Out and About in Kochi

Out and About in Kochi

Friday, Nov. 3, 2006--Kochi

I never got sick last night. The bellyache from Pizza Hut was still there in the evening. I ate soup with flat bread at a nearby restaurant and went to bed. I was fine this morning when I got up.

Today, I have been lazy. I stayed in the room until 11 a.m. Then, I was dragging as I went about town. I ate chicken biriyani at a nearby restaurant for lunch. It was good with lots of onions in it. And it came with side dishes of pickled vegetables and yogurt with chopped onions and peppers. But the ceiling fan was blowing so hard that the food got cold before I finished it. That's always a potential problem here in India where all restaurants turn on ceiling fans above you when you are seated.

After a couple of more hours back in the room, I went to the nearby seaside park. The sun was setting to the west and many people were there. But the brightness of the sun made it difficult to enjoy being there. And the wetness of the walls and benches from a 4:30 shower made it impossible to find a good place to sit. Therefore, I walked on down the street to Darbar Hall, a local museum and saw a wonderful exhibit of photographs by various Indian artists. It was the last day of the exhibit, but it was open until 7 p.m. That gave me plenty of time to enjoy it.

On the way home, I passed a Himilaya store. That's a brand of health products for personal hygiene. It's similar to Matas in Denmark, except they only sell their own brand of products. I went inside and bought some toothpaste, shampoo, and lip balm. I've used their products before and know them to be good. They are expensive for Indians, but the price is reasonable when compared with products of that quality in the west. I paid only about $2.50 U.S. for what I bought.

I was still full from lunch, so I stayed inside and ate some Indian snack mix in the evening while watching movies.

Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006, Kochi

I feel more rejuvenated today. I left the room around 9:45 and tried to go to the Internet cafe, but it was closed. Instead, I went to a nearby Indian Coffee House (a chain throughout the big cities) and had breakfast--poached eggs on toast, a mixed vegetable plate to put over the eggs, and tea.

I caught the ferry to go to Fort Kochi. That's the old part of town. Every time I go there I think about what a nice place it would be for anyone to visit. It is filled with old buildings and has lots of atmosphere. The fishermen were pulling up their Portuguese nets (strung from bamboo polls that form a crane) as I walked down the waterfront. Tourists were buying fresh fish and taking them to the sidewalk restaurants to have them cooked and served with all the trimmings. Lots of work was being done to restore old buildings to become shops or small hotels. Among the things I did while there:

1. I stopped and talked to Roy who owns a homestay place--his and his wife's home that has 4 rooms that they rent out to tourists. It's a nice place. They showed me the rooms. They are big with nice windows and HUGE baths attached. They rent them out at 400 rupees for a single fan room ($8.60) and 600 rupees for a double fan room ($12.90). They also have an air conditioned double room for 1500 rupees (about $32), but there is no need for a/c here. They include breakfast for anyone commiting themselves to 3 or more nights. And the wife teaches cooking classes if anyone wants to learn to cook Indian food. The place is House Number 1/630 on Quirose Street in Fort Kochi with the e-mail address of simonroy@hotmail.com . It would be a good place to stay 3-4 days while enjoying the old town.

2. I also stopped by the Idioms Bookstore which is one of the nicest small bookstores I know anywhere. I go there each time I am here. I didn't buy anything this time, because I still have books to read in my suitcase, but the atmosphere of the bookstore just makes it a nice place to stop and browse.

3. And on this third visit to Fort Kochi, the St. Francis church was open. I had never seen inside it before. It's a nice old building form the 1500s that has been expended and renovated over time. It has lots of character. The seats are of woven cane so that one's bottom stays cool while sitting there. And there are long boards hanging from ropes that go perpendicularly to the seating arrangement. From the boards hang fabric cloths. Someone pulls on ropes and the boards and cloths swing back and forth cooling the people who attend the services.

It has been raining every afternoon around 4:30. Yesterday and the day before, I left the room right after the rain ended (which took just a few minutes of time). Today, I made it here to the cyber cafe before it started. There has been more rain with thunder and lightning today, however. I'm not sure if it is over yet, but I need to move onward. I am hungry, since I haven't eaten since about 10:30 this morning.

I'll remain here tomorrow and then travel again on Monday, I guess.