Mass Email - Flying Solo in Kerala

Namaste all!
Ahhh...the life of a traveler....how it can change like a gust of wind....and so it has!
It has been many days and even more adventures since I've last written, so I suppose at least a synopsis is due.
Raydene and I spent about 10 days in Jaipur which, to me, was just a bit too many. Jaipur was an amazing city, but very large and extremely chaotic. We did, however, manage to do most of our Christmas shopping there, as it is the shopping capital of India (so we've been told), specializing in jewelry, clothing, shoes, fabrics, you name it. We also met some very interesting locals, a few of whom Raydene has become very close with. We used these connections to get good prices on jewelry, and - more importantly - to score some motorcycle rides to some more remote areas of Jaipur and outside the city. There were some amazing temples and forts in the surrounding hills which provided for some very scenic drives, idyllic sunsets and awesome photos.
After our over-stayed welcome in Jaipur, we ended up catching a ride on the back of the motorcyles of two rickshaw drivers we had befriended from Jaipur to take us the 3 hours to Pushkar, where we were to catch the famous Camel Festival. Despite having to spend most of the drive there slapping my drivers hands away from my leg and various other body parts, the drive was actually really amazing. We ended up leaving a bit late, which made for a perfect arrival into Pushkar, as we caught the sunset with the desert wind in our hair and the enormous, bright, red orb sinking slowly into the distant desert mountains. I reached for my camera to capture this scene, but decided to opt for a mental picture instead, as a photo could never capture the full gamet of the moment. It was, however, one of my favorites.
Pushkar was an incredible city, and I fell in love with it immediately. Raydene and I stayed at seperate hotels, as she had come with a "male friend" of hers from Jaipur, and I opted to stay out of such affairs. Therefore, I spent our 3 days in Pushkar happily exploring the city on my own, and ended up meeting some beautiful Israeli travelers my age with whom I became very close and spent the majority of my time. It was a bit surprising, as most of the Israelis in India (of which there are MANY) tend to travel in groups and not generally interact with other backpackers, so I was pleasantly surprised to meet these 4 people who were open to (and actually prefered) travelers from other countries. We did a lot of exploring around the outskirts of the city, and managed to catch the famous sunsets on the lake every single night.
Pushkar is a rather small city which is centered around a small lake (thought to be a teardrop from one of the Hindi gods...I can't remember which). It is a holy city, so many people come to bathe in the ghats surrounding the lake, and during the camel festival (which is actually just a sideshow of a sequence of holy days) the pilgrims seemed to appear tenfold. Every night at sunset people would gather around the lake, as local men banged on drums, as if to welcome the setting sun to its rest behind the desert hills. During the festival, candles were lit on the steps around the entire lake, making for a picturesque scene as bathers and tourists basked in the warm glow reflecting off the water. These sunsets were some of my most cherished memories of my trip thus far.
On my last night, before leaving on my 10pm bus, my friends and I decided to climb one of the nearby hills to catch the sunset from the top. The walk took us about an hour, as we stopped quite often to take pictures and admire the view that became increasingly breathtaking as we climbed higher and higher. At about halfway, an old Indian woman with eyes that sparkled more than her bright blue sari smiled and grabbed my hand, and we walked together in silence for the rest of the climb, helping each other up the steep stone stairs that led to the temple at the top. She did not speak a word of english, so we did little more than smile at one another, but the gesture spoke volumes and it was one of the most beautiful connections I've felt.
We reached the top and hiked out past the temple to the cliffs looking West over the barren desert. The 5 of us, and one solitary sadhu, sat on serperate rocks in silence as we watched the sky turn red, and then violet as the sun dissolved into the dusty desert sky. It was spectacular, and a perfect farewell to my Israeli friends and to the magical city of Pushkar.
Our bus arrived in Jailsamer (eastern Rajasthan, about 200km from Pakistan) in the morning and we arrived at our hotel in time to eat breakfast and take a swim in the pool outside our door (a coveted luxury). Jailsamer was a quaint town with a beautiful but typical Rajasthani fort, but I dont think either of us felt a connection with the city like some we've felt with other cities we've visited, particularly in the north. We aquiesced to the tourist stereotype and decided to take a 2 day/1 night camel safari. The 10 hours or so spent on the camels were probably some of the most painful and uncomfortable I've ever experienced, but the desert scenes were unparalleled. We watched the sunset from the Sam Sand dunes, and I truly felt that I was in a National Geographic special, seeing the vastness of the windblown dunes (complete with dune beatles, which I got a kick out of) and watching yet another fantastic sunset in the desert. As we were riding into our camp, I looked east and saw a HUGE, red orb in the sky. I was confused, having just watched the sunset and having ridden through the dark desert for about an hour since. Then it suddenly occured to me that it was the night of the Purnima (full moon), and that I was, in fact, witnessing a moonrise that I couldn't have possibly dreamed up. Despite my sore ass, I rode in complete awe the rest of the way to camp.
We spent the remaining couple of days relaxing by the pool in Jailsamer, and then departed by bus to Amedhabad to catch a flight to Mumbai, and then on to Kerala (down south). I had gotten food poisoning the night before we left, so the 12 hour bus ride was not very enjoyable for me, but I was feeling better once we arrived in Mumbai, and we spent our 6 hour layover running errands and taking a brief tour of the city (which very closely resembles Miami in climate and surroundings). On the drive back to the airport to catch our connecting flight, Raydene and I decided that we were ready to part ways, and I continued on to Kerala on my own. The initial feeling of being alone in India once more was admittedly a bit unnerving at first, but once I got on the plane, I felt overwhelmed with freedom and excitement of the prospects of being on my own to do as I choose for the remaining 5 weeks.
So, here I am in beautiful and tropical Kerala!! I am currently staying in Fort Cochin (also known as Kochi) which is an adorable and colorful town, bustling with locals and toursits, and a 5 minute walk from the sea. Having just arrived late last night, I have been spending today exploring the town and getting to know the people in the area. I think I will end up staying here for about a week or so, and then possibly heading south to Kanyakumari (the very tip of India where three oceans converge), and then either back to Kerala or straight up to Goa.
For those of you interested, I have a new cell phone number down here which I'll probably have for the remainder of my trip (unless I have to change it again in Goa).
The number is: 9846898445
for those calling from the US, dial: 001-91-9846898445
For those calling from India, dial: 0-9846898445
I know it's tough for those of you at home, but I would LOVE to hear from anyone, especially being alone. It was great to talk to those of you who called (thank you!), and if you want I can give you a calling card number to use so it's free for both of us (incoming calls are free for me). Or, you can email me your phone number and I'll give you a call.
I hope all is well back home, or in your travels...wherever you may be.
Much love to all
Cass