The World is Ours: India - The South - Mumbai, Kerala, and Goa

Who is crazy enough to rent a scooter in India? We are.

Our first trip to India came with immense anticipation. With all of our research and conversations with fellow travelers, we knew we would experience something different from all of our previous travels. Many say India is its own world, some say not to try to make sense of it, others say embrace every moment. India was truly eyeopening and sensory overload. India is not for the faint of heart. The sheer density of people was truly astounding. With 1.3B people, nearly 1B more than the population of the US, with a third of the space (!!!) it was quite crowded everywhere, even in small towns. The country is very rich in culture. The flavors of the cuisine are complex and unique. With the large country came drastic variety within the regions. While its easy to categorize the the country by 'the north' and 'the south' as many people do, each state had a different feel, a different cuisine, different landscape, and different language. They say every 50kms the language changes.

We began in the financial capital of Mumbai and flew down to the state of Kerala, also known as 'God's own country'. It is a very spiritual region with Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists truly coexisting peacefully. We visited Fort Kochi and the famous Backwaters and Munnar, home to spectacular tea plantations. In true Allie and Nelson fashion, we rented a scooter to explore the tea plantation's rolling hills. Next we headed to Goa, a state known for its beautiful beaches and backpacker life.

The Gateway to India- built to welcome the royal family in 1911.

Welcome to Mumbai, Nelson. (Yes, that's the inside of our airport taxi.)

Exploring the streets of Mumbai

The Taj Palace Hotel

Interesting architecture

Children playing cricket

Sun setting over Mumbai

Crossing the road in India is an acquired skill.

Man eating on the street.

Free range?

Streets of Fort Kochi in Kerala, Epiphany and New Years decor still in tact.

The basilica decorated for the Epiphany

Chinese fishing nets in Fort Kochi

Street scene in Kochi

Preferred mode of transport

More cricket.

Cathedral in Fort Kochi

Shoes off to enter the church

Why did the family of goats cross the road?

We attended a traditional Kathakali dance performance. We were told to arrive early to see the makeup application...

Quite elaborate makeup and dress!

View from the front of our boat on the backwaters.

The captain, powering the boat with his strength and stick.

Powering our boat from the back.

One of our two back water boats.

Peaceful waters.

King Fisher bird. So common, its the name of a popular Indian beer.

Finally found the red bananas we have been hearing about since Tanzania.

Bridge over the backwaters.

Mother with her small children in Munnar.

Communism alive and well in Kerala.

Exploring Munnar by scooter

Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, and Hindu

Stopped at this sweet man's stand for of course... more masala tea.

The hills of Munnar.

The only thing as beautiful as the views was the absolute silence! (In India, that was especially welcomed)

Breathtaking views at every turn.

The moment you are waiting in line at the ATM, turn around and see this man watching your back. LOL

Doing what we do best, exploring.

A beautiful road to explore by scooter.

16 kms to Munnar... we think.

Beautiful lake in Munnar

Nelson loves his Masala Tea

Roadside carrots in Munnar

A church in the hills of Munnar.

Allie with the tea plants.

Masala Dosa for two! This delicious rice crepe is filled with potato, onion, and other veggies. Yes, you tear and eat with your hands. We became quite good at eating without utensils throughout India!