Today started with some sad but expected news from home :(
We stayed in all morning and some of the afternoon, we did a little more planning as we have got some emails back from a few people so can move on. At around 3.30pm we decided to go into Fort Cochin to see what goes on for new year. The place was so busy!! There were so many people everywhere, once we got dropped off we had a wander round and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening having a few drinks (where we could find them) and having a meal. We found a place in particular which was good for sitting in for just some drinks, we spoke to some Indian blokes and asked what was the best to do at midnight, they said they burn an effigy of santa on the beach at midnight. So that's where we wanted to be, at about 11.30pm. This sounded pretty good so we started on the route to the beach, there were loads of people taking the same route blowing horns, shouting Happy New Year and shaking our hands! We got to a point where the police seemed to be picking out the white people and said to us "there is a place for you down here" I think they were trying to keep us safe but it's a bit strange being picked out because you're a different colour! Anyway we worked our way into the crowd and found a spot where we could see the giant Santa. We waited there while there were a couple of guys speaking (Indian) over a microphone. It was about 11.50pm so not long to go until midnight. Then they started the countdown, bang on midnight the were huge cheers from everybody and the Santa exploded into flames with fireworks! He was then left to burn, meanwhile more fireworks had started. They were huge ones, while watching the fireworks we both felt a spot of what we thought was rain. We thought it couldn't possibly be rain, it hadn't rained for the two months we had been here so far. But we were very wrong at about 12.05am the rain came down, extremely heavy, torrential in fact! I've never seen rain like it, the roads were instantly like rivers and we were instantly soaked to the skin! We ran for a little bit trying to find some sort of shelter, people lined every doorway and anything with a roof. We came across a hotel doorway to stand in for a few minutes. James asked for a carrier bag as we'd have lost our phones tonight through them getting wet otherwise. Thank goodness they had one!! James took his top off to wring it out, there must have been at least a litre of rain water that came off it. We stood dripping wet through for 10 minutes or so and decided we needed to find a tuk tuk to take us back to Maradu. So we set off in the downpour, this was easier said than done but we managed eventually. We paid over the odds but didn't care in this weather, we were just happy to be sat under a cover. Happy in our tuk tuk we set off back to the hotel, it was about 12.45am by now, on the drive back people were still hanging out of their tuk tuks shouting Happy New Year. They are so happy! The rain stopped about 5 minutes from our hotel, we got dropped off not at the hotel because there is a cut through to walk which is quicker than directing the tuk tuk. After getting out of the tuk tuk and paying we realised we got dropped off at the wrong cut through so had to walk a little further! The puddles went from one side of the road to the other and every so often the water splashed and moved, there were frogs in every puddle!! It was the most surreal situation, we still couldn't find the cut through and a couple of them were flooded and pitch black anyway so we thought we'd just walk round. Our feet were squelching in our trainers and our clothes were so heavy! As we turned the corner for our hotel we heard 'Gangnam style' really loud and there were about 20 or so Indian lads singing and dancing just outside of our hotel with a car parked up, boot open with speakers in the back. On the way past we thought sod it tonight has been the most bizarre night ever, might as well join in! We danced our way through the crowd and reached the hotel at about 1.30am. We got up to our room chucked the wet trainers outside on the balcony (hoping there was no more rain due) and the wet clothes in the bath. Shower each and bed, we couldn't sleep for ages just laughing at all the things that had happened tonight. Best New Years yet!!