Daphne Richards has flown for the 26th time from England to see the scintillating sights of Kerala, which she says, never leave her bored. At 86, she still flies alone to the 'God's own country' and with a smile Daphne says, ''My children are not afraid that I travel alone. I, too, am not scared.'' She has been visiting Kerala from 2002 onwards, and now she arrives at her favourite destination at least twice a year.
The exquisite Marari Beach Resort is her most preferred place of stay. This would be the 24th time that she had checked into this beautiful resort in the coastal Mararikulam. Daphne says that her trips to Kerala are almost like coming home. ''The weather here is different from that of England. It makes me feel young,'' laughs Daphne. She loves to relish the local delicacies as well.
Widowed, Daphne was an official at the criminal investigation department in England. She had married her colleague and has three sons and 7 grand children. However, the grandma often sets out on her journeys all on her own. This Hampshire native has also visited Indian cities like Udaipur, Agra, Banaras, Jaipur, Chennai, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
This time Daphne has reached Kerala after the floods that ravaged most parts of the state. She says that she had known about the floods, and that there are lots of people in England who are upset by the news that were coming from Kerala. ''The people of Kerala should be proud that they have faced the floods courageously,'' says Daphne.
Daphne who returns to England next week promises to come back again in February next year.
