The most interesting aspect of the Monsoon is that it has been considered, down the ages, as the best time for rejuvenation and revitalisation not only for nature but for man as well. It is the time when the air is pure and the pores of the body are open and most receptive to the rejuvenating regimens of Ayurveda. Realising the tourism potential of the Monsoons, Kerala Tourism has designed Monsoon Rejuvenation Packages, which are offered by the various Ayurveda resorts. But by early June the south-west monsoon breaks and there are three months of wind and water with short spells of sharp, glittering sunshine, that thrilled children snatch to play with. The country side turns an immodest green.
Boundaries blur as tapioca fences take root and bloom.
Brick walls turn mossgreen. Pepper vines snake up electric poles. Wild creepers burst through laterite banks and spill across the flooded roads. Boats ply in the bazaars. That's a warning some tourist guides give visitors to the land of spices.