonal modernity of Colombo, Kandy is a city that embraces its past. Buildings are a mix of native Sinhalese and colonial British, and their low . . .
Sigiriya (Lion's Rock)
The Cultural Triangle
Given its proximity to India, one would think that a comparatively small country like Sri Lanka would have succumbed to cultural assimilation long ago. But the reality is that, somehow, Sri Lanka has resisted its larger neighbor and managed to preserve its own cultural and religious identity; being predominantly Buddhist and not Hindu as I . . .
Colombo Crabs
Foray into Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka -or Ceylon as it's sometimes known- is that teardrop shaped island off the south-eastern coast of the Indian sub-continent that Marco Polo once remarked as being "the best island of its size in all the world". It is a place known for its pristine beaches, superb tea, exotic spices and, more soberingly, for its now . . .
Incredible !ndia
Final Thoughts
Well, this is Chennai, the last stop on what has been a whirlwind trip through India; a non-stop roller-coaster ride through the weird and the wonderful, the beautiful and the strange, the unknown and the unknowable. And what a trip it has been. From the vitality and intensity of the North to the alluring charm of the South, it has been a . . .
Pondicherry
A Gallic Touch in India
When people think of Pondicherry, their first thought is of Yann Martel's The Life of Pi, where an exotic menagerie of beast and bird is on display. Their second is of quaint boulangeries selling freshly baked baguettes to be home delivered by bicycle. Upon arrival, it isn't long before people are disabused of such fanciful notions as . . .
Backwater Boat Cruises
in Kumarakum and Alleppey
Leaving the relative urbanization of Fort Kochi for the rural backwater of Kumarakom is like stepping back in time. With the exception of the odd Tata Bolero, there's a sense that things here have changed very little over the past century. Women walk the hard, dirt packed roads making their way to the market while men in lungis -a . . .
Kochi
A Foray Into the South
As our driver pulls away from Munnar, I try my best to remember the feeling of fine mist and cool air upon my skin as it will be the last time I will be in sub-thirty degree heat until my feet touch down in England. On our way back to Kochi, our car boards a ferry and we are freighted across one of the many salt water rivers for which Kerala . . .
