Ernakulam
Trip Start
Oct 09, 2007
1
32
42
Trip End
Nov 16, 2007
Ernakulam,
India
Sunday, November 4, 2007
The ferry terminal was only a 2 minute walk from Fort House where we are staying and John had said that it's the cheapest and quickest way to travel with the locals instead of taking a car across the bridge. So off the Two Children went, happy as, after a full breakfast of masala omelettes and idlli appams.
There were two queues and the flooring of this place was muddy as it was just a dirt floor and it had been raining. Hmmmm ... one queue for men and another for women! Very old ideas here. Since less women were queueing, I got the tickets. Cost us only 25 cents Aussie for the 2 of us. Then we had to wait in a caged area ... ahahahaha. I found it rather amusing as now the women and men were pressed against each other from the lack of space. The ferry arrived ... an old rusty thing and we were herded on board. If you have seen Swades ... picture the crowded modes of transport Mohan (SRK) had to go on to get to the village ... this was very similar. Alan started whistling the song from the movie.
Ernakulam is INDIA! It was happening! And in your face straight away, just the way we like it. Rows of street stalls, people everywhere and a little piece of sanity - our first real coffees at Cafe Coffee Day (like Dome). I was so excited when I spotted the shop. We then walked the length of MG Road (there is an MG Road in every state in India ... Mohatma Ghandi lah in case you are wondering what it stands for.) SRK movie posters were everywhere. It felt good.
Alan says to report that Ernakulam is a dangerous place. I bought 14 sarees in one day - bbsigh and they are all beautiful. Aunty Macy had recommened the stores. Spoilt for choice, I have never seen so many sarees - not even in Mumbai as we never went department store shopping there as much. Alan also bought several pairs of pants and a few shirts. We had a very busy day indeed. And we ate at the places John had recommended.
For lunch we went to a place that was famous for its briyanis and fried fish. It was excellent. We sat with a newly-wed Indian couple who were just gorgeous. She was Anglo Indian from Calcutta and he a Sadar from the Punjab. He is a navy man and they have only recently been posted to Cochin. Plenty of stories and we laughed a lot. They also love food and she was saying how much she disliked Southern Indian dishes because of the rancid coconut oil taste. So they gave us names of places to go to that did not serve basik tasting food.
It was raining heavily on our way back and getting the ferry was such an experience. Firstly, the entire area on that end was muddy and they had stepping stones which were very haphazardly laid and moved as you stepped on them. A kindly man saw us drenched with all our shopping bags and came running with his umbrella "Madam careful, careful very slippery, walk only here, take my umbrella." I thanked him but declined the offer of his umbrella as I was already soaked. We got across the muddy pool. The ticket booth was jammed with Indians, one American young man, and Alan. I waited closer to where the ferry would arrive. The waiting shed was full and the same man who was actually on his way home saw me again and came quickly to put his umbrella over my head. He waited with me for a good 15 minutes in the dark while Alan queued in the rain for the ticket booth to open so he could buy the tickets home! (they only open as the ferry is arriving for God alone knows what reason)
The gentleman introduced himself as Thomas and we had a chat about his family and ours. I was just so very touched by his absolute kindness and chivalry. I shall always remember him.
We finally got PUSHED onto the ferry with the 100's of other Indians and the American man! ahahahahahahahh I loved how funny it all was. The ferry was full and they were still pushing people on. I held onto the rusty old solid pole and as I looked at all the faces, I felt such a sense of happiness that we were able to experience India the way they do. It was strange, we were wet, yet sticky because it was so humid, poor Alan was laden like a mule with sooooo many shopping bags that the carry bag he was given left a bruise on his shoulder which is still there today. My hair was actually dripping and I had to squeeze out the water - yet it all didn't matter. We were happy to be sardined in that rusty boat.
Dinner was also John's recommendation and the couple from lunch totally concurred. OMIGOD OMIGOD OMIGOD! ahahahahahahhaah I cannot tell you how many times I kept saying that as we were eating the seafood and tandoori tiger prawn platters. We specified not to use coconut oil. "Har okay madam, we can be using ve-gee-ter-ble oil also .. no problem." It was so good we are going back there tonite! I thought of all of you as I was eating because it really was something out of this world. Donovan - you would have highly approved!
Comments
Deepavali at work.
Dear Judi,
Since I am lecturing in IT and Mathematics now, the Maths department has asked me if I would like to join them in the Deepavali celebrations this Friday 9 Nov. We have decided to dress up and bring each a dessert for morning tea. I decided to bring 2 outfits - the kutapajama and the Indian waiter outfit. Will wear it for morning tea and will take it out thereafter as all of us feel a bit shy to wear it all day least the students wonder or laugh at us! (says a few lecturers). But I think if you were there, you would wear it all day, hey?
Love
Brendon