An oasis and a colonial day

20/3/11

Once we arrive in Kochin we grabbed some breakfast and jumped in a tuc tuc to the ferry station. Here James was left with the bags and I joined the ticket queue. For 40 minutes the queue grew steadily longer and the ticket men sat and watched. At some unknown signal the ticket inspector sauntered over to his booth and began dispensing tickets at 20pence each. My 40 minute wait had left me drenched in sweat and that combined with the overnight train meant that I smelled rather fruity.

After our 15 minute boat ride we go to Fort Kochin, walked for 20 minutes and found the accommodation. Upon entering we found an oasis in a country of dirty and poorly fitted fixtures. Everything was clean the lights worked, the fan worked nothing leaked and it did not smell. I commented that there must be a James like person behind the scenes (he always deals with the soft furnishings and ensures my work is up to a good standard). We were proved right when the owner told us that his wife from her death bed had demanded that the accommodation be built to her exacting standards. Well we will be eternally grateful for this.

After a quick shower we went out for some lunch and as we were by the coast things were looking promising on the protein front for me. We both had a lovely plate of fish and chips and marveled at the lack of rise or curry. Alas it can not continue for too long as el scroogeo deemed the move away from cheep back street restaurants to be too expensive for regular frequenting… Lunch was accompanied by special tea serve in a tea pot made with no milk or sugar and consisting of water, barley and hops. This was necessary to circumvent the licensing laws and made the whole thing rather clandestine and fun.

21/3/11

After a fabulous 12 hour sleep we emerged from our hotel and alighted on a local hotel with a pool and a colonial aura. We spent the day swimming, sitting and reading and began to understand why the English stayed in India. Surrounding oneself with luxury, having servants and creating a world that did not resemble the chaos, dust and heat outside must have made India a different world for those who came to tame the continent…James was heard to murmur “I am sure they never traveled 3^rd class though”