Leaving the spice plantation behind us, we started the journey toward Allepey. The smells were still amazing, with drying cardamon wafting through the air.
On Sunday we woke to rain, which didn’t bode well for our ‘rest day’, a 15km trek in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Fortunately the rain was warm, but it soon stopped so we didn’t really need to carry our waterproof coats and trousers all day!
The next day, Thursday, we cycled from Pollachi for 50km through very fertile farmlands. At one point we stopped and chatted to a couple of ladies weaving screens from palm leaves. They aim to weave about 100 in a day and they will get paid 500 rupees. They looked very happy in their task.
And then on to the bikes. Our first day on the bikes, Monday, took us south of Mysore along quiet roads and through small villages. Our bikes were heavy hardtail mountain bikes, but we were grateful that they were sturdy enough to tackle the rough roads.
Way back in January 2020 I had a little time on my hands. I had taken the first 3 months of 2020 off work and was due back at the beginning of April. I wanted to end the break with a holiday to remember, one full of activity and adventure.