Tellicherry / Thalaserry, Kerala

Hanuman is the most devoted worshiper of Rama and is said to be present whenever Rama’s name is mentioned. It seems he can never get enough of Rama stories and is always lurking in a dark hallway or corner listening to what is being said. It is always a good idea to pay tribute to the unseen Hanuman.

For the first time since coming to India I had a deep down feeling of being unsafe. After reading the Ramayana I went for a fruit salad and ice cream at a local snack bar by my hotel. Men kept wandering in and out of the snack bar looking at me auspiciously. I could feel my isolation and something else creeping up.

There were no women around. The only woman I saw was being yelled at by a man. There are no westerners. As more men came into the cafe they started asking me about my husband. I started telling them about my husband and they backed off a little. Before anything else could happen I decided to head back to my room and hide until day break.

Tellicherry itself is a nice little town famous for its pepper (reputed to be the best in the world). The town was built in 1683 by the British to facilitate pepper and cardamon trade. This was the first European settlement on the Malabar Coast. A fort sprung up in 1708 and was attacked unsuccessfully by the Indian ruler and the military commander Hyder Ali of Mysore in 1781. Tellicherry is still a major port used in the export of pepper, coffee, sandalwood, and coconuts.

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