Heffalump

[posted 04/11/09]

After Munnar we moved on to Kumily to check out a sample spice garden with it's various plants and trees. It was kind of amazing to see the sources of all those household names you're familiar with (cardamon, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg) and to sniff the crushed leaves from each plant/tree which usually confirmed the expected smell.

Then we jumped aboard a passing heffalump to experience that tourist attraction. And let me tell you, they're not the most comfortable means of transport! Try straddling your desk and you'll have some idea of the near hip dislocation you endure. But they do seem like quite gentle giants, and we never got tired of seeing them around the place (usually at temples).

We also managed to do a bit of shopping in Kumily and try our hand at haggling – which was another notch on our belt of Indian experiences. And to end the day we squeezed in a demonstration of Kalarippayattu, a 'Dravidian martial art from Kerala', which was a fairly mundane and highly choreographed affair – though the fire-twirling at the end just about made up for the rest.

And again we've got a guest post, this time taken by Sajeev our driver. Just as we were drawing to the end of the ride I swung my camera down to Sajeev and he managed to get a few snaps of us before we wearily extricated ourselves from the heffalump's back. Good man, thanks dude.