Dr Ajeeb

My Ayurvedic doctor in India, with his mother.

The island getaway

http://theislandretreat.in/ Recommended if you're looking for somewhere to unwind. There's nothing else to do here!

A donation of chillies

Fishes

Local businesses donate most of the food. Twice a week a collection is taken from 5 local fish shops who all contribute something.

My iPad is very popular here

Tea time for the assistants

Joshy with his son

Joshy runs the centre, looking after over 150 children from a few months old right up to late teens. He's been doing it 12 years and has never had a holiday. The Foundation is two big buildings built on land his father used to farm, next to their home. He has 9 brothers and sisters, who also help out at the orphanage and also a home for the mentally handicapped that they also run. What a family!

Lunch for 300 people

Band practice

Mother and Child foundation

I visited Mother and Child again at the weekend. It was great to see the kids again.

Vimal

Manager of the island resort.

Sunrise on the island

I wake around 4am for yoga and meditation with the crows before the suns up at 6. Then early to bed as there's little to do. I'm the only guest and two locals work here taking care of me.

Entrance to the island

Island life

I've settled on an island in the backwaters of Kerala, near kollam. It's very beautiful and very quiet. Shrimp nets surround the tiny island (200m long and 150m wide) and fisherman work the waters from early evening to late morning. The water is very shallow, less than a meter. I swam around the island once but it was tough going and the bottom is very slimey and cold.