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We had been looking forward to our trip into the hills,
hoping that the altitude, fresh air, and tranquillity of
life in the Silent Valley would
 provide some temporary
relief from the heat, and the hustle and bustle we have
encountered to date.
Perfect Hideaway
On arrival at the Hotel Silent Valley we were greeted
with flower garlands, coconuts and big smiles. It was to
be the start of a special relationship with our hosts.
It would not have been out of place if Basil Faulty’s
Keralite nephew had been in charge. We were the Hotel's
very first guests - infact, the hotel was not yet
officially open. To say the service was attentive would
be an understatement. Dan found himself having to try a
number of complicated diversion tactics to slip his
personal marker and escape to the roof, for a few
precious minutes to work on his tan and blonde locks.
Our day’s excursion to Silent Valley was clearly not one
we would be embarking on alone. We set off in convey.
Our jeep and the hotel staff’s car were adorned with
advertising banners. The Hotel, to their credit, was
making the most of our visit to promote their new
venture.
Downsides
The run itself was a real joy and perhaps the best
running conditions we have experienced in Kerala, so
far. Running in the hills has its down side - what goes
down must come up! Our running guru, Pete told us not to
underestimate the hazards of running down hill. The
strain on the thighs muscles and knees can be worse than
running up hill. Pete went as far as to say that he
would rather run up the hill, I was not convinced, but I
was not going to question the man who had got me this
far.
There were less people, more space, a beautiful
meandering river, fresh air, an amazing mountain and a
soothing cool breeze in our faces. We were in running
heaven.
Throughout the last two days of running, I had felt my
legs were getting tired, taking longer and longer to run
the stiffness and aches out of my muscles. Despite this
and the fact that I had done over a marathon in the last
three days, I felt strangely strong. I think running in
the evening had given my weary legs a little more time
to recuperate.
Volleying in the Valley
 Our only stop was at a village volleyball game that we
were invited to join. After a while, a sizeable crowd
gathered to watch the spectacle. After a few friendly
introductions, warm up shots and volleys, and we were
into the real business. Heels on fire with the help of
Peter (number 2) and local hero, Abdul emerged
victorious, winning five sets to one. After a quick
group photo with the players and spectators, we hit the
scenic trail again
Silent wisdom
On the road, we discussed how our volleyball compatriots
had a mixture of Muslim, Hindu and Christian names.
Different religious groups appear to coexist in harmony.
This seemed apparent in every village and town that we
had passed through. A little down the road, we saw a
statue of Jesus and Mary built directly opposite a
mosque. Perhaps, a divine confirmation of our views.
Mango ‘Run’
We soaked up all the richness of nature that the Silent
Valley had to offer. Late in the day a tractor full of
mangoes sped by us. The man sitting on the trailer
kindly rolled two mangoes on to the road as they passed.
We gave hot pursuit to the mangoes as they gathered pace
down the hill and collected our prized with a few
manoeuvres that would have done Jonty Rhodes proud. We
ran the last few kilometres with a spring in our step
and felt like we could go on forever. In the end, Dez
called a halt to proceedings, as it was dark and not
safe to run. It was the right thing to do but there was
no denying our sadness to realise that a very special
day of running had come to an end. Our expectations of
the Silent Valley had not been misplaced.
Running High
Today felt like another big day in my short running
career. If you had told me just a month ago that I would
run 20 kms one day and then 18.5 kms the next, I would
have laughed. It has not taken long to build up the
fitness and strength needed for such a run. While it has
not been physically painless, I must say the biggest
barriers have been in my own head.
Rahul
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