So here I am in a Kochi internet cafe writing my blog, uploading pics to Flickr, killing mosquitos AND following Everton v Blackpool on the BBC website.
Who said us men couldn't multi-task?
I left Varkala yesterday morning after a quickfire 3hr sleep in the Om Shanthi guesthouse. A heavy night at the Chill Out bar (impromptu live music and cocktails) and then Rock n Roll (impromptu iPod music and cocktails) turned into a 6am finish on my last night.
Surprisingly hangover-less I made my way to the railway station for my final train journey of the trip. It turned out to be one of the better ones. I went by Sleeper Class which is a step up from Second Class and a step down from 3AC/2AC/1st. For a 3-4 hr journey a lack of AC is no problem, particularly when you spend most of your time in Kerala caked in sweat anyway.
On most of the (day) train journeys I've taken, I've ended up either bunched between people or on an aisle. This time I got a window seat for the journey north:
I got the iPod on, sunglasses down and enjoyed uninterrupted breeze, peace and amazing views as we skirted up the Keralan coast. You struggle to go five minutes in Kerala without seeing a coconut palm - and the novelty has worn off a bit - but it was still great to see huge forests of them, interspersed with tiny red-roofed villages and some vast waterways:
I arrived in Ernakalum mid-afternoon, got a rickshaw to the boat jetty, jostled in the ticket queue (my elbows are decidedly sharper now than when I left the UK...), bought a ticket to Fort Kochi for the obscenely cheap sum of 4p and boarded the boat for the short trip across the water:
Embarking at Kochi (I shall omit the 'Fort' part now through sheer laziness), I walked towards the main road with the throng and suddenly felt a man sidling up beside me. He spoke in hushed tones: 'looking for room, Sir?', 'clean room', 'balcony'. The way he kept glancing over my shoulder and to the left and right of us made me think I was being offered some hard drugs rather than a place to sleep the night.
After a few probing questions - 'is there a western, rather than squat, toilet?', 'does the shower emit water?' (I've learnt you always need to double-check these things) - I was sold. 500 rupees (about 7-8 quid) a night in a perfect location and, showing that first impressions often don't count, with my genial host Jerry.
Unfortunately Jerry had come to the port by motorbike. I proceeded to break my first rule of motorbike riding, namely riding without a crash helmet. I urged Jerry to take it slow as I gripped his shoulders tight and jumped on the back (with my backpack making balance more difficult). Jerry sped us off like a bullet, weaving in and out of the crazy rickshaw/motorbike/car/bus/lorry traffic combination that any previous visitor to India will vividly recall, without fondness.
By the way, the second - and final - rule of motorbike riding is Don't Get Killed. Seeing as I wrote this, and you're reading it, I clearly didn't break that rule and arrived at the homestay/guesthouse in one piece. A teensy bit rattled after my first time on a motorbike for 10-15 years, but in one piece.
I took a stroll down to the Chinese fishermen's nets which are a feature of Kochi:
And enjoyed a spectacular sunset off the headland:
With a rumbling stomach I headed off to dinner and broke my second rule of the day - Don't Eat Meat. I've been a pescatarian (ooh, check me out!) for about three weeks now - ever since I ate the chicken that ruined me in Gokarna. Southern India is full of great tasty vegetarian food, and fresh seafood, that not eating meat is something I hadn't missed.
So what made me order the chicken curry, I don't know. In the event, it was a decent (local Keralan) dish eaten in a lovely 16th century building. You'll be delighted to know that my bodily functions are functioning as bodily functions are meant to function, rather than when they're riddled with salmonella. The chicken was actually safe! Hurrah!
I got an early night, meaning I woke early today to get the most of my one full day in the town.
Kochi used to be one of the main ports on the trade routes between Africa and Asia and was first colonised by the Portugeezers before the Brits came along and took over. The architecture is fantastic - small, Iberian-style cottages and shops that now house a variety of guesthouses, cafes, restaurants, shops and art galleries:
I spent the morning watching cricket at the Parade Ground - a large dusty plain where kids and teenagers play football, hockey and, unsurprisingly, cricket. Luckily it was a Saturday, so a proper (junior) tournament was in play. I was sitting in the shade watching the first game (eight overs a side, cricket fans) and was soon surrounded by players and supporters of Kottayam, readying themselves for the next game.
I got chatting to a few, wished them luck, and then stayed on and watched them demolish the opposition in the second game. There are few better things to do in India than watch cricket, especially when you sit with a knowledgable local crowd.
The rest of the day was spent doing the sights, perusing the shops (if you know of a shop in Kochi that doesn't sell wooden-carved elephants, can you let me know? Thanks), listening to gunfire that accompanied the Saturday service at church and drinking lemon sodas. I finished off the day with a meal at a picturesque little Italian restaurant, kept company by the ubiquitous Indian lizard (and his mates):
Tomorrow morning I have a taxi to take me the 1.5hrs to the airport for my flight up to Mumbai. I've put more pics on Flickr (need to upgrade my account so more than 200 pics can be displayed there) and here are a few to add some colour to this post:
Who said us men couldn't multi-task?
I left Varkala yesterday morning after a quickfire 3hr sleep in the Om Shanthi guesthouse. A heavy night at the Chill Out bar (impromptu live music and cocktails) and then Rock n Roll (impromptu iPod music and cocktails) turned into a 6am finish on my last night.
Surprisingly hangover-less I made my way to the railway station for my final train journey of the trip. It turned out to be one of the better ones. I went by Sleeper Class which is a step up from Second Class and a step down from 3AC/2AC/1st. For a 3-4 hr journey a lack of AC is no problem, particularly when you spend most of your time in Kerala caked in sweat anyway.
On most of the (day) train journeys I've taken, I've ended up either bunched between people or on an aisle. This time I got a window seat for the journey north:
I got the iPod on, sunglasses down and enjoyed uninterrupted breeze, peace and amazing views as we skirted up the Keralan coast. You struggle to go five minutes in Kerala without seeing a coconut palm - and the novelty has worn off a bit - but it was still great to see huge forests of them, interspersed with tiny red-roofed villages and some vast waterways:
I arrived in Ernakalum mid-afternoon, got a rickshaw to the boat jetty, jostled in the ticket queue (my elbows are decidedly sharper now than when I left the UK...), bought a ticket to Fort Kochi for the obscenely cheap sum of 4p and boarded the boat for the short trip across the water:
Embarking at Kochi (I shall omit the 'Fort' part now through sheer laziness), I walked towards the main road with the throng and suddenly felt a man sidling up beside me. He spoke in hushed tones: 'looking for room, Sir?', 'clean room', 'balcony'. The way he kept glancing over my shoulder and to the left and right of us made me think I was being offered some hard drugs rather than a place to sleep the night.
After a few probing questions - 'is there a western, rather than squat, toilet?', 'does the shower emit water?' (I've learnt you always need to double-check these things) - I was sold. 500 rupees (about 7-8 quid) a night in a perfect location and, showing that first impressions often don't count, with my genial host Jerry.
Unfortunately Jerry had come to the port by motorbike. I proceeded to break my first rule of motorbike riding, namely riding without a crash helmet. I urged Jerry to take it slow as I gripped his shoulders tight and jumped on the back (with my backpack making balance more difficult). Jerry sped us off like a bullet, weaving in and out of the crazy rickshaw/motorbike/car/bus/lorry traffic combination that any previous visitor to India will vividly recall, without fondness.
By the way, the second - and final - rule of motorbike riding is Don't Get Killed. Seeing as I wrote this, and you're reading it, I clearly didn't break that rule and arrived at the homestay/guesthouse in one piece. A teensy bit rattled after my first time on a motorbike for 10-15 years, but in one piece.
I took a stroll down to the Chinese fishermen's nets which are a feature of Kochi:
And enjoyed a spectacular sunset off the headland:
With a rumbling stomach I headed off to dinner and broke my second rule of the day - Don't Eat Meat. I've been a pescatarian (ooh, check me out!) for about three weeks now - ever since I ate the chicken that ruined me in Gokarna. Southern India is full of great tasty vegetarian food, and fresh seafood, that not eating meat is something I hadn't missed.
So what made me order the chicken curry, I don't know. In the event, it was a decent (local Keralan) dish eaten in a lovely 16th century building. You'll be delighted to know that my bodily functions are functioning as bodily functions are meant to function, rather than when they're riddled with salmonella. The chicken was actually safe! Hurrah!
I got an early night, meaning I woke early today to get the most of my one full day in the town.
Kochi used to be one of the main ports on the trade routes between Africa and Asia and was first colonised by the Portugeezers before the Brits came along and took over. The architecture is fantastic - small, Iberian-style cottages and shops that now house a variety of guesthouses, cafes, restaurants, shops and art galleries:
I spent the morning watching cricket at the Parade Ground - a large dusty plain where kids and teenagers play football, hockey and, unsurprisingly, cricket. Luckily it was a Saturday, so a proper (junior) tournament was in play. I was sitting in the shade watching the first game (eight overs a side, cricket fans) and was soon surrounded by players and supporters of Kottayam, readying themselves for the next game.
I got chatting to a few, wished them luck, and then stayed on and watched them demolish the opposition in the second game. There are few better things to do in India than watch cricket, especially when you sit with a knowledgable local crowd.
The rest of the day was spent doing the sights, perusing the shops (if you know of a shop in Kochi that doesn't sell wooden-carved elephants, can you let me know? Thanks), listening to gunfire that accompanied the Saturday service at church and drinking lemon sodas. I finished off the day with a meal at a picturesque little Italian restaurant, kept company by the ubiquitous Indian lizard (and his mates):
Tomorrow morning I have a taxi to take me the 1.5hrs to the airport for my flight up to Mumbai. I've put more pics on Flickr (need to upgrade my account so more than 200 pics can be displayed there) and here are a few to add some colour to this post:
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| Teapots in Teapot Cafe |
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| Kochi jail |
STOP PRESS: EVERTON COME BACK FROM 2-3 DOWN TO WIN 5-3. GET IN!!