Joseph and i arrived after 2 really long days of traveling. But we both slept much better the second time on the night train. It was about 12 hours from Bangalore to Cochin and I slept about 8hours.
Total travel time from Hampi to Cochin was about 22 hours train time.
We arrive at about 5:20 am, and we both were able to see the sunrise crossing the ferry from Ernakulam to Fort Cochin. The ferry cost was $25 cents for about a 15-20 minute ride). Luckily, Kiran, called up a friend in Cochin who owns a guesthouse and reserved Joseph and I a room with them. Kiran also arranged for us to be picked up at the boat jetty once we crossed over. When I met Kambu, the owner of the gueshouse he told me that Kiran had asked him to take good care of me (and Joseph). So we were given the royal treatment.
Kambu took Joseph and I to the travel agent where we arranged our next legs of our journeys, and Kambu specifically asked the agent not to charge commission, since I was a friend of a friend. Then after Jospeh and walked around in the ridiculous heat, Kambu picked us up and took us for a seafood dinner. Here, you can buy your seafood ahead of time fresh, right out of the sea and they deliver it to the restaurant to be cooked. Joseph and I both had tiger prawns cooked in a spicy Keralan curry. I washed mine down with a $.40cent Kingfisher beer. Yum!
Last night Joseph and I went to a traditional Kerelan Kathikali performance, that has been around in the south for about 350 years. It is about facial expression, hand and body gestures and song. It was beautiful and when I have a chance I'll post some pictures and hopefully the video I took.
Afterwards we stayed for the Indian classical music performance. I am not going to lie, it was great, for about 10 minutes, and the last 50 minutes I pretty much bored out of my mind. I could appreciate the drums and flute, but it's just not my thing. Joseph really liked it and went to see another music performance this evening which I think is north Indian and they are playing the sitar.
Today Joseph and I went on a day long backwaters tour. We took a bamboo boat and went in the small water canals and visited the villages and a learned about spices, and saw elephants being bathed. We also had a delicious lunch of fish curry served with rice on a banana leaf. we also had this dessert that I remember eating in my first year university. My ex-boyfriend's parents were born in Kerala, and his mother used to make me this dessert with rice and sweet milk and cashews, and I loved it, but never knew the name or ate it again after we broke up. But I had it today and it was as sweet and tasty as I remembered it to be, way back when my taste buds weren't quite so adventurous. I also tried coconut beer today, it has 8.4% alcohol, and it was actually quite refreshing and tasty. I only had a sip though because I didn't want to be hammered on the boat trip.
It was an enjoyable day, relaxing and the scenery was gorgeous, but it was so hot! Not as hot as Mumbai (I can't even explain that heat), but it's so humid here. It is about 33 or 34 degrees but feels something like 38-40c. Your cltohes just stick to you. Luckily I bought some light Indian fabric and it has been a life saver.
Tonight, Joseph and I had dinner with Kambu, although I ate toast. I find it so difficult to eat or even have an appetite when it is this hot. All I want to do is lay down under a fan. Air conditioning is not available in th eplaces you pay $6 a night for, but a fan is usually fine. Jospeh and I actually avoid AC, as it is difficult to get used to the heat if you are always going back and forth. The trains we take have no AC but we can open the windows and there are fans. We find our selves a little chilly sometimes too. I
t's nice to just chill out for a bit as the last 3 nights have been spent either on a train or running around to a Kathakali performance.
I like Cochin, and you can tell how different it is from other parts of India. There is less poverty here, and people here seem to live in nicer homes and drive nice cars. It's not my favourite place and I doubt I'll want to spend too much more time here, but I am enjoying the people. the culture and water, and I am very glad to have experienced it.
Tomorrow we'll probably take it easy, go out to a waterfall, do some shopping and buy some fresh lobster and have it cooked up for us Keralan style.
I am now going to go stick my head under cold water and lay under a fan. I guess I don't want to complain too much since I am sure most of you are freezing your asses off at home.
Next up: Indian people (namely men). How they differ from Western men, and why I think they rock!!
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