Motorboat'n Kerala's Backwaters

From motorbiking through the mountains of Munnar to chartering a houseboat on Kerala's backwaters.. the past few days have been absolutely sensational!

Our final day in Munnar was spent riding motorcylces, over 100k, through secluded wildlife reserves, sandalwood forrests, remote villages and waterfalls- spotting several monkeys and wild elephants along the way.

We then hopped on a 6 hr bus/rollercoaster due south to the bustling town of Alleppey where we chartered our very own houseboat for the evening.. complete with deckhands and even a chef! We cruised this gorgeous area while throwing back a few Kingfisher Strongs and soaking up the sun. At some point, we are approached by a little old man in a canoe selling Tiger Prawns.. with our interest piqued- we decided to see what he had and since the were the LARGEST shrimp we've ever seen in our lives we bought a couple kilos. Shortly thereafter- we ate an amazing meal with this view..

India is incredible

Totally My Cup of Tea..

We woke up in a treehouse this morning and decided to head into Munnar, Kerala and rent some motorcycles... so I guess you could say that this was my first day ever having been on one. Sure I've done the whole motorbike/scooter thing before but this was an entirely different experience. Allow me to paint the picture. Cool, crisp, fresh (yes, fresh) mountain air. Big, bright beautiful sky- dotted with the occasional cloud. Lush, dense, rolling hills of immaculately manicured tea plantations as far as the eye can see. Waterfalls. Mountain Lakes. I constantly have to remind myself that I am, indeed, still in India.

Now this is all beautiful stuff, right?

Imagine experiencing it all on the back of a Suzuki Fiero 5-speed manual, 350cc hog. Awesome.

Goan to the Beach!

AT LAST!!

After a 70 hour journey, and escaping apprehension in Dubai, I finally arrived half way across the world in Mumbai, India. Canceled flights, delays, long layovers were all on the docket. Every flight I had was either cancelled or delayed and I spent over 8 hrs on the tarmac at some point waiting for the fog to lift. However, I must admit that sleeping in the Delhi airport was the highlight (Derek, if you're reading this I know you must be cringing).

Anyways, Raj and I spent a day in Mumbai passing the time sightseeing.. we even got the chance to see the massive, terrorist-torn blemishes on the recently famous Taj Hotel. The following day we flew down south to the state of Goa- famous for it's gorgeous beaches, spectacular nightlife and friendly locals. Goa is far from the India I had previously experienced earlier this year.. this place is completely amazing! Beach parties, bonfires, drum circles, tasty cuisine, motorbikes, sun and sand have been keeping us thoroughly entertained for the past few days. New Years was incredible and I could not have asked for a better night!

As for now, we are off to the train station to shoot on down to Munnar, Kerala where we will be staying in a tree house for a few nights!