In....Kerala

Yes, after only four weeks, we have found ourselves (not in the spiritual sense!) back in India this week.

After much consideration we decided not to renew our Sri Lankan visas but to use up the remaining time and entry we had on our Indian visas. So we looked for the cheapest and most convenient flight and it took us to Madurai in Tamil Nadu.

We spent a few days there enjoying the good food and general buzz of the Indian city before heading off by train to Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala state.

We ended up having a really good time in Madurai. There wasn't a lot to see but we splashed out a bit on a decent hotel and had a good laugh with the locals.

The main attraction in the city is the Sree Meenakshi Temple. According to The Guidebook, up to 10,000 pilgrims a day can arrive to perform Darshan there. We can vouch for that based on the number of rickshaws heading for the temple that were impossibly crammed with people. Here are some photos from our time there.

Above: Looking across the Madurai skyline and Sree Meenakshi Temple.

Above: The West Tower of the temple seen from the street

Above: A family making some rupees

Above: Lovely collies!

From Trivandrum we took a short rickshaw ride to Kovalam which we visited in 2006. There's more concrete here now but it is still a beautiful location and the food is top-notch. We've landed good accommodation thanks to Wilson whose place we stayed at last time.

Last night we went out for a few beers...

....Ha-Ha!

Above: A busy Saturday evening at Hawah Beach, Kovalam

Above: Lighthouse Beach where we're staying. Can you spot the boat?

Above: The sunsets are amazing along the West Coast of India