It is now day 104 of the lockdown in India. The number of cases continues to rise across the country with stricter local lockdown restrictions being enforced in those areas with the highest number of cases. The number of confirmed cases locally in the Madikeri district has increased to 80 but all cases have been traced back to families returning from Mumbai and there is no evidence of community transmission. In response to the increasing number of local cases the Coorg district has decided to close down all tourism activities until the end of the monsoon season in September. The monsoon rains have returned this week and are becoming heavier…

It’s now day 96 of the lockdown in India. The unlock phase continues across most of the country but some major cities including Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai have reimposed the lockdown restrictions to reduce the rate of infections. Across the country the number of cases is rapidly increasing as workers return to their home villages. On Sunday there was an eclipse of the sun which was partially visible from Coorg. A couple of days before the eclipse the neighbours informed me that Madikeri town would be closed on Sunday. I didn’t understand the connection until the neighbour’s son explained to me that the locals are very superstitious. They believe that…

It is now day 89 of the lockdown in India. The country continues the process of ‘unlocking’ in those areas with low rates of infections but more strict lockdown restrictions have been re-introduced in localised districts where the infection rate is high. Most tourist attractions in Coorg remain closed although some wildlife reserves have re-opened. The monsoon is now in full swing. For the past week it stops raining for about 2 hours and then restarts again. Sometimes the showers are light and last for a few hours while other times the rain is heavy and accompanied by strong winds which last for around an hour before disappearing. I was…

It is now day 82 of the lockdown in India.  On Monday the country began the first ‘unlock’ phase as part of lockdown 5.0.  This permitted all shops, malls and restaurants to reopen as long as social distancing measures as are adhered to.  Hotels and homestay were also allowed to reopen but have many restrictions in place.  The unlock process looks like it will be a slow process as this week very few restaurants reopened around Madikeri but the town was busy as more shops and businesses reopened.  The number of Covid cases across India is rapidly increasing as migrant labourers return to their home towns and villages. The peak…

It’s now day 76 of the lockdown in India.  Lockdown 5.0 started on Monday with a further relaxation of restrictions in the green zones. From Monday 8th June the country will start Unlock 1.0 with restaurants and hotels allowed to reopen but there will continue to be a ban on large gatherings, tourist attractions will remain closed and the wearing of face masks in public will continue to be compulsory.  The focus has shifted to controlling the virus spread in the hot spots areas (mainly the larger cities) and individual states will be able to decide if interstate travel will be permitted.  The number of corona cases in India is…

It’s now day 69 of the lockdown in India. Lockdown 4.0 will come to an end tomorrow and will be replaced by Lockdown 5.0 which will continue for an additional two weeks. The lockdown restrictions will be further relaxed in those areas where there are few cases but will be tightened several major cities where 70 % of cases in India are located. The new guidelines will be announced later today but it looks as if restaurants and tourist accommodation will remain closed until at least the middle of June. Over the past week I’ve been out exploring the local area on the bike. The main tourists attractions are still…

It’s now day 61 of the national lockdown in India. The latest lockdown 4.0 permits a further relaxation of restrictions in green zones with local bus services allowed to resume. Interstate travel is still very limited and subject to local restrictions. Hostels and hotels are not allowed to open and tourist attractions remain closed. I expect it will be still be at least a couple of weeks until I will be able to start moving around again but I’m quite happy staying here until I know it is safe to travel again. This week began with storm. It started raining heavily on Monday which was accompanied by strong winds. Several…

It is now day 54 of the corona lockdown in India. Life around Madikeri is almost back to normal as there continues to be no corona cases in the district nor across Coorg. I ride my bike into Madikeri every 2 or 3 days to stock up on provisions. I took a time lapse video so that you can see the journey into town. This week I learnt some more south Indian recipes perfecting my dosas and cooking rice idilis from scratch as well as making a dal based sambar and pumpkin curry. I’ve also found some new walks around the hostel crossing neighbouring plantations and the surrounding tropical forest.…

It’s day 49 of the nationwide lockdown in India.  The lockdown has been extended for a further two weeks but the restrictions were relaxed on Monday.  The country has been divided into different green, orange and red zones depending on the number of recent corona cases. The Madikeri district (as well as most of Karnataka state) is a green zone with all shops allowed to reopen (apart from those in shopping malls) as long as people wore face coverings and respected social distancing. On Tuesday I ventured into Madikeri to stock up on some essentials. Although many shops had reopened there were very few people out and about and so…

It is now day 38 of the lockdown in India. It has just been announced that the lockdown will be extended for a further two weeks from 3rd May. The country has now been divided into green, orange and red zones depending on the number of cases which have been reported. The Madikeri district (where I am staying) is a green zone no cases have been reported over the past month. The district had already began relaxing the lockdown restrictions this week allowing all shops apart from shopping malls to open and the compulsory wearing of face coverings in public spaces. Motorbikes are now allowed into town but they are…