A well-oiled new Year...

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Bry: After a fairly comfortable hour or so ride from Allepey to Ernakulum the city was a bit of a change; tower blocks and advertising hoardings, quite a difference from the backwaters. After a load of faffing at the train station to book our onward journeys, which Tom will no doubt say more about we hopped on the Ferry to Kochi, all of 1.5 rupees each (2 pence ish). Kochi is different again, with a French feel to it. The rooms were in pretty high demand so we're in a character-less but clean home-stay. The chap looking after it, Alroy, is different from the other Indians we're met... a bit of the hippy feel about him.

After a few days mooching round the shops and visiting the beach on Vypeen Island (which was a little unnerving so I took to sunbathing fully clothed), we decided to splash out for New Year's Eve and went for a maulti course dinner at one of the posh hotels. Tom's theory that the more you pay the worse the food seems to be holds true. It wasn't really bad, but nothing special about it, apart from the cookies served mid-meal! There was for-thr-tourist classical dancing from four young girls ranging from about 6 - 17. A world away from the little girl on the hill in Ooty. A bit like comparing precocious (sp?) drama school kids or sloanes at ballet with a kid from some god-awful estate in the UK... but then at least we have decent social security and schools for all. Anyway, an entertaining evening of sorts. On the way back we passed a couple of teenage parties with the western music blaring and kids dancing on the streets, not too dofferent from home but without the drunken misbehaviour.

New Year's Day (today) we ent for a day's Ayurvedic treatment. We did have a massage in Varkala, but this was at an Ayurvedic hospital (which reminded me of the hospital on the other side of the 'Lost' island for those of you who watch it). The nakedness wasn't a suprise, well it says it in the Lonely Planet so hardly a secret... what is surprising is quite how much oil they use and the force of the massage, nothing like chilling out at Clifton Relaxation. So, we're now well oiled and off for an Italian... my sweat now smells of curry so time for a change.

Tom: As part of my treatment package I had oil poured onto my third eye for 15 minutes. Now you lot have got off the floor, I'll explain that this is called Sirodoya (I think), and they pour hot oil onto your Chakra point on your forehead and massage it into your scalp. Very relaxing. I also had a body massage and steam bath (like a wicker iron lung thing).
Tomorrow we're going to check out Spice Town, Synagogue, etc, before heading over to get the sleeper up to Goa, with a few hours change in Mangalore.

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