Ernakulam, Kerala By Train / January 2016

'There are so many things I love about Kerala. I fell in love with the rubber tree plantations on my first visit in 1981 to Kotarakara. I love the narrower gap between the rich and poor, and the higher literacy rates compared to other parts of the country. In July though the high humidity can be extremely uncomfortable, so I jumped at the opportunity to visit with Raphael during our long visit to Hosur in January.

We took the train, of course! AC chair car, and returned by three tier reserved AC. Bought all the snacks the vendors hawked, and stood in the doorway with the bogie swaying and hurtling down the tracks, reliving school days and our trips to and from boarding school on trains.