Well, what can we say about Fort Kochi except that it was quite evident from our taxi here that it would be hot and humid - unbelievably so - we are certain that this is good preparation for the heat we can expect in the north. We shared this taxi with another couple from Australia with whom we had the pleasure of enjoying dinner upon arrival. For some unknown reason, many hotels and guest houses were full - we all concluded that Kochi must be a large hub for travelers heading in all directions. It is an island near a river mouth surrounded by other islands - unique location. Kochi is like many of the port towns around here...with a Portuguese, then Dutch, then British past so there are once again some old cathedrals and colonial style buildings all in crumbling condition. In fact, in this, the 'old' part of town it is relatively quiet and slowly transforming into more of a tourist destination. Meanwhile a short ferry ride across the harbour is the bustling 'new town' - Ernakalum - with some modern buildings and 1 million people.
One important thing to note is that the state of Kerala has a freely elected Communist government and it is evident in prominence of the hammer and sickle.
During our first evening, we strolled along the waterfront and enjoyed watching the fisherman using Chinese fishing nets which are mounted on piers and are manually tipped into the water - very neat to watch.... and the unexpected delight of dolphins just offshore was an added bonus! It's a short, but nice walk facing west into the Indian ocean but unfortunately marred by immense amounts of trash and rotting garbage both on the shoreline and floating in the water...such a typical sight for India. I think we have yet to see an Indian person discard anything into an actual trash can (tho' admittedly you usually have to look long and hard to find one). It is interesting to note that Indians truly love the seaside. Everywhere so far where there has been ocean, the Indians love to spend time gazing, getting splashed or playing in the water. Perhaps this will be part of the key to the reduction in pollution - there is so much natural beauty here.
The following day we took our time walking through what is called Jew town and took some time to chat with shop owners that were relaxing outside an antique shop. Very friendly and it turns out that one man travels by ship regularly and has been to St. John's! You can imagine Lori's surprise and delight to know that he has seen her hometown - quite a unique exchange. These men shared with us how the town has changed in the last 20 years - things are much quieter and the market is not as big as it used to be. For some reason there are many goats (no cows) wandering around town, eating whatever they can find...which turns out to be quite a lot given the amount of trash everywhere.
In one section of town there is a canal cutting through with a rather dark colour and pungent smell...we'll enclose a couple of pictures to show you how bad the water can get!
We grabbed one of the frequent ferries to make our way to the nearby island of Willington where we hoped to book a trip to the island of Kadmat, Lakshadweep...we were successful. We leave Feb 26th via ship - an Indian style mini cruise as it will take us just over 24 hours to reach the island 400 kms offshore. We are booked for 3 days on the island but may extend our time if we like what we see when we get there. Of course, the mode of return trip will be decided by the seaworthiness of the travelers (i.e. will Lori experience seasickness?)
The weather continues to be very hot and humid (33 yesterday before humidex) so we are learning to walk slowly, drink plenty of water and seek the shade. We do not have a/c in our room so the ceiling fan is always on top speed!
We decided to order a beer at a seaside restaurant and when our waiter arrived with a teapot, we were ready to assume he had the wrong table until he quietly stated they did not have a licence to serve beer....... thus the disguise. There is always a story to bring a smile.
We have been enjoying western breakfasts here mostly because that's all we have been able to find. Here is Lori enjoying oatmeal with banana, pomegranate and honey with masala tea while John enjoyed a massive vegetable omelet with homemade wholewheat toast and strong organic coffee. We weren't hungry until late in the evening. Apologies to those of you to whom this would sound ordinary but this is a real treat for us!
One still has to learn many ways to speak and ask questions to ensure you only get and pay for what you actually request or require. This morning for example, John queried on a menu item to determine whether the muesli included yogurt and fruit - no fruit....so John ordered the eggs & toast item instead........or so he thought. When the eggs and toast we just about finished, the muesli and yogurt arrived! Very big breakfast today :D
One important thing to note is that the state of Kerala has a freely elected Communist government and it is evident in prominence of the hammer and sickle.
During our first evening, we strolled along the waterfront and enjoyed watching the fisherman using Chinese fishing nets which are mounted on piers and are manually tipped into the water - very neat to watch.... and the unexpected delight of dolphins just offshore was an added bonus! It's a short, but nice walk facing west into the Indian ocean but unfortunately marred by immense amounts of trash and rotting garbage both on the shoreline and floating in the water...such a typical sight for India. I think we have yet to see an Indian person discard anything into an actual trash can (tho' admittedly you usually have to look long and hard to find one). It is interesting to note that Indians truly love the seaside. Everywhere so far where there has been ocean, the Indians love to spend time gazing, getting splashed or playing in the water. Perhaps this will be part of the key to the reduction in pollution - there is so much natural beauty here.
The following day we took our time walking through what is called Jew town and took some time to chat with shop owners that were relaxing outside an antique shop. Very friendly and it turns out that one man travels by ship regularly and has been to St. John's! You can imagine Lori's surprise and delight to know that he has seen her hometown - quite a unique exchange. These men shared with us how the town has changed in the last 20 years - things are much quieter and the market is not as big as it used to be. For some reason there are many goats (no cows) wandering around town, eating whatever they can find...which turns out to be quite a lot given the amount of trash everywhere.
In one section of town there is a canal cutting through with a rather dark colour and pungent smell...we'll enclose a couple of pictures to show you how bad the water can get!
We grabbed one of the frequent ferries to make our way to the nearby island of Willington where we hoped to book a trip to the island of Kadmat, Lakshadweep...we were successful. We leave Feb 26th via ship - an Indian style mini cruise as it will take us just over 24 hours to reach the island 400 kms offshore. We are booked for 3 days on the island but may extend our time if we like what we see when we get there. Of course, the mode of return trip will be decided by the seaworthiness of the travelers (i.e. will Lori experience seasickness?)
The weather continues to be very hot and humid (33 yesterday before humidex) so we are learning to walk slowly, drink plenty of water and seek the shade. We do not have a/c in our room so the ceiling fan is always on top speed!
We decided to order a beer at a seaside restaurant and when our waiter arrived with a teapot, we were ready to assume he had the wrong table until he quietly stated they did not have a licence to serve beer....... thus the disguise. There is always a story to bring a smile.
We have been enjoying western breakfasts here mostly because that's all we have been able to find. Here is Lori enjoying oatmeal with banana, pomegranate and honey with masala tea while John enjoyed a massive vegetable omelet with homemade wholewheat toast and strong organic coffee. We weren't hungry until late in the evening. Apologies to those of you to whom this would sound ordinary but this is a real treat for us!
One still has to learn many ways to speak and ask questions to ensure you only get and pay for what you actually request or require. This morning for example, John queried on a menu item to determine whether the muesli included yogurt and fruit - no fruit....so John ordered the eggs & toast item instead........or so he thought. When the eggs and toast we just about finished, the muesli and yogurt arrived! Very big breakfast today :D
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