I’ve just returned from a fantastic couple of weeks in India, where I took part in the Boats, elephants and community work in Kerala tour with i to i Volunteering. I travelled with my mom Chris, and we were part of a group of 6 people who’d signed up for the 2 week tour. We were staying in a homestay in Thoppumpady, a small town not far from the bustling tourist centre of Fort Kochi. Our homestay mum Leela, was lovely – she made sure we had everything we needed, and checked what food we did and didn’t eat so that she could let the kitchen staff know what meals we’d like. Nothing was too much for Leela and her team, and I remember them all very fondly.
Our first day kicked off with a tour of Fort Kochi, which took in St Francis’ church, the home of Kerala’s Royal Family and the town’s ornate Jewish synagogue. We also stopped off to admire the Chinese fishing nets, where fishermen were still using the traditional nets to catch fish for the stalls and restaurants nearby. Before we knew it, we’d been invited to lend a hand and were pulling ropes to reel in the nets. Our catch included a huge fish which was promptly taken off to market to be sold! After the tour ended, we enjoyed a lovely meal in a restaurant in Fort Kochi before testing our haggling skills in the local shops and stalls and making a weary return to our homestay by auto-rickshaw, the only way to travel in style in India.
Local Fisherman show off their unusual catch
The next few days in Kerala were to be spent volunteering at a special needs school, Cottolengo. We were accompanied on our journey by a member of the i to i team who was able to help us find the correct bus and learn the walk to school. Indian buses are crazy – totally jam-packed and everyone hanging onto each other so as not to fall over! We loved catching buses as it made us feel like real locals, and it was always fun to see the look of surprise on peoples faces when a group of Westerners jumped aboard! Although we’d been slightly apprehensive and unsure what to expect from the school, we needn’t have worried. As soon as we arrived and were introduced to the kids and sisters (Cottolengo is based at a convent and is run by nuns) they made us feel very welcome and accepted straight away. We were each assigned a class to work with and I went off to get to know Sister Sheila and the students in her infant class.
We spent our days at Cottolengo working closely with the kids on a lot of different activities, which each of us tailored to the individual ages and abilities of our group. Cottolengo has older students (in their late teens and twenties) as well as children, as some of the older girls also board at the school My children were younger (from around 7 to 9 years old) so we spent time learning the names of animals and colours, playing outside, and making 2 huge murals which we proudly displayed on the wall of the classroom! Lunchtimes were spent helping the less able children and young people with their meals before retiring to eat ours (a lovely packed lunch provided by our homestay) and take a much needed break before heading back to the classroom for more afternoon fun!
Me with Adi
The weekend arrived before we knew it, and we had a jam-packed schedule! Friday evening was spent at a traditional Kerala arts show, where we were treated to displays of dance, drama and martial arts. After that we’d been invited to a house party hosted by Rajeev, who’d we’d met earlier in the week via his mum Leela (our homestay host). Rajeev’s party was amazing and we stayed up far too late laughing, drinking and getting to know our new Indian friends. Saturday was an early rise for our backwater tour – just the relaxing day we needed to recover from the excess of the previous night! We were taken to relax on a lovely boat gently cruising the backwaters, passing waterside villages, beautiful wildlife and stunning scenery. We even transferred to a smaller boat, so that we were able to cruise down the smaller, less populated backwaters and see even more of this gorgeous part of the world. We were treated to an amazing meal in the village before heading back to the homestay for an early night – Sunday was to be an early start!
Our Backwater Cruise boat
Sunday morning and our alarms woke us up for a 6am start to the day. No one minded however, as we were off to an elephant village to see their morning bath! This was the part of the trip that many of us (including my mom and I) had been looking forwards to the most, and it didn’t disappoint. We arrived just in time to see the mahouts bringing their elephants down to the river, and beginning to wash them. We were beckoned to help, and were able to get up close to the elephants, scrubbing their backs and tickling behind their ears! It was amazing to be so close to such big animals and was most definitely a highlight of the trip for me. As we waved goodbye to the elephants we wondered if anything could top what we’d just experienced, but little did we know what was to come! Back in our car and it was time to explore the Athirapally waterfalls. These waterfalls are stunning – crashing down amongst the green hills and surrounded by wildlife (a cheeky monkey managed to run off with my friend Shanu’s water bottle!) and the walk downhill to reach them was well worth it. We cooled off in the rock pools before heading to a restaurant for some much needed lunch. We were expecting delicious food by now, having become accustomed to the great cooking at the homestay, but the view from the restaurant blew us away. We were overlooking the waterfalls and were able to chill out in an infinity pool after lunch, soaking in the view and pinching ourselves to make sure it was real!
Ma and I with one of the elephants
Monday to Wednesday signalled our last days as volunteers at Cottolengo. By now we’d become attached to the nuns and children, and were reluctant to say goodbye. We made sure to make the most of our last days, spending time with the children and trying to teach them as much as we could and ensure they enjoyed their days. We also taught some of the younger children the dance moves to “I am the Music Man” which was great fun for them AND us! We decided to perform the dance on our last day for the rest of the school, but little did we know what Cottolengo had in store for us!
Wednesday morning brought a packed schedule of song and dance, with the children performing for us! Some of the older girls had got dressed up in their traditional costumes to show off a dance routine they’d been practicing and we also enjoyed performances from children across the school, and a presentation to us of cards and necklaces made for us by the students! There wasn’t a dry eye by the time it was over and we all vowed to return as soon as we could to volunteer at this amazing school again.
Thursday and Friday were to be spent on a houseboat, a relaxing end to a jam packed 2 weeks. We drifted along the backwaters in our traditional Kerala house boat, where we spent the night drinking, laughing and reminiscing about our adventures. We even treated the boat’s staff to an impromptu rendition of “I am the Music Man!”
There’s so much more I could say about my time in Kerala. So many little stories and jokes, and heart-warming memories about the children and nuns at the school, or fantastic experiences on our weekend adventures. I can’t speak highly enough of Kerala as a destination, or this tour. If you’re looking for a trip that packs a whole lot into 2 short weeks then this one is ideal. Although I wish I could have stayed longer and can’t wait to go back, I also feel like I achieved and experienced a huge amount during my time in India. I’ve fallen in love with Kerala, and I’m sure that if you decide to visit, you will too.
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