MASALA STREET

A flies buzzing tour of a busy spice trading avenue where pilgrims shop for banana chips on return from Sabarimala temple back to Tamil Nadu through the hill station of Kumily. 

The 16 minute one take video has been speeded to 3:33 with interviews along the way...

PERIYAR DAM

The mighty Malliaperiyar dam completed in 1895 and given 100 years use by date...that's 22 years on borrowed time.

And the satellite image from google maps...

 

PENNYCUICK

Many of the farmer families of the Theni and Madurai districts still keep portraits of Pennycuick and worship him as a God. Villagers prostrate before his image, offer prayers, decorate with garlands and perform aarati to his photo which are usually kept in the hall or puja room along with idols of other deities.

Pennycuick roadside rest-to-rent. I sat here awhile and remembered the great man.

PENNYCUICK MUSEUM

Colonel John Pennycuick CSI was a British Army engineer and civil servant who served as a member of Madras Legislative Council when parts of the Indian subcontinent were under Colonial rule of the British East India Company.

He designed and built the mighty Malliperiar dam and deserves this fitting museum at Lowercamp in Tamil Nadu as building the dam was no easy task.

Construction was slow battling against the jungle animals, biting insects and relentless rain. After a bad flood and the government putting the squeeze on the budget he traveled to England and sold his property along with Mrs Pennycuick's jewels and raised the money to finish the project that was completed in 1895.

FLICKS

Sunday night and I'm off to the movie house to see the latest Mohanlal release...plenty of popcorn and masala peanuts... I shall avoid the orange drink-lemon drink man.

Here's a taste of the action in this short trailer...

HAWK-EYED

The Brahminy Kite known locally as a Sea Eagle is a common sight along the Kerala coast and backwaters. This one was hand raised in Alleppey on the grand canal, previously having a broken wing and not being able to take to the skies, he sits most days watching the houseboats pass by.

MOHANLAL

At the flower stall & cloakroom at Kasaragod bus stand you can leave your bags...on return they smell sweeter. Can you spot the famous Malayalam film star?

See him in action in this film...

TIME LAPSE

Fasten your seatbelts for a nail biting ride from Kasaragod to Chembirika in one minute forty seconds in this time lapse of our daily Cash 'n' Carry run...