Heels, Himalayas and Hilarity!!: October 2012

So I didn’t actually get to post my last post as expected, so what you are reading now really will take us up to the current moment – I hope! I’m starting to realise that things never quite seem to work out the way you expect in this place, particularly with the sagas of today, but I’ll get to that in a bit.

I did manage to do the Munroe backwater cruise as I had planned, and there were even a couple of other tourists turn up meaning I didn’t have to pay double fare which was a bonus! It was an enjoyable trip, floating through the calm backwaters of Kerala taking pictures of beautiful scenery in one of the most peaceful settings you can imagine. I even got to drive the rickshaw on the way back which was pretty cool – just like riding a scooter really. Not sure if they other 2 tourists also in the rickshaw shared my enthusiasm for driving them, but it was fun and I’m pleased I did it.

On returning to the cruise office it was time for my first Indian bus experience to get to my current location of Kochi. It was only 4 hours, and once I managed to work out which bus I needed to get on, managed to get and my stuff on said bus, find a seat, and then fortunately move seat to a full bench on my own which magically opened up I was on my way! I was very pleased to have gained a window seat meaning I would have a great view of the scenes as we hurtled past them. That was, of course, until about 5 minutes into the trip when it started bucketing rain, naturally in the direction straight into my face! Also turned out my “window”, think tin shutter like a garage door (a really really old one!).

Eventually the wet eased up and once again I was pleased of my window view – beautiful girls in electric saris the colours of the rainbow riding pushbikes along the ramshackle roads, the vast contrasts of stately manors of the rich with roadside huts selling chai and cheap eats and drinks right outside. Brightly coloured shirts frequently dotted throughout expansive plains as smiling children played cricket and football and volleyball.

On arriving after dark I decided to head by rickshaw straight to the only bar the Lonely Planet offered, pack and all, to see if I could find some fellow travelers and a recommendation of where to stay. Once we eventually found the bar (how the rickshaw drivers don’t seem to know there way around I don’t quite understand!), I was accosted by another rickshaw driver literally as I put my foot on the pavement. He wanted to take me to a hostel he would no doubt get a kick-back from. I was adamant I was going to have a beer and hopefully a recco, so he invited himself along.

Fortunately I did find a couple of English girls who I promptly started chatting to, and arranged to meet up with the next day to do a rickshaw tour of the city. I decided to check out the hostel Haris the rickshaw driver recommended, which was perfectly adequate, cheap, and had wi-fi – pretty much my 3 criteria for deciding where to lay my head.

Kochi is a fairly unique eclectic melting pot of a place. From giant Chinese fishing nets – the polar opposite of sustainable fishing and a little disturbing - to Portuguese Houses, crumbling remains of the British Raj, and a Dutch Palace to boot, plus of course the ramshackle of huts and dilapidated shops and buildings that I’m coming to know as India.

Mel, Jenny and I reunited and jumped in a rickshaw who would take us around the sites for only 50 rupees! By the time we were pushed into our 3^rd store for “just looking”, we were starting to understand why the fare was so cheap. Apparently the drivers get between 50-100 rupees per store they take tourists to, whether they buy or not, so it’s easy to understand why they do it, but can start to get fairly frustrating that they do!

It was a busy day in little Kochi as there were cruise ships that were in port, spelling US$ in the eyes of all, so we were very quick to point out on every store we went to that we were backpackers, and not cruisers! Not that that made them any less persistent in their attempt to sell us anything and everything, but at least the bar of expectations was set from the start.

Whilst the city tour was fine, the highlight of the day was the Kathakali performance, which is a Hinduism based combination of devotion, drama, dance, music, costumes and make up which was thoroughly impressive.

Haris the rickshaw driver managed to find me milling through the shops wondering what to do with myself next and offered to take me back to the hostel, so in I jumped. He was very keen to take me out to dinner, and whilst I wasn’t concerned for my safety in any way, I was starting to wonder exactly what his interpretation of “very good friends” meant. Turns out it was what I thought – boys around the world are all the blimin’ same!! After a few beers and games of Uno the puppy dog eyes and repeated long-winded explanations of how he saw the beauty of my soul and he wanted me to be his girlfriend, that he would take care of me, blah, blah, I got fed up and went to bed – ALONE!

Which finally brings us to the current day, where I was hoping to leave on a train to go to Goa, which unfortunately turned out to be “not possible”. After looking at every conceivable mode of transport to depart, from trains to buses to planes to taxis, I am now booked on a 19 HOUR bus ride tomorrow departing at 1pm! Not my first choice, but save staying here until Monday was the best option. In a previous life I’m not sure I would have taken that on, but I figure it can’t be any worse than the train journey from Mumbai, so I’m hoping for the best. And meanwhile, it has given me plenty of time to update you all on my travels, so every cloud and all that. I certainly hope you’ve enjoyed – it’s taken me all day!

xxx