Our Pre-Wedding Honeymoon - Four Seasons Ubud

Beautiful B-ahhhhh-li - Kuta/Legian, Bali!

Riding the waves!

Ronald riding the waves
Beach time Manicure- we are definitely not in India anymore....
Beer, beach, beautiful weather.

Our South Indian Itinerary

It may seem that the last few weeks of our trip took in a giant zig zag- and it did. In a way, we were running from the extreme heat and in another way, we were settling into the spontanaiety of Indian travel.

This was our itinerary once we landed in Fort Cochin, Kerala:

• Fort Kochi, Kerala

• Cruising the Backwaters via Alleppey, Kerala
• A one-night stay in a backwaters town with the family of Manesh, our boat's captain
• Two nights in Amma's Ashram in Amritapuri, Kerala. I wish I had pictures, it was such an interesting experience! You can look her up at: http://www.amritapuri.org/. One of her signatures is her hugging when she gives darnas or blessings. The claim is that she has hugged 29 million people!
• Munnar, Kerala (Hill Station town known for its Tata tea plantations)
• Munnar Hills - this area is lower and known for spice plantations
• Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu - known for beautiful hiking and a prestigious international school. Very popular for Indian honeymooners
• Mysore, Karnataka (after some LONG bus rides and one stop over in Coimbatore). This was a busy town, but not quite big enough to have an airport by Indian standards. I (Sara) did many yoga classes and nearly killed myself. Indian teachers tend to push students MUCH harder.
• Mammalapuram via Chennai.
  

It was a bumpy, indirect route, but it satisfied our desire to avoid the heat and get a good feel for the South of India. We had the chance to get some amazing ayurvedic massages and treatments and really connect with the people. I would strongly recommend a stay in an Ashram. It didn't necessarily stir my spiritual soul, but it certainly stirred my sociological side and I admired all the good works being done by Amma. I hope to get my hug when she comes to Toronto this Summer!

Our last days in India

Mark waiting in line for a palace in Mysore, Karnataka- the Birthplace of Astanga yoga.

Meeting friends in Mammalapuram- a beach town outside of Chennai
Hanging out in Mammalapuram
An example of one of the many local buses we took across the country. Interesting if not comfy!

Munnar Hills and Kodaikanal,Tamil Nadu

Tea, beautiful tea!
Hiking in Kodiakanal. We were so high, it felt like we were looking out of an airplane.
Chilling with the locals. Kodaikanal is a hot spot for local honeymooners!
Cardamon plantations lower down in Munnar Hills.
National Park. The poor "wild" animals drew quite the crowd.

The Cooler Hill Stations, Munnar Kerala

Barber and Cobber in Munnar. Mark got his flip flop fixed for 10 cents!
Peeking out from the tea plantations
Cool, lush greenery, a welcome reprieve.