Kovalem to Kanyakumari – 90 K

Saturday, March 19

Kovalem to Kanyakumari – 90 K

Today was our last day of riding and we were all excited to reach the finish line and SAFELY enjoy the day! Here’s an odd looking construction site – see if you can find the man working on this project but don’t expect him to have a hard hat… just sayin! J The scaffolding is made from bamboo poles lashed together with rope… not OSHA approved I can guarantee ya!

Today’s plan was to ride approximately 85 kilometers where the lunch truck would have lunch waiting for us. From there we were to ALL ride the final few kilometers together, finishing at the same time…. which we did!!! I took a picture while riding to the finish (most everyone was behind me though):

Here’s Jan and I at the most southern tip of India where the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal meet. In the background offshore is the 130 foot statue of the famous 1^st century Indian poet Tiruvalluvar.

After a nice celebration we gathered for group photos. We set our cameras down and waited through 40+ different photos on each of our cameras. Here’s the group photo they took with my camera. I’m in the front row. J

Here’s one last picture with my traveling companion AKA my root beer ride. She took great care of me and deserves some TLC when we get home. I didn’t have a flat tire or any major breakdowns the entire trip. My front wheel has been out of true since the boat ride a few days ago and there’s a little shifting glitch beginning to surface… oh, and my chain is thirsty for oil, but that’s all! Not bad for 2 months on the road!

Our hotel is only a few blocks from the finish line and once I arrived, I sifted through what was left of the stack of bike boxes and started in at packing up my bike for the trip home. Unfortunately my bike box was really small but I was able to get the important parts in the box and the rest have now found a place in my luggage. Jan and I have a taxi picking us up in the morning to get us to the hotel by the airport in Trivendrum for a flight out in the middle of the night tomorrow.

We said our farewells at dinner tonight – it’s been a privilege to ride with such a great group!

I just have to say it one last time, “I FINISHED”!!! WHAT AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE!!!! I’m excited to get home and catch up with my family and friends!!! I’ll be home Monday night!!!! Woohoo!!!

Palm Lagoon/ Kollam to Kovalem – 107 K

Friday, March 18

Palm Lagoon/ Kollam to Kovalem – 107 K

I caught the sunrise from our float house just before leaving this morning. This was such a great location… very peaceful and relaxing!

Its funny the things we see as we ride through the villages and towns. We’ve seen many of these “scarecrows” posted at the entrance to homes, on their roofs or mounted somewhere nearby. This one was particularly charming:

The roads were busy today – definitely not favorable riding conditions! We did pass a sign showing us how far it will be to get to the end of our ride in Kanyakumari – 117 K.

We will get there tomorrow, but today we had a nice beach to play on when we arrived. The warm water and the ocean breeze makes the hot temps feel cooler. Here’s our beach for the afternoon and evening:

There was fun had by all at the Rider’s Choice Awards Ceremony! Annagretta was awarded the “Most Clueless Rider” award – she admits that she has no idea how to change a flat or how to do anything on a bike – she just bought a bike and came on the trip with her friend Eva. J

After the awards ceremony and BEFORE dinner I stopped in at a local shop and had my hand henna’d. I’ve never had it done before and India is the place to do it so here is what my hand looked like when they were done. J

Alleppey to Palm Lagoon/Kollam – Boat Ride

Thursday, March 17

Alleppey to Palm Lagoon/Kollam – Boat Ride

We loaded our bikes and climbed aboard our ferry at 7 am this morning. The Kerala backwaters are thousands of kilometers of sea water rivers and channels in the low coastland area. I admit to taking over 300 pictures today – the scenery was like nothing I’ve ever seen. Here is a picture of my root beer ride getting loaded on the boat before we set sail:

Here an early morning view across the water to the shore:

Houseboats line the shore and waterways – here is one heading towards us:

Fishing boats galore line the shores as well:

We passed through a “channel” of old Chinese fishing nets like we were sailing back in time:

When I get home I have many birds to identify including this large fishing bird:

Near the end of our ride we entered a large lake area with many sailboats – they were enchanting:

Because our boat was too large to go under one final bridge, we had to transfer to a boat on the other side of the bridge. That meant our bikes too. We each grabbed a bike (any bike) and carried it up a set of concrete stairs, across railroad tracks (stopping for the train that interrupted our transfer), down another set of stairs, and on to the other boat. Here is the train that passed by on our way.

We arrived at a wonderful hotel location where Jan and I have a float house room. What a welcome surprise!!!

Cochin (Kochi) to Alleppey – 66 K

Wednesday, March 16

Cochin (Kochi) to Alleppey – 66 K

We left town as a group for the first 8 Kilometers and then split up to ride at our own pace and preference. The ride together ensured that we all navigated through the large and busy town of Cochin safely and without getting lost.

We were riding along a smaller coastal road and it was very scenic although the road deteriorated to a rough patch of rocks, dirt and a packed mud mix for quite a while. We stopped for a cold drink and enjoyed meeting some of the local kids. They are friendly and shared their names with us… and loved to have their picture taken. Here’s a good look at some of them.

The state of Kerala which we have been riding through since we descended into Munnar, has the highest literacy rate in India. Someone told me that the state government here in Kerala is communist, but the officials are elected by democratic means. I will have to verify that but it is an interesting concept that I considered as I pedaled the rural roads today.

The fishing boats are unique in this area. They are brightly painted and made entirely of wood (no screws or nails or metal at all). This area is known for the craftsmen who make the wooden boats. I happened upon a glance at some fishermen and their boats – although it is difficult to see in this picture, there are small fish laid out on nets in the sand in the foreground.

Another unique site here is the Chinese fishing nets like the ones below. These nets are lowered into the water with a primitive pulley system and later hoisted back up with the catch of the day.

I’ve read how coir is made here and today I saw a few of the steps in the process of turning into brightly colored matting. Coir is made from coconut husks that are first soaked, then beaten into a fine fiber. This coir fiber is often dyed and woven into matting material for rugs and floor runners. The picture below is this fiber in several colors drying on the wall along the road.

Just to the left of where the fiber is drying there is a separate open-air building where the weaver is creating the material. Here he is at his loom: