It's Planet Jewel
JEWEL happens everywhere and anywhere in India,
from Rajasthan to Cochin to Mangalore to Bangalore!
On the way to town, ladies in colorful sarees billowing in the wind, ride side saddle
behind their knights in shiny motorbikes. What a romantic mode of travel!
Kalyans.
Onam festival is happening in the next few days
and the Kerala ladies are coming in to buy the special
while and gold trim sarees for this celebration. We, too,
got some very pretty sarees here, all four floors up. Sarees
from all over India can be found here and ranges from cotton
to chiffon to silks and other types of fabrics in between. There
must have been a few thousand sarees here!
Taking a Maharani break at Casa Maria
Raheem Residency
Jew Town, Mattancherry, Cochin.
Fanning myself under the Royal umbrella.
Raheem's Residency
Hop on the back of a camel for a walk on the hot sands by the
Bay of Bengal across the street from Raheem's Residency.
And yes. there is an ice igloo in the middle of this hot beach.
Incredible India!
Anything can happen here.
Jewel apprenticing at coir mat weaving in Cochin.
This little cottage industry still employs the old fashioned
method of weaving coir. Here again Jewel is surrounded
by the Bollywood Boys. Last photo showing the Bollywood
Boys discussing how to ask her for a photo. They finally pluck
up courage to approach her for a photo with her.
What a find!
Our driver, Renny spotted this coir cottage industry and we made a stop.
They let us try our hands at weaving coir mats. Easy!
Driver Renny is beginning to understand what we want on a tour.
This is not on our tour itinerary. We like to see how people live and work.
He took us to a Dobhy next. They have coir ropes strung below the rafters
for hanging cloths. I got to work on this ancient heavy iron with a flat base,
Sure get the wrinkles out!
The Dobhy has little cubicles enough for one washer to work in.
The special Cochin sarees.
Laundry girl Jewel hanging out the morning's washing.
"Enough, Mom!"
Reluctant subject of this avid photographer.
Hee! What a pout! Doesn't she looks so cute and adorable just like that?
See through houses.
A house along Synagogue lane in Cochin and Doctor's clinic in Alleppey.
Notice the bottles of medicines that line the walls, just like in the old days.
Clever way of allowing wind to blow through to cool the house.