BIRTHDAY ADVENTURES CONTD - REUNION, HOUSEBOATS, ELEPHANTS!

After leaving Thattekad Sunday am early - we  joyfully rendesvousd with our kids on the road to Alleppey.  After a long and harrowing journey from SA, Anthea, Joshua and Nicola were met at Cochin Airport by one of the Palmlands drivers who delivered them safely (and sleepily) to our rendesvous point


L to R: Nicola van der Linde, Carolyn Einhorn, Anne Moys, Anthea, Denise, Joshua, Michael and brother, Jeff Moys



we continued on our journey to the much-appreciated restful houseboat experience at Alleppey.  The restful journey on the backwaters in our comfortable houseboats were just what we needed to catch up with each other and enjoy the delicious fresh water prawns from the local fishermen!

we continued on our journey to the much-appreciated restful houseboat experience at Alleppey.  The restful journey on the backwaters in our comfortable houseboats were just what we needed to catch up with each other and enjoy the delicious fresh water prawns from the local fishermen!

Monday morning found us on the road heading for our much-anticipated "Day with the Elephant" at Trichur.  After briefly settling our bags at the hotel we headed straight out to meet our new pachyderm friends,  bearing  appropriate visiting gifts of banana and melons.

"Ascending":

Some of us then had the supreme privelege of viewing the surrounding agog traffic from a superior vantage point

Cheering bus fans!

"Descending" the ellie even more challenging than "ascending"

Finallly we reached the elephant's favourite sport - their watering hole and we felt extremely priveleged to be able to participate in  "bath-time"

Everyone suitably happy and relaxed, we took leave of the elephants ,

 -

setting off to look for our own 'watering-hole' - a hidden, hard-to-find- bottle store in predominantly Moselm territory,  en route to our next stop Vythiri and our tree-house Birthday destination in the magical  district of Wayanad district ... to be contd......