From the Rain Forest to Kerala
We started our day in the rain forest north of Kerala, high in the mountains (over 1000 meters).
The road down from these heights is curvy with 9 numbered hairpin turns.
The signs at each such turn also provide a handy spot for a little advertisement. One of the things that seems consistent throughout the parts of India we traveled is the extensive amount of advertising. The Vodafone ad at the hairpin turn sign is actually a fairly subtle and unobtrusive form of what covers many buildings, vehicles, and posts. Indeed, early on I learned that what I though was a cell phone store was simply another store that was also plastered with Vodafone or Airtel ads.
Once we were down from the heights we were in Kerala, one of the southernmost parts of India when where we would spend over 5 days. One of the many wonderful things about India is the existence of significantly different regional styles of clothing. We were told that for men in Kerala, one of these was the Dhoti. If you do enough looking on the internet you can find out that this garment is not restricted to Kerala and goes by a number of different names including the Pancha and Veshti and that there is a similar garment called a Lungi. We learned it as the Dhoti and that is was worn by men. Wikipedia says it is commonly worn by both men and women in Kerala although our experience was different.
The Dhoti is a versatile garment worn about the waist. It is often white (usually with a border) but it can be of various colors and designs as well. In its longest form it merely extends straight down like a maxi-skirt. It can also be worn mid-length and tied up as a fairly short garment.
Quite often the garment is in transition even while walking along.
Kerala (one of the 28 states in India) is interesting to some because it is both one of the more prosperous states of India as well as the state longest ruled by the Communist Party.
However, as with many things in India, it's important to recognize that any such statement is subject to much nuance. For example, one of the questions is which communist party -- the Communist Party of India (CPI), The CPI Marxist, the CPI Marsits-Leninist, or any number of other varieties said to number more than 10. And, it's important to also note that Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India, somewhere between 98-100%.
Kerala is also on the southwest coast of India and with many rivers and other waterways.
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