It has been 2 days of gorgeous driving.  This morning we left Periyar, home to a tiger sanctuary (built, oddly enough, around an aritifical lake), after going on a morning animal-spotting cruise.  We didn't see any tigers, but we did see 5 elephants, a medium-sized turtle cruising through the waters, several deer, some pig-like animals and many birds.  The elephants looked comically large on the mountani side; at first I thought that they must be boulders, but then one flapped its ears.  Periyar is also known for its spices, and at least 3/4 of the shops in town are spice shops.  We toured an organic spice and ayurvedic herb garden last night and chewed cardamom pods, peppermint leaves, lemongrass and allspice.  Afterwards we loaded on up the freshest, most beautiful spices I've ever found.  We were a little rushed because we had made appointments for full-body ayurvedic massages and steambaths, which I found very relaxing.  Julian got the same treatment that I did, but he found it very boring and, at times, disturbing.  When we walked home after the massages, hundreds or thousands of bats flew across the darkening sky.

On our way out of Periyar, we passed through hillsides covered in tea bushes, then at the driver's suggestion, stopped and toured the Connemara tea factory.  Julian was in heaven; the second we stepped out of the car, everything smelled like fresh-cut greenery mixed with tea.  We watched how they clean, dry, process and sort the tea then picked up an 1/2 kilo bag for $1.25 on our way out.  As we continued on the road, we passed through a number of rubber plantations, plastic bags tied onto the trees to collect the sap that would be boiled into rubber, and a few pineapple plantations.  The plants are comical, with huge bush and giant stalk waving a single pineapple at its top.  Once again, I wonder why, given the space and scarcity of fruit produced by each plant, pineapples are not more expensive.

Now we find ourselves at a lake resort in Kumarakom.  The entry in the Lonely Planet was about 2 paragraphs long, but I feel that people are missing out by not spending a day here.  There's nothing much; it's just a lovely, peaceful place with great food and a small infinity pool by the lake.  They keep a small flock of snowy geese and a guinea hen, maybe to amuse the guests?  Today should be a day of utter relaxation unless I can convince Julian to paddle me around the resort lagoon in their paddleboat.  I, for one, am glad not to be going to another Hindu temple that smells like feet and costs a lot of money.  Kerala seems to be very heavily Christian, and as far as I know, you are allowed to enter churches with your shoes on.