As I haven't seen Sumithra for quite some time after see left
Germany for US and then back to India I wanted to see her again and
soon enough I took off for a long weekend and was going down south
to Trivandrum by a night train. I didn't sleep that well the first time but one can get quite used to it. The change in landscape is quite dramatic: You go
to sleep in the semi arid dry Tamilnadu and you wake up in a humid forested and green landscape with lots of coconut trees, palms, banana plants and rubber only interrupted by rice fields.
Trivandrum was very nice apart from meeting Sumithra and her family (Nandakumar and the baby Shyama) it had a very intersting palace museum. Nandu took me
out to padmanabhapuram palace -- an ancient Keralan temple and to Kovalam beach. Both very enjoyable.
Chennai train station |
Chennai train station |
first impressions of Kerala |
The sleeper class carriages |
many rivers |
Ziegel? |
Rice |
Banana in front Coconuts behind them |
backwaters |
The train |
One of the many stops in Kerala |
more backwaters |
farms and buildings along the railroad |
farms and buildings along the railroad |
farms and buildings along the railroad |
more plabntations |
Sumithra and her child Shyama |
At night at the museum palace |
At night at the museum palace |
At night at the museum palace |
At night at some other old building |
At some dam with park |
At some dam with park |
At some dam with park |
At some dam with park |
At some dam with park |
At some dam with park |
At some dam with park |
mimosa like tree with red flowers |
At some dam with park -- surroundings |
At some dam with park -- surroundings |
the lake made by the dam |
the lake made by the dam |
the lake made by the dam |
Jack Fruit |
Rubber Tree |
Rubber Tree |
Some building at the dam park |
Coconuts in front of my rooms window |
Kovalam beach |
Kovalam beach |
Kovalam beach |
Kovalam beach |
Sumithra, Nandakumar and Shyama |
Sumithra, Nandakumar and Shyama |
Sumithra, Nandakumar and Shyama |
Sumithra, Nandakumar and Shyama |
K.-H. |
K.-H. |
quite different building style compared to Kalpakkam |
more plantations |
more plantations |
ox cart -- I missed the elephant |
The Padmanabhapuram palace |
The Padmanabhapuram palace -- entry to the palace |
nice door |
kings chair |
the chains are old lock chains |
the ceiling in the knigs bedroom |
the ceiling in the knigs bedroom |
the kings bed |
the kings bed |
views of the palace buildings |
views of the palace buildings |
views of the palace buildings |
views of the palace buildings |
views of the palace buildings |
views of the palace buildings |
views of the palace buildings |
views of the palace buildings |
views of the palace buildings |
The museum of the palace |
The museum of the palace |
The museum of the palace |
The museum of the palace |
door again |
the center court |
river on the way back |
river on the way back |
Shyama |
Shyama |
Shyama |
Shyama |
Shyama |
Shyama |
Shyama |
neighbour house |
Sumithra and Nandus (rented) house |
The palce at Trivandrum |
The palce at Trivandrum |
The palce at Trivandrum |
The palce at Trivandrum |
The palce at Trivandrum |
The palce at Trivandrum |
The palce at Trivandrum |
The palce at Trivandrum |
The palce at Trivandrum |
The palce at Trivandrum |
The palce at Trivandrum |
The palce at Trivandrum |
The palce at Trivandrum |
The palce at Trivandrum |
The palce at Trivandrum |
a funny lizard |
a funny lizard |
entrance gate to the palace park |
park from outside |
night scene on the road |
night scene on the road |
night scene on the road |
At another beach resort -- frog |