ITINERARY OCT - NOV SOUTH INDIA 2012
GODS OUN COUNTRY
DAY 1 - 24 OCTOBRE – DESTINATION: INDIA We will all meet, excited and ready to embark on our journey to India. We will leave Barcelona at noon via Istanbul. Once we reach India, we will land in the City of Mumbai.
DAY 02 – 25 OCTOBRE – MUMBAI / COCHIN
We are scheduled to reach Mumbai in the middle of the night in which we will then go through passport control. Before continuing our journey, we will be able to rest, refresh ourselves and nourish ourselves with a good breakfast. From there we will be transferred to the domestic airport of Mumbai, to take our flight to the city of Cochin. In Cochin we will be greeted by our colleagues in India. Aboard our bus, we will begin our journey through the southern part of India, in the state of Kerala, starting with the unique city of Cochin. This city is built on 7 islands, along the Arabian Sea and decorated with huge nets. This peculiar way of fishing, is a very old technique that was brought to Cochin long ago, from China. For 600 years Cochin has been a point which has attracted the world's trading and therefore we find in it a mixture of many different cultures; this amazing mosaic is what has given the city, much of its charm. In Cochin we will visit the Dutch Palace, Jewish Synagogue and Francis Church. This church was built by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century, and is claimed to be the oldest extant in India. Basque Da Gama was buried in it. We will close our first day in India, with a gala night; we will witness a fascinating show of the Katakali dance, which literally means "history of the game." The classic drama of Kerala, with the gods as protagonists of the epic, is a very old art of more than 500 years. We will witness the entire process, not only the function, but also the makeup and the costumes...
DAY 03 – 26 OCTOBRE – COCHIN / ALLEPPEY Today is a special day. We will begin awakening the senses, on a visit to the picturesque market of Cochin: the spices market, the vegetables and fresh fish market ... And hopefully the rice stock market. We then say goodbye to Cochin, to undertake a very special and different experience of our trip. From now on, everything will be slow and quiet ... Change of landscape, environment and vehicle. We travel in Kettyvallam, a houseboat. We will take the time to perceive the rural life of the local people who live on the banks of rivers flowing across Kerala. On board our chefs will be expecting us, attentive at all moments to the needs of the queens (us). We will enjoy exceptional service, the House Boat has good rooms with a bath, it is a floating hotel. In our slow journey we will observe the daily life of people; fishermen, women washing clothes, cooking or working in small cooperatives. We will see different kinds of birds, the blue water and Lotus flowers floating in the rivers. The Back Water offers peace and tranquility, a trip outside and inside. With its starry skies at night, that enhances the sense of stillness.
DAY 4 - 27 OCTOBRE – ALLEPPEY / PERYIAR We wake up to nature, very early, to experience the beautiful sun rise from our boat, with a meditation. We will continue the trip on our houseboat, enjoying everything around us. Before noon we will touch earth, carrying within us the unforgettable experience of a journey to another place and another time. We will travel to the natural reserve of Peryiar, the path will guide us over small bridges and will take us through coconut forests, rice fields, tea and spice plantations. In the afternoon we will visit Periyar Nature Reserve, one of the largest in the Asian subcontinent. We will take a guided tour to the large and varied spice plantations with our nature guide. We will be able to see spice plantations that were very controversial in their days, and learn more about the endless wars that took place due to their value. Such spices include ginger, pepper, card-momo, vanilla, coffee, tea, cinnamon, and cloves. We will spend the last hours of the afternoon shopping in the quaint market of Kumily.
DAY 5 – 28 OCTOBRE – PERIYAR / MUNNAR Today we will awake to the singing of the birds at the natural reserve of Periyar.
Today each one of us, without exception, will enjoy a traditional Ayrovedic massage. In a wooden bed, that absorbs the quantity of oil used in this kind of massage. Then, after our lecture with an Ayurvedic doctor who will teach us some of the secrets of this ancient method, which was born here in Kerala long time ago. Then the doctor will determine which massage is best for each of us, at that time. Relaxed and rested, we will have the opportunity to visit an elephant farm. We'll see how elephants live, how they bathe and how they collaborate within the community. We will end the visit with an elephant ride. After that, we will leave the Natural Reserve of Periyar and proceed to move to our next destination, which is the city of Munnar. Once settled in our hotel, we will take a jeep ride to Kulak Malai, a typical tea factory and plantations. We will enjoy the beautiful and green landscape, in the high ridges of the Ghat mountains.
DAY 6 - 29 OCTOBRE – MUNNAR
We will wake up early to start the day with a yoga class before getting to know Munnar, the city of the hill station, as the British used to call it. It was here that they would come to get away from the Indian summer heat. They would enjoy summer on top of the mountains of Ghat, which are about 1600 meters in height. We also get to enjoy the beautiful landscapes. Around the city there are lakes, vast nature reserves and endless tea plantations which are amongst the largest and most important in the world. We will dedicate the day to visit the museum of tea, by the Tata Company, and Munnar market. We will also make a special trip to Saristi, a rehabilitation centre for disabled children. In Saristi a special type of work is done with much love and success, we will eat there too. At night we will have a cooking class, the typical cuisine of southern India, where some of the important ingredients is coconut. For local people in southern India, the coconut is the medicine of God; they use all its parts from its milk to its shell...
DAY 7 - 30 OCTOBRE – MUNNAR / MADURAI Today we change states; we leave the green and tropical state of Kerala. On today´s journey we will witness a change of scenery. As we move away from the city of Munnar, leaving behind the cool mountains of Ghat and entering the dry plains of Tamil Nadu. In our journey, we will witness the endless patchwork of rice fields that will unfold before our eyes until we will reach the plain landscape. We will reach the city of Madurai, known also as the city of the Nectar. It is here where Hindu belief is that a drop of nectar fell from the nectar of God. Madurai is a city full of life, very dynamic with colorful markets. It is the second largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu. We will visit the famous and impressive Meenakshi temple. This temple is dedicated to the wife of Shiva, Meenakshi, which is known as the fish-eyed Goddess because she only has one eye. We will be able to contact two different faces of the temple: the first knowing its history and architecture, the second witnessing the beautiful Pooja, which is performed there every night. The ceremony of carrying the God Shiva to "sleep" along with his wife, the Goddess Meenakshi takes place. In our spare time, we will enjoy the picturesque market of Madurai, which is part of the same temple.
DAY 8 - 31 OCTOBRE – MADURAI / TANJORE We will begin our day with a visit to the peculiar Gandhi Museum, which is located in the old Palace of Rami Mangammal, whose story began over 300 years ago.
Today we will leave Madurai and travel towards Tanjore. We will dedicate the day to familiarizing ourselves with the distant history of Tamil Nadu, by way of its impressive temples. For example, the temple of Sri Brihadeeswarar, known for the great pilgrimages that Hindu believers, followers of Vishnu and Shiva, make there. Its tower is 65 meters high and is the tallest of all temples.
We will also visit the impressive palace of Tanjore, where we will be able to tour the museum, art gallery and library. In our free time we will visit Tanjore markets by foot.
DAY 9 - 01 NOVIEMBRE – TANJORE / PONDICHERRY After a quiet and relaxing morning, we will leave Tanjore and travel towards the small French town of Pondicherry. We will also have the opportunity to visit, on the way, the unique Temple of Darasurm, which is the third most important temple of the great Cholas dynasty, built in the 11th century.
The small, romantic and beautiful town of Pondicherry gives us a view of the French India as this small coastal town was a colony of France in the eighteenth century. This town welcomes tourists with open arms. It is here where we will be able to see a very unique and different type of architecture, making us feel as if we were in another India or even in France. There we will start our visit with a gift for the palate: a romantic dinner at a French restaurant. We will sleep in a very charming colonial hotel.
DAY 10 - 02 NOVIEMBRE / PONDICHERRY After a good breakfast at our colonial style hotel, we will start our visit with a walk, as we learn about the colonial buildings and visit the orderly streets of the city. We will visit the Sri Aurobindo (the guru who brought Hinduism to the West) Ashram and his partner "The Mother", whom is known as the creator of Aroville, the city of the future. There we will meditate in the temple, alongside the members of Aroville, making direct contact with the lifestyle they lead. We will also get to visit the grand solar kitchen and there we will have our lunch. In the afternoon, we will have the opportunity to take a bike ride through the quiet, green and picturesque roads of the villages of Pondicherry. It is a magnificent journey that will undoubtedly bring us much internal peace.
DAY 11 - 03 NOVIEMBRE – PONDICHERRY / MAHABALIPURAM
Today we bid farewell to the French India, and make our way to the beautiful and quiet town of Mahabalipuram. We will be fully introduced into the area of Tamil Nadu, which is the cradle of all the Hindu culture, from the rich literature to the amazing sculptures and temples. A great example of that culture is the city of Kanchipuram, the golden city of 1000 temples. It is the seventh holiest city in all of India to Hinduism. It is a quiet little town, which most of all, receives thousands of pilgrims who visit there. This city has a long history, which comes from the time of the dynasty of the Cholas. We will visit some of their temples, for example the temple of Varadaraja and Kailasantha. Once in Mahabalipuram, after the journey, we will spend the afternoon resting and contemplating the ocean. Mahabalipuram is a coastal city, from which we can see the Bay of Bengal.
DAY 12 - 04 NOVIEMBRE / MAHABALIPURAM The small town of Mahabalipuram, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, represents the richness of the Hindu culture, with its temples and its art of stone sculpture. It is a coastal city from which we can see the Bay of Bengal. It was in this city that we found a wide variety of temples, representative of the time of the Dravidian Empire, architecture and Pallava art. A good example of this would be the rock temples, such as the "cut caves," built of nothing but a rock. The city of Mahabalipuram is rightly considered to be an authentic outdoor museum. We can perceive through seeing and hearing, the sacred work of the artisans and the banging of their hammers over the stones, which gradually became life-like sculptures. We will rest in our seaside hotel, visit the markets and perceive the culture, with a sculpture workshop. We will close the day with our last group meeting.
DAY 13 - 05 NOVIEMBRE – MAHABALIPURAM /MADRAS / BOMBAY Today begins our return home, we will leave South India and the state of Tamil Nadu and will take our flight from Madras (Chennai), headed for Mumbai. On the way, we expect another surprise of the trip: a Katakali class, the typical and traditional dance of southern India. Once in the city of Mumbai, we will take the time to discover some of the many faces of this great city. Starting with one of the most popular sites, the Dhobi Ghat, the large and public laundries, where people wash their clothes in Mumbai. From there we will proceed to visit India Gate, built for King George V, when he visited India, in 1905. And of course, the last bit of shopping in the big market of Colaba. We will dedicate the last hours of the day to rest before embarking on our journey home.
DIA 14 - 06 NOVIEMBRE – BACK HOME
Early in the morning we will transfer to the International airport of Mumbai, to begin our journey home, via Istanbul. We will reach Barcelona by the afternoon. And the trip will continue vibrating within each one of us for a long time; the moments, the memories, we shared and all those amazing and unforgettable emotions.
NUMBER OF WOMEN IN THE GROUP: 10-22
THE PRICE INCLUDES:
Airfare (international and domestic flights)
Hotels of good and first category with half board (breakfast and dinner)
Some of the meals
Bus with air conditioning on all tours and transfers
Entrance to sites such as museums, temples and excursions according to the program Guide (English/Spanish)
Tipping for the various services
Workshops, activities and special meetings prepared for Mango Shape
Ayurvedic massage
House boat: one night with full board (room with bathroom and all meals)
Travel by elephant, boat, jeep, Rickshawa ...
Meeting and lecture with Guru (teacher)
Performance and show of Katakali dance
Yoga class, cooking class and dance, meditation, and group meeting
Meeting in Spain and many more things ...
The program is complete without options
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