Blog Post #43 - Laid Back in Southern India

The second leg of my Indian adventure took me on a flight from Delhi to Trivandrum. The city is the capital of the southern state of Kerala. 

Some of the highlights include:

• Seeing a wild tiger at the end of a safari outside of Mysore
• Taking a houseboat with a group of Australians and introducing them to the card game "Exploding Kittens"
• An amazing sunset at the top of the monkey temple in Hampi
• Grooving to trance music at the spiritual home of DJs Above & Beyond, Anjuna Beach!
• Body surfing in the big, warm waves of Varkala
• Getting my future predicted by magical shells and a crazy man in a back alley of Kochi

Varkala

A relatively quiet beach. A much needed first stop after the streets of Delhi

talk about a front yard view!

The backwaters of Kerala

The cows even take over the waterways

"I am the captain now!"
Boats with cows should watch out 

A nice parking spot

Nice evening drive with bae

Kochi

Cheating with some big nets

Lots of cool graffiti and art installments in the city

Mysore

"buddy, you're drivin through the wrong neighborhood <insert gang sign here>"

some mean looking dude yelled at me when I took this picture...so I ran haha

Mysore Palace, not a bad place to call home, but you'd need an army of cleaners

Hampi

And I thought Calgary traffic inched along

He's busy working in the heat and I am relaxing in the shade...

....but can you blame me! :O

submitting this one to Nat Geo

So far my favorite sunset. Had to work for it.
Tough climb in the heat.

Some beautiful old ruins in Hampi.
Over 500 years ago this was the capital for much of the Indian subcontinent

The good thing about 40+?
Only the tough tourists and locals are out and about

I love the people stories. This woman and her husband are two of many travelling nomads that roam the paddy fields with their goats. The farmers love the natural fertilizers and the goats love the rice. Who doesn't?!

Goa

The locals are the only people working hard in Goa

The Kite Runner will be an especially memorable book
(amazing even without the drink and beach!)

cheers to new friends!

Standard "chill" beach in Goa

Nailed the colourful outfit

Revisit the blog in a week for probably my favorite part of the India adventure....Himachal Pradesh (the central Himalayas) and Punjab! <3

For any friends from Calgary, have an awesome stampede week (or enjoy relaxing away from it)!!