Hi again!

So after an emotional good bye (well - not really all that emotional, but I did feel sad) I left Bangalore for Cochin.

As it happened Payal (an Indian girl who works for KPMG America, and is on secondment to OPI) was also flying to Cochin on the same flight as me so we travelled together. As she was on work duties (there is also an OPI centre in Cochin), there was a car at the airport ready to pick her up. She asked the driver if he would mid taking me to my hotel, and after a couple of minutes of confusion he said sure that won't be a problem. So off we set for Payal's apartment first.

After dropping off her bags we had decided that she would come down town with me and get some lunch. However, at that point the driver asked for Rs1000 to take me to the hotel. I just got out of the car with my bag and said forget it - he should have told me that at the airport! Apart from anything I knew that I could get a taxi from the aiport for Rs550, and we were already half way there!! Honestly if that had been my driver in Bangalore there would have been none of that nonsense!!

Instead Payal and I went to get some lunch near to her apartment. Whilst getting lunch I asked how to get to Fort Cochin where I was staying, and found out that I could get a ferry across the water to right near my hotel for only Rs3!! Brilliant!! So I found out where the jetty was and got on board - I stood out somewhat being the only white person on board, but that was fine with me!!

I checked into the hotel and met my room mate - a Canadian girl who I think is probably a similar age to me. She is really nice and within a few minutes I could tell that we were going to get on well!

We met the rest of the group (4 Belgian girls, 2 Americans, 2 Canadians, 1 German, 1 Swiss lady, 1 Irishman and 2 Brits), and I was pleased to find that they were made up of a mix of ages and nationalities.

In Cochin we visited the Chinese fishing nets, a church, a doby (basically a laundrette, where loads of people wach clothes by hand), a museum and some shops. I bought a fantasitc tea cosy in the shape of an elephant!!

Cochin was really hot and humid, and although it was quiet and I didn't get much hassle I was pleased to move on to our next location in the cool Nilgiry Hills.

L x.