Colonial Cochin

Appam and stew with a cup of ginger chai for breakfast. What a great way to start the day. I could have been at home in Mum's kitchen this morning! Chris ate his idlis and sambar with just as much enthusiasm. We left Goa a couple of nights ago and caught the overnight train from Canacona to Kochi in Kerala. The 14 ½ hour journey on the Netravati Express in sleeper class (the cheapest available) was significantly less comfortable than the journey from Mumbai to Goa which at least had air con. The train was hot, stuffy and noisy and being in the top bunk of three beds stacked against the wall meant trying to sleep with three filthy, dust-encrusted fans inches from my face. My muscles were still aching from my last ashtanga vinyasa session with Kranti which only added to the discomfort. Nightmare.

Arriving in Kerala has made it all worth it though. I've been here less than three days but I'm already fascinated with the place. Kochi is made up of islands and peninsulas and includes mainland Ernakulam. Once we arrived in Ernakulam we took the ferry over to Fort Cochin and Mattancherry on the southern peninsula. We then got in a rickshaw to make our way over to the centre of the town to find a place to stay. Our rickshaw driver was absolutely hilarious and really reminded me of Prabakar from the book Shantaram (for those of you who have read it). He spoke at lightning speed and immediately asked about my Indian heritage. When I told him my Indian name, he burst into song "Oh Priyaaa, Oh Priyaaa". What a character! After dropping us on Princess Street he wrote his name, phone number and rickshaw number on a piece of paper and told us to call him if we needed a tour the next day. With rickshaws on every corner (although still outnumbered by goats) I seriously doubted that we would be calling Ashkur for a tour. After eventually finding a relatively cheap place to stay we decided to waste no time and headed straight out to the Kerala Kathakali Centre for a Kathakali performance. Kathakali is the dramatised presentation of a play, usually based on Hindu epics like the Ramayana. The performance was fascinating and the flamboyant costumes, ornamental headpieces and makeup were like nothing I've ever seen before. I got some great pictures on my DSLR - thanks Dad! Having dinner at a roadside restaurant that night was definitely a mistake. The mosquitoes here are deadly and bites leave great big welts on my skin.

The next morning we decided to get up really early to rent bikes for a day of sightseeing. No sooner had I stepped out of Brisbane Lodge before I heard Ashkur shouting "Good morning Priya! We go on tour today ok one hour 50 rupees!" It was difficult to shake him but we managed. Cycling around Fort Cochin was amazing and we managed to see the Chinese fishing nets on the shore line, the Indo Portugese museum, St. Francis Church and the Santa Cruz Basilica. After lunch we cycled over to Jew Town to see the Pardesi Synagogue. To get there, we had a long cycle ride through the Muslim part of Fort Cochin. It is really very diverse here, people of all religions live in harmony and there are quite a few Chinese people living here. It's funny to see Chinese shop owners and waiters speaking in Malayalam and doing the classic Indian head wiggle. Chris has been trying to perfect his but is not having much luck! The locals seem to like that he insists on eating with his hands even when presented with cutlery. Last night I put on the salwar kameez I bought in Mumbai and we went back to the Kerala Kathakali Centre to watch an incredible Sitar and Tabla concert. I was in awe of how skilled the musicians were. I've been told several times in the last three days that I have a Kerala face, whatever that means (often before I've even mentioned that my grandparents are from Trivandrum). The locals seem genuinely pleased that I've come to visit Kerala even though I don't speak Malayalam.

Today we had Ayurvedic massages. I didn't really enjoy mine as it was a bit difficult to relax when one lady was massaging me and another was just squatting in the corner staring. I had hoped that the massage might help me fall asleep quickly tonight as we have a taxi coming at 5am to take us over to the mainland for our 6am bus to the Munnar mountains. Wish me luck!