The North Coast to Karnataka

Over the last couple of weeks we have made our way along the west coast of Kerala and Karnataka, passing through Calicutt, Kannur, and Bekel. Kannur, with its long and unpopulated beaches, turned out to be a great spot. The accommodations were considerably more posh and expensive along the coast and we have been "stuck" paying for nicer resort type places a few times. We ended up at a resort on Kappad beach, 20k from Calicutt, after an unsuccessful search for a room. Callicut felt inhospitable and was a way bigger city than expected, so the splurge felt well worth it. After a half day of living the good life we headed for Kannur and then on to Bekel, a smaller, mostly Muslim town that promised plenty private beach to explore. We arrived in Bekel in time to observe one of the biggest holidays of the year, Milad un Nabi, celebrating the birth of Muhammad. There were endless parades of boys marching in the streets, donning the green and white of the Muslim flag. Everything around Bekel was green- the buildings were wrapped in green flagging, every mosque was green, and our entire hotel down to the trash can in our room was green. We were stopped on the street several times and offered celebratory sweets. I ended up trying a tasty mystery concoction-a thick green drink made with milk, rice, pista, and lots of cardamon. I rarely saw Muslim women on the street in Bekel, but those who were out wore a hijab or were fully covered in a black veil. The religious diversity in Kerala (and surrounding area) is remarkable. We'll pass Hindu temples, Synagogues, Christian churches and mosques in a stretch of a few hours. The churches here are way more... enthusiastic! compared to any I've seen in the states. The distinctly Indian use of bright colors and deafeningly loud music really spice up a cathedral.

Before heading north, we found a cluster of cottages along the beach in Kannur and made a point to stop for a few nights on our way back through. The grounds were meticulously manicured and the atmosphere was markedly relaxed with hammocks swinging from every palm. I was reluctant to leave, but excited to head to the hills of Karnataka. After a long day of climbing we've arrived in the Wayanad district, known for its coffee and banana plantations as well as a large wildlife preserve. The preserve itself is closed for the month for animal census (common this time of year), but there is plenty to see and explore along the perimeter. We're still following relatively busy national and state highway, but have managed to meander off the beaten track through smaller towns and villages. As has been characteristic of the south, the people of Wayanad are all smiles and are extremely hospitable. We hopped around for a few days, but have found another nice resting place at the Kannur Ayurvedic Hospital (misnomer) in Kalpetta. We will continue to Mysore and on to our departure point at Bangalore, however it looks as though we will have to take a bus on the last stretch since Dave's bike seat snapped off (a few times) and is getting increasingly difficult to jerry-rig. Luckily there's a new seat on the way and a short break from biking for a few weeks in Vietnam.