we just got back from two weeks in kerala, on india's west coast. the state slogan is "god's own country" but i thought G-d lived EVERYwhere... well, things certainly is be-you-tifull in kerala....
we flew into kochi and went straight to *fort* kochi, a touristy region settled and built by dutch traders (18th century) and british colonialists (19th century) which has lots of colonial-era charm. there is a section of town unabashedly called "jew town" because many jews lived there for several centuries, before they all emigrated to israel. we took a little boat trip (see photo above) in the backwater region. slow and peaceful...
after five days of wandering around kochi, we went to the hill station called munnar, the center of india's tea industry and also the site of many herb farms and even wildlife parks. the mountains are magnificent, especially in contrast to the plains of bangalore and the flatlands of kochi.
our final five days of real vacation were basic beach relaxation, with plenty of sleeping and swimming in the warm ocean. the seafood in all the restaurants was amazing: fresh marlins, tuna, barricudas, etc which we could point to and say "gimme a slice of THAT one!".
and now i need to gird my spirits for a return to the "real world" of teaching math according a rigourous schedule, rather than swimming or hiking as the whim strikes me....
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