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Published: January 6th 2010
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Cochin sunset
The sun setting over the infamous Chinese fishing nets Evening All,
Well after my blessay (clever Stephen Fry term for a blog essay) last time which must have been a tiresome effort for you all I will try and keep this entry a bit on the shorter side.
When I last left you then I was staying with the family with my old man still in tow; I will therefore continue from when he left. His flight was in the evening time last saturday from Cochin airport which is around an hour away from where we were staying. After the goodbye's we left for the airport in Deebu's (Raj's son) big SUV truck thingy on a balmy saturday evening. What followed can only be described as the most manic car journey of my relatively short lifetime.
As you know most airlines open their checkin three hours before the flight takes off; Deebu made it his personal mission to get to the airport for exactly 19:00 (three house before the flight). As it was a saturday night (the day before holy day) the roads were a little congested... no wait that's an understatement they were rammed. Indian roads are something that I cannot really do justice in describing;
but imagine the worst driving you have ever seen, multiply it by ten, add several decibels more of car horns, a few more wandering cows and irritated rickshaw drivers and your getting close. We were subsequently having to deal with this at speeds of what felt like 100mph (which were actually probably only 40mph) through the various obstacles that the roads could throw at us including a very bizzare street side arm wrestling match.
Eventually we arrived at the airport in enough time for my dad to learn how to fly a plane and make his own way home. A typical manly good bye ensued between what my dad describes as two EDM's (emotional detached men) and he was off back to the snowy plains of the UK.
I had decided that the next day I would travel to Fort Cochin and the family had subsequently decided to send Deebu along with me for a bit. I think this was partly to practice his English and partly to help me along my way (I think they felt sorry for my lonesome status).
The next day then we (Myself, Deebu and one of his friends) boarded a local train to fort Cochin.
Cochin can only be described as the Indian Venice with small islands consisting of the modern Ernakulam, and the older Willoughby and fort Cochin. I had decided to stay on the very twee fort cochin. My arrival by ferry was greeted by a lot of white faces; it seems Cochin is a fairly popular place with other backpackers as well as an annoying number of couples who never seem to want to talk to us lonesomes.
Accommodation was sort out for the three of us and off we went to see Cochin. The next two days were spent with Deebu and a variety of his friends that came and left as they pleased. We managed to cram a lot into those two days leaving me wondering whether my planned 5 day stay was too much.
Over the two days it was nice to not be ripped off by the other Indians and I did get an insight into how real Indians travel.
Deebu had to leave after two days to be back in time for an exam so I was therefore on my own again; which after two weeks of traveling with other I welcomed with open arms.
For the last two days then I have pretty much just wandered around the Portugese/Dutch influenced areas of the city, read and watched the sun set over the idyllic Chinese fishing nets.
I plan to head to Munnar tomorrow up in the hills where they grow tea; it supposed to be a bit cooler too which will be a nice break from the heat of the coast.
There you go then a much shorter entry,
Hopefully you are all enjoying reading my blogs, feedback is welcome!
Jack x
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