In Alappuzha after a few days at a Sivananda ashram learning a little yoga, which the heavy emphasis on satsangs led me to cut it short. It felt good to arrive here and I was excitied to see a big festival breaking out as the bus finshished off the last of my vertebrae. In the countryside groups of women and girls in different costume were gathering and rows of oil lamps were being lit along the approaches to temples as dusk fell.

Alappuzha (formerly Allepey) is built between the sea and a huge lake, from which backwaters and canals stretch for many miles. Boat trips amongst these are the star attraction of the region.  Lord Curzon proclaimed it the venice of the east a century ago, haha. The world must have been a beautiful place then.

The local temple were playing deafeningly loud trad-pop music until 12am last night and this morning started up again at 4am, to the otherwise quiet, sleeping streets around.  A point the guesthouse neglected to mention as I booked in.  Surely this can’t be defended on the grounds of centuries old tradition..  Damn the twentieth century!  I have a feeling the playlist’s on a loop. This is a quiet residential area!  I was up before 6 yesterday! Maybe it’s time to flee this crazy country.