Kovalam 18 | bellsandtrance's Blog

Subject: Kovalam 18

After a harrowing journey that took forever we arrived at our final destination in India(our speedy driver tried his best) We stayed at the Leela in Kovalam- right on the Southern tip of India. It's is on a hilltop surrounded by hundreds of palm trees, tropical gardens, rocky cliffs sandy beaches and the warmest of warm Arabian Sea. Our resort is total luxury with huge bedrooms and golf carts in case you don't feel like walking around ( by this stage we don't). We spend our last day in India hiring tuck tucks for last minute shopping - so convenient as the shops are a five minute ride away and the tucks only cost about R10 to get around. The shopping is fun but the beach is better....the sea is so wonderful and warm, very salty but luckily there are barley any waves and we have a blissful swim, feeling excited to go home yet melancholy to leave this amazing country. We watch our last sunset, eat our last curry and toast the fabulous time we've had.

Our plane departs at 4 am. We leave for the airport at midnight and fly for four hours to Abu Dhabi. Three hour stop over, then the eight hour flight home.....exhausting.

Back in SA the roads are calm ( what no hooters?) and the country is clean and quiet.
Since my return I have been sick in bed with a tummy bug for two days isn't it ironic?

I have written much about India and to be honest I don't think I could give a total honest opinion.
Yes I am just a tourist. Yes we went five star all the way so of course we would get that kind of treatment. Still. It's an amazing place that everyone should see at least once. There is good and bad sure but which country doesn't?
Besides all the wonderful landscapes, of which I saw a pinhead. There are deserts and beaches, tropical jungles, islands, mountains....what's not to like? The history so so ancient ( a lifetime study worth) and the architecture is awesome. The diversity of this country is indescribable as you see extremes and surprises everyday. The worst of the worst and the best of the best. I loved it!

The thing that really struck me is the tolerance of the Indian people( the ones I met anyway)
Every religion or non religion is tolerated and accepted. You are not judged if you are Hindu, Christian, Muslim,Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist, Atheist, Agnostic or any other religion for that matter. I think that the society we live in can learn a lesson from their unbiased tolerant and open minded views of people with a different religion/ lifestyle to them. I will try and remember that when I get muddled in with my rat race life here at home. With the tolerance also comes a sense of patience and an easy going, friendly nature which many Indian people seem to naturally posses, which I often find missing here in the West.

It's been a fantastic, life changing journey and I would recommend it to everybody.
One day I hope to return ( Himalayas here I come) like Jonny Clegg said - all my heart is yearning, like a candle burning in the night!

Thank you for sharing the experience with us and all and all!
Much love
Us