Today we continued our descent from Kumily in the mountains
to the coast, more specifically the backwaters for which the coastal
region around Kochi is famous for. The land utilisation changed from the
tea and spices of the mountains slopes to rubber, betel nut palms and
later even rice.
The table setting for lunch
First course - Mulligawtawny soup. Vegetable soup with yoghurt.
Second course - starters. Sandwich of coriander/mint/coconut paste; fish cutlet; onions in ,what else, coconut milk.
Main course buffet
And dessert.
It was a long drive to Kumarakom, our final stay of the tour where we will spend the last 3 days,. through one village or town after another, some quite congested. Passing observation from our coach convinced us that the south is definitely more vibrant than the north, with many signs of tourism taking off, with newish roadside stalls and especially eco or more appropriately Agri-tourism attracting tourists to spice "gardens" . KM and photos by K
And one more food item. Today we had morning tea at an Ayurveda Centre. The best description I can give is Indian traditional medicine. The food was banana chips (nothing like the ones at Coles), tapioca chips and a vegetarian cutlet.
Lunch was another sumptuous "native feast" as someone
described, at a richly decorated large household that also serves as
home-stay. The hostess and her mother put out an Anglo-Indian spread
including fishcakes, chicken, sandwiches Indian style, mulligatawny soup. A
dessert of cake, pineapple tart and fruits provided the appropriate
finish. Every dish was prepared with local produce, down to coffee
gown and roasted in the large property. Equally remarkable was the
furnishings and decorations all from recycled materials tastefully
assembled.
We found a Christine Manfield connection to the local
organisation of this and another visit, which explains the quality of
the culinary programs in this part of the tour.
Lunch hostess - and her mother.
The table setting for lunch
First course - Mulligawtawny soup. Vegetable soup with yoghurt.
Second course - starters. Sandwich of coriander/mint/coconut paste; fish cutlet; onions in ,what else, coconut milk.
Main course buffet
And dessert.
It was a long drive to Kumarakom, our final stay of the tour where we will spend the last 3 days,. through one village or town after another, some quite congested. Passing observation from our coach convinced us that the south is definitely more vibrant than the north, with many signs of tourism taking off, with newish roadside stalls and especially eco or more appropriately Agri-tourism attracting tourists to spice "gardens" . KM and photos by K
And one more food item. Today we had morning tea at an Ayurveda Centre. The best description I can give is Indian traditional medicine. The food was banana chips (nothing like the ones at Coles), tapioca chips and a vegetarian cutlet.
