Kochi

Monday, 8th December 2008 (Al)
A day of shopping in Kochi. Managed to pick up a few clothes etc. Left it all a little late and then ended up running for our o/n train to Chennai. Managed to make it but discovered our train was infested with roaches. It was the first time we had caught an unclean train and the passengers weren’t happy…..particularly as we were sleeping on it. There was no catering either (another first). When Wend decided to jump off at a station to get some dinner, a man told her it was too risky and she may miss getting back on, so he took her money and ran down the long platform and grabbed her two take away biryanis. Lovely gesture. We tipped him in return.

Sunday, 7th December 2008 (Al)
Checked into Maple residency….cheap, spotlessly clean and central. Perfect budget hotel. We head out on the ferry (end of our road) to Fort Cochin, a 2km journey. It should take most boats about 10 min max but it seems to take our overcrowded death trap boat about 25 min. The air was thick with smog and pollution and very humid. Fort Cochin is famous for it colonial past and it is different to the mainland. There are still strong signs of old money and some hotels are outrageously priced. We enjoyed a real espresso (real coffee is hard to find) and great desserts at a European run café across the road from an old Portuguese church and then strolled around. Houses still have the names of the owners at the front gate…typically English names.
Came across a local game of cricket and came to realise that its not just International cricket where the Indians over appeal. Any missed swipe at a ball caught by the wicketkeeper is appealed here. Need to stamp that crap out of the game.
Walked along the seaweed clogged waterfront with the old Chinese Fishing nets and the local fish supplies before heading back on the deathtrap ferry. It was so packed I sweated off about 2 litres. Not comfortable at all. After a shower we headed out to dinner. Found a continental restaurant and decided to try chicken/meat for the first time since day 1. Risky but I couldn’t do another paneer masala. It was ordinary and not convinced it was completely cooked so I left it. Better to be safe than sorry.