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Halcyon Days A new passage to India's past Everywhere was blue: the sky above and the water below. I was floating on my back in the middle of the Indian Ocean. There was no land in sight, no birds in the sky and 2km between me and the ocean floor. We had sped away from our cruise ship in small boats, hoping that the dolphins we'd seen that morning would return. They didn't. But once we'd slid into the warm water, the feeling of floating somewhere timeless was very powerful. We were nearly at the end of our cruise. This was the final day at sea before we arrived back in Goa. It had been a two-week time-slip into the past of a country whose spiritual, mystical and ancient history has endured not just as a memory but also a powerful influence on modern life. Following the spice route along the Malabar Coast, and down to Sri Lanka, a world of ancient temples, shady backwaters and vibrant culture had opened up to me, but the influence of uniquely Indian tradition began on board. At 8am, I joined the daily, half-hour yoga class - practice modified to accommodate the swaying movement of the ship, which meant no balances. Instead, the two teachers guided us through sun salutations, pranayama and a series of sitting and lying postures to strengthen the back and stimulate the 'Jataragni', improving digestion - and believe me, if you're unaccustomed to spicy food, this comes in handy! With the sun at its hottest, the cool sanctuary of the Ayurvedic spa was a blissful retreat. The simple, pale wood therapy room was filled with the music of chanting, creating an atmosphere more stimulating than sleep inducing. Following Ayurvedic tradition, female therapists worked with women, male with the men. The massages they provided were brisk and invigorating, leaving the skin tingling and slick with oil that lingered even after the subsequent sauna and shower. These medicated oils, incorporating sandalwood, saffron and turmeric, smelled strongly savoury - very different from the sweeter fragrances I'm used to and prefer. However, as we each emerged, shiny and tousled, particularly after the full body massage with two therapists, the consensus was that the end definitely justified the means. I love holidays for the opportunity they offer to take stock, so I was curious to see how the resident astro scientist could help. My place, date and time of birth yielded an astrological chart showing details of planetary activity from the day I was born up to that very moment, as far as I could tell. This was my key to the future. In India, most marriages are arranged and astrology plays a significant role in the matchmaking process. Celestially speaking, my own love life wasn't looking too perky, but I returned to the consultant on several occasions with more questions and received guidance on appropriate mantras, colour therapy and crystal healing, in addition to advice on how best to play to my strengths in every facet of life. With exotic destinations, cocktails and tropical beaches, this is a holiday that works for couples - particularly if they are happy to travel light. My twin cabin - pretty standard cruise issue - was compact, with one small wardrobe and a chest of drawers. I was on Apollo Deck, the top deck offering more luxurious rooms, including suites with baths and in some cases, a double bed, but as it turned out, for space, it's better to stay on the lower decks. The ship gets wider towards the bottom and the standard of fixtures and fittings are fairly universal. The noise and vibration of the ship's engines were a constant, but I slept soundly and my room, with its little porthole, soon felt like home. "This is an adventure, not a cruise" we were told on our first night. This was true. On such a small boat, carrying a maximum of 250 guests, there was flexibility and the itinerary was still evolving. We could follow a pod of dolphins on a whim or stop to take that swim in the sea. We also had exclusive access to the beautiful Lakshadweep Archipelago. Survivors of a shipwreck discovered these paradise islands in 7AD. Today, a small community of 6,595 thrives there, trading fish and coconuts with the mainland. We stopped on Suheli, where turtles come to lay their eggs, and Cheriyam to enjoy the expansive stretches of white sand and clear warm water, as well as barbecues and snorkelling. Yoga relocated to the beach with sunlight playing in the palm trees over our heads and the sound of breaking waves. Facing the Arabian Sea, the Malabar Coast is dominated by mountains and rich in spices. Once upon a time, pepper was more precious than gold and cloves, mace and nutmeg valued like gemstones. King Soloman's ships are said to have sailed here in 1000 BC, followed by Greek and Roman galleys, Chinese junks and Arabian dhows. In Kerala, the centre of the spice trade, we spent a day in Alleppey, the Venice of the East, exploring the backwaters. Around 160 years ago, a canal was built and transformed the landscape, turning lakes into wide waterways and creating paddy fields. We travelled by houseboat, a beautiful vessel made of coir and bamboo with two elegant bedrooms and a shady deck from which we watched the world float by. Under black umbrellas, fishermen sat patiently, dark silhouettes against light-shot water, their long, narrow boats carved from a single piece of wood. We saw children playing in the shallows and women slapping their washing on rocks by the water's edge - daily life as it has been for centuries. Small, square, concrete houses crouched in the shadows and everywhere there were splashes of colour, from the vibrant blues, oranges and purples of clothes hanging out to dry to the jacaranda, red hibiscus and bright yellow laburnums along the river bank. With the influx of explorers and merchants, India's diverse spiritual life flourished. Our travels took in the impressive Catholic basilicas of Old Goa, once governed by the Portuguese, and Mangalore's St Aloysius Chapel, known as the Sistine Chapel of South India. Cochin's Jew Town is home to the oldest synagogue in the commonwealth, while the nearby Mattancherry Palace offers a wealth of intricate - and erotic - frescoes. Here I also discovered rambling antique shops with a treasure trove of wooden carvings of Hindu gods and goddesses. A short stopover in Sri Lanka took us to the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth Relic- a work of art in itself, where, behind a gilt railing, lies a golden reliquary on a silver table. Inside, there is a nest of six boxes, the smallest containing one of Buddha's teeth. Our two-day excursion to Kandy turned out to be a high point of the cruise for me. This elegant colonial city is 500m above sea level and as we climbed towards it, we passed paddy fields, coconut palms, rubber plantations and trees bearing purple mangos and enormous jackfruits. We stopped off at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage and watched as around 60 elephants lumbered towards us, fuzzy babies among them. Against a backdrop of misty mountains and rainforests it was an incredible sight and the sheer number of elephants at such close proximity was awe-inspiring. That evening, we stayed at the five-star Earl's Regency Hotel and I headed straight for the spa. An hour later, in a fragrant therapy room, a masseur was making slow, steady and skin-tingling progress down my spine. The lights were low and soft music and bird song drifted above me. As thunder rumbled in the nearby hills and tropical rain pattered onto leaves outside, it felt like the most perfect, the most sensual port in a storm I could possibly have found. I opted out of most of the organised excursions and joined fellow passengers to take our chances with the local tuk-tuk drivers. Aside from a few unexpected detours to visit family businesses 'on the way', this gave us the chance to see churches and temples off the tourist track, which were quieter but just as beautiful as those in the tour itineraries. When it came to payment, the expectation was to halve the first price offered and work from there, but, ultimately, it's about what you're happy to pay. A trip to a cashew nut factory revealed workers who are paid around 150 rupees a day - about £1.90. When it comes to haggling, that's something to bear in mind. Although our ship wasn't a luxury vessel, there was intimacy in such a small number of passengers. The crew were charming, respectful and utterly professional, without losing their sense of fun. The food, too, was good - a combination of Indian and European with a huge choice and plenty of vegetarian options. India has so much to offer and this was just a whistle-stop tour, but, on our little ship, we touched on just enough to discover that the rich flavours lingered long after we had left each destination far behind us. Indian Ocean Cruises www.indianoceancruises.net Earl's Regency Hotel, Kandy |
