I've said it before - travelling is not a holiday. We have been moving most days with the rare stop for two days for the last 4 weeks and how wonderful to stop for two days at this most beautiful beach with great fresh seafood, cool breezes, enticing ocean and glorious ocean views (Arabian Sea).
We've travelled around the southern Indian peninsula and are now heading up the west coast. Not only is the countryside very different the people are very different too. They speak a different language (neither Hindi or Tamil) Malayalam and are a very proud and resourceful people. They do not seem to have the grinding poverty of the north although there are poor people. Families aspire to build their own homes on their own land rather than living with multiple generations in one home/compound. They are very proud of their homes and keep them well maintained and even paint the outsides pretty colours. They invest heavily in education and health care with the highest literacy rates, and life expectancy rates in India and the lowest infant mortality rates.
Unfortunately (?) there is no heavy industry to provide employment so the unemployment rate is high. However they are working hard to build their tourism industry - they have a fantastic offering for Europeans looking for sunshine on the beach (much cheaper than the Mediteranean).
Other Indians don't migrate here for the better life as the language barrier makes schooling and employment for northerners more difficult. It would be like moving between France and Germany...
We hired a moped and wizzed around exploring the back blocks (took ourselves to the elephant farm), found the fish markets and had a sticky beak at their community while getting geographically embarrassed. Also swam a few times a day (even me... as the water temperature was like home). Have been able to get espresso coffee, bacon and non vegetarian meals.
We have lucked in by choosing to travel from the north to the south rather than reverse. The slower pace, lower population density and cleaner environment is a reward for our earlier coping with culture shock.
We've travelled around the southern Indian peninsula and are now heading up the west coast. Not only is the countryside very different the people are very different too. They speak a different language (neither Hindi or Tamil) Malayalam and are a very proud and resourceful people. They do not seem to have the grinding poverty of the north although there are poor people. Families aspire to build their own homes on their own land rather than living with multiple generations in one home/compound. They are very proud of their homes and keep them well maintained and even paint the outsides pretty colours. They invest heavily in education and health care with the highest literacy rates, and life expectancy rates in India and the lowest infant mortality rates.
Unfortunately (?) there is no heavy industry to provide employment so the unemployment rate is high. However they are working hard to build their tourism industry - they have a fantastic offering for Europeans looking for sunshine on the beach (much cheaper than the Mediteranean).
Other Indians don't migrate here for the better life as the language barrier makes schooling and employment for northerners more difficult. It would be like moving between France and Germany...
We hired a moped and wizzed around exploring the back blocks (took ourselves to the elephant farm), found the fish markets and had a sticky beak at their community while getting geographically embarrassed. Also swam a few times a day (even me... as the water temperature was like home). Have been able to get espresso coffee, bacon and non vegetarian meals.
We have lucked in by choosing to travel from the north to the south rather than reverse. The slower pace, lower population density and cleaner environment is a reward for our earlier coping with culture shock.
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