Kochi

After living in another country for a while things that previously seemed "abnormal" become "normal". Like pedestrians giving cars the right of way (crossing the street in India is not for the faint of heart!). Or wearing long pants in thirty degree plus weather. Or spending 24 hours of your weekend travelling - which I did two weekends ago. I took an overnight train to Kochi, a lovely coastal town in the south western corner of the country. I rode in second class and was provided a very narrow, flat berth and fresh sheets, a pillow, and a blanket. It certainly wasn't luxurious, but at least I was able to stretch out and get a couple hours of sleep.

When I got off the train in the early morning, it was pouring rain. The official start of the monsoon season was just days away and the region's summer was ending. Thankfully,  it only rained sporadically while I was there. Kochi is located in the state of Kerala and has been an important port town since 1341. Throughout its history, Arab, Chinese, and European sea merchants have sailed the waters surrounding Kochi. And given its history as a Dutch, Portuguese, and British colony, it has a Indo-European feel.

I spent Saturday wondering around the city and viewing the churches, shops, spice market, and Chinese fishing nets. These cantilevered nets, with teak and bamboo poles up to 10 metres high, require a team of fisherman to operate. That evening, I attended a visually spectacular Kathakali performance, which combines various forms of dance, music, and theatrical body, eye and hand movements. At the show, I met a couple my age who were on their final leg of an around the world trip! The next day, I took a tour of the backwaters, which are lush inland waterways. Like many other boats in the backwaters, our boat was pushed (rather than paddled) along by a long bamboo stick, which reaches the bottom of the river.

Overall, I enjoyed my short stay in Kochi, and I particularly liked the local cuisine. Coconut plays a prominent role in many of the dishes and seafood is plentiful. For breakfast, I was served puttu, a fine rice powder and grated coconut cylinder, with a mildly spicy chickpea and coconut stew. For another meal, I purchased  prawns from the fish market and a local restaurant cooked them on the spot.