Giclee print from an original watercolour painting I made in India. One of the surprising things I found in Kerala was the thatched roofs like the Irish thatch. The weather was misty and rainy too and we even found a shop called “Connemara Tea”. This part of India is very green, the literacy rate is very high, and the scenery is very beautiful with many hills, valleys and waterfalls. It is here that the spice gardens are, and tea and coffee are grown. Kerala is also home to ayurvedic medicine which involve massage with warm oils and spices. I had the privilege of having a very invigorating and, at the end, relaxing massage with these techniques while lying on quite a hard board. At the end of the massage, warm oil was poured over my forehead back and forth while I listened to the rustle of the eucalyptus trees outside. For a minute, I melted as my mind dissolved into another world!