Southern India 2012: Day 12 Thurs. Nov. 29

We spent the night in the Spice Village Resort in Thekkady on the eastern side of the Western Ghats. The resort is a 15 acre jungle property with a scattering of cabins, restaurants, spas, and other various health treatment locations. The outdoor pool is oxygenated water using copper in the filter system to reduce natural chlorine. It felt like swimming in silken purified water. We had delicious meals, especially on the side of the hill at the outdoor restaurant, where they served garlic chicken soup, beet soup, cucumber ginger health drinks and sandwiches to die for.

Our first adventure of the day was the elephant training camp, located 1 mile out of town in the jungle. This jungle reserve is 900 square kilometers with about 1500 wild Indian elephants and approximately 60 Indian tigers roaming free. They allowed us to ride an elephant along a jungle path for about 45 min. Each elephant had a personal trainer called a Mahoud. These very qualified elephant trainers, work with the wild elephants for about 5 years, teaching them commands using a language called mayalam. The elephants only respond to these Mahouds who speak this language. They were very well behaved! Sitting high on the elephants back, we passed by many poisonous wild spiders, who had nasty bites. Elelphants live about as long a people, as long as they only eat organic fruits and veggies, exercised every day, and stayed away from stress. Maybe we could learn from them. Hmmmm ... The forest was filled with Jack fruits, the largest fruit on Earth, all kinds of other fruits and veggies and coffee and tea also. As a matter of fact, our guide took us to a world famous garden across the road from the elephant park, where we saw many many different kinds of spices growing.

This garden was called, “Abraham's Spice Garden”. We saw all the trees and plants for many spices that we use at home. Since we are high in the mountains, the land and climate is perfect at 800 meters above sea level, for spice growing. Note: This highway, is thousands of years old and is known as the Spice Road to China. It goes from Kochin on the western side of southern India, to Madurai on the eastern side of southern India.

Here are a few things we learned about spices ...

The Maharaja (King) of all spices is PEPPER. The longer it grows, it changes colour and becomes more healthy for you.
The Maharani (Queen) of all spices is Cardamon. It is very sweet tasting and is using along with other spices in many recipes.
Turmeric is an anti-bacterial spice which is great in most dishes.
Nutmeg is great for calming the stomach.
Allspice is a tree which includes 5 spices in one - cloves, cinnamon, cardamon, pepper, ginger. Allspice will smells like “Christmas”. Maybe it’s the cloves in it.
Vanilla beans can be purchased in Canada. Take a couple of squashed beans and soak them in a cup of Vodka for a week or so. This will produce pure vanilla for your cooking. As it gets weaker, just add more beans.

While were enjoying our adventure, Kathy stayed behind to have a massage at the spa. As she had a cold, she decided to go for the whole shebang after consulting with the doctor who meets with each client prior to the massage. It began with her removing all of her clothes while the two female masseuses watched and examined her body.

She was first given a head massage, then covered in oil, and the two women massaged her in a rhythmic pattern that always began at the finger tips and went to the toes. The same process was repeated on the frontal massage. The next step was to be led to the steam bath, which was a wooden box that one sat in while the door is locked and a wooden yoke placed around the neck. As Kathy is extremely claustrophobic, the wooden yoke was not used and although the door was supposedly not locked each time Kathy tried the door with her foot, the door was locked. After about three freakouts from Kathy, the attendant understood. She was then led to a shower and instead of being left to wash, the attendant scrubbed, rinsed, and dried her from head to foot. Kathy felt as though she was the Maharani. But it wasn’t over yet -- the piece de resistance was when Kathy was sat in a luxurious chair - after dressing - a powdered medicine was patted on her head, a medicinal balm applied to her forehead and a shot of spiced coffee offered. It consisted of dry ginger, black pepper( lots!), coriander, cumin, coffee powder and jaggery. Upon finishing the delicious drink, Kathy floated out of the Spice Village spa a new woman.

Sue doesn't want to leave Spice Village.

Rob relaxes just before our bus departs from Spice Village.

We traveled for about 3 hours this afternoon to Madurai, stopping along the way for breaks, and finally arrived at the Gateway Hotel Masumali in Madurai around 5 p.m.

Rob, Milla, Sue on a female Indian elephant. Girls have no tusks.