Day 632 - Waiting for the reunion

The main reason we decided to come to Bodhgaya was to meet a couple of friends from back in NZ - Clinton, who Adam lived with during his MBC years, and his twin brother Dan. They were making their way from Varanasi and due to arrive in the evening so we spent the day catching up on sleep and refueling the body with proper meals.

We finally found a phone so we could call home to new mum and dad, Mindy and Martin, to have a chat about our gorgeous wee nephew.

When the boys arrived we caught up on travel stories and future plans before making our way to dinner, streetside chai (tasted sweet, but the our noses battled with the sewer under our feet), and then played cards late into the night.

Adlibing it with friends.

Day 631 - Bumping it to Bodhgaya

As we got off the train today at 5am we were bombarded by rickshaw drivers who had all correctly assumed we were going to Bodhgaya, and incorrectly assumed we could afford to get our our rickshaw there. Instead we waited for sun-up, while sipping on chai, and then caught a share rickshaw that bumped and bashed us there for a tenth of the price!

Once in Bodhgaya we searched for a good room, and then promptly fell asleep! The accumulated weariness of 5 days travel and 4 days hard sleeping, we felt a snooze was well deserved. The Adlibing adventure isn't always a holiday in many respects, and although we're not working we feel like we work for our experiences!
When we finally woke up we had our first shower in 5 days and found food, which made our new location seem that much more enjoyable! We soaked up a bit of the street atmosphere,checking out some of the Buddhist temples and glancing at stalls full of Buddhist bags, clothing, prayer beads, and all other things associated with Buddhism. Despite the sleep we were too tired to do much more and headed back to our books for our first night's sleep in a bed in far too long!

Adlibing a bed.

BABY BULLETIN!

We would like to send a big Welcome to our baby Nephew Connor Johannes Smith who was born at 4.11am on Thursday the 12th of February.

We are absolutely gutted we couldn't be there to meet him, but it's just one more amazing thing to look forward to on our return!

As you can see from the photo, he is adorable!

Love from Aunty and Uncle Adlibers.

Day 630 - Kickin' it in Kolkata

We woke up on the train for our second morning in a row after not getting much sleep at all - Indian train etiquette requires you to make as much noise as possible during the night by shouting into cell phones, yelling down to your friends down the carriage and spitting an hoiking as often as you can. Nice sounds to accompany our dreams ...

We rolled into Kolkata 3 hours behind schedule (not bad really considering we been on the train for 2 whole nights), and set off to the Bangladesh High Commission. Turns out that while we were rolling on the train, Border Guards and the army had a bit of a skirmish with open fire in Dhaka - this compounded with the excessive $200 each for a visa and the fact we're ready to leave the Indian sub-continent, made our decision to skip Bangladesh and head straight to Bangkok.

The only kind of sightseeing we did in Kolkata was wandering the streets where we witnessed the dying generation of man-powered rickshaws roaming the streets.

As we have another train tonight (yes, we enjoy punishing ourselves - we might get a shower and a bed tomorrow night, 5 nights after our last one!), we spent the day organising trains to met some friends for a few days and our plane outa here!!

We made it to the train station witnessing an awesome sunset as our bus cruised over the bridge, but the enjoyment factor was crushed when we realised our passports were gone. With only one place they could be we forked out for a taxi to take us back to town to pick them up! We made it back to the station with plenty of time for a quick feed, and soon we were rolling out of Kolkata.

Adlibing tickets.

Day 629 - Train time

Today we woke up on the train, and then went to sleep on the train - in the meantime we had a rather boring day. In the stifling heat we sat as close to the window as possible and read our books while smells of the toilet drifted down the hallway. We filled our bellies with yummy Indian snacks available at every station and drank an excessive amount of chai, which allowed us to make friends with Ashok, the train tea guy!

Adlibing too many hours on the train.

Day 628 - Time to say goodbye

After a restless night in the airport we got up around 4.30am to check in and start the journey back to India.

As the plane flew out over this small Island of Sri Lanka, we thought back to when we were deciding between spending the money to make the trip over here at all - boy are we glad we came, as it has been a refreshing 12 days immersed in the friendly culture and beautiful environment of Sri Lanka. We would whole heartedly recommend anyone to visit, and we hope we can make it back one day. And for those budget travellers like us, it is possible to do it on a budget - we ended up spending the same as what we spend in India - we just had to work a bit harder for it!!

All too soon we were back in India and battling bodies to squeeze onto the metro that would deposit us at the train station that we would call home for the next 12 hours until our 2-night train to Kolkata! At the train station we varied our time between eating, reading our books and going on the internet - an exciting way to spend the day at the train station!!

Adlibing it back to India.

Day 627 - Beaches and benches

Waking up with the beach so tantalisingly close across the road we figured we could fit in a full morning repeat of the snoozing and swimming of yesterday. We could only fit in a half day as we had at least 5-6 hours of bus hopping to get us to the airport where we slept in order to catch our early morning flight tomorrow morning.

It was sad to leave this small village paradise nestled along a sandy bay, and our usual adlibing way would be to stay longer, this isn't possible when you have a prebooked flight that you can't afford to miss!!

Adlibing another night sleeping on airport benches.

Day 626 - One last day at the beach

This morning we caught up on lost sleep, before lazily spending the day at the beach doing nothing but swimming and snoozing!

In the evening we got up enough energy to walk up to the stupa to watch the sun fall into the edge of the ocean spraying its colour along the sky as it went.

Dinner was usual rice and curry, in a friendly family atmosphere - just one of the highlights we'll take away from this welcoming country.

Adlibing a lazy day.

Day 625 - A reunion with Mala

Today we woke up at the cheery hour of 3.45am in order to get ourselves to the train station for the 5am train back down the western coast. With only 3 nights left in Sri Lanka we wanted a few more days beach bumming in the beautiful turquoise waters, so headed straight back to Unawatuna.

As we passed through Colombo station we couldn't help but think of the 2 Tamil Tiger planes that had attacked the previous night loaded with c4 - a reminder that we are in a country that is still fighting a civil war 25 years after it started.

When we arrived back in Unawatuna we headed straight for Mala's guesthouse, and were greeted with a huge smile of recognition and welcoming. It didn't take long to dump the bags, break out the togs and jump in the water!

The brief tropical storm that hit in the later afternoon couldn't even keep Adam from the water, but eventually we headed in for shelter in the room, where Mala treated us to a fresh pot of tea and coconut pancakes.

For dinner we returned to the family house we'd enjoyed so much last time, for a feed of delicious curry and rice. It's nice to go back to a place that although is catered for the upmarket traveller, it still has locals who remember backpacker budgets and treat them as something other than an ATM.

Adlibing it at the beach again.

Day 624 - Exploring some gruesome caves

Though Sri Lanka is famous for its Ancient Cities, our budget doesn't stretch to $100 each to see these sights, so we jumped upon some recommendations of other budget travellers and made a trip out to the Aluvihara Cave Temples, only 20km out of Kandy.
There are 4 caves inside this temple complex, all complete with buddha statues and wall paintings. The most disturbing aspect however was that the predominant theme was punishment - and punishment in the extreme! Very gruesome indeed!!


It was interesting to see the cave where the teachings of Buddha were first put down in writing on palm leaves that had been dried and flattened in a lengthy process.


From one of the stupas something high up the hill caught our eye, and we were soon heading up a path with a strange "guide" who also wanted to have a look. Turns out the Korean government is funding a huge seated Buddha to overlook the valley and temple, complete with cable-car! We were stoked to get the view from the top out over the Knuckles Range and be the only ones there - we're sure that once the gondola is up and running this peacefulness won't last!
Back in town we bought a small Sri Lankan souvenier and went to the fruit and vege markets to top up our vitamin stores - the finds of the day were fresh avocados, tomatos and pineapple!

As we made our way back around Kandy lake we stopped to pick up fresh bread and cheese for our feast tonight! That means no bananas and bread for us today!

Adlibing it before the gondola.

Day 623 - Pilgram's Peak

After pretty much being awake all night we were actually rather keen to get our arses into gear and get to the top of Adam's Peak (2243m). Our sole focus was the distant dot that our eyes strained to see, some 4,800 steps away!

Adam's Peak is a holy mountain for many religions and throughout the night we passed hundreds of pilgrims of all ages, many barefoot, making their way to the summit for the sunrise and ceremonies that accompany it.

We'd been led to believe it was a hard climb taking around 4 hours, so we set off at 2am to ensure we'd get there by 6am. But at 4.30am we were at the top and we'd managed to sneak in a few drink stops along the way as well.

This meant that we had a freezing hour and a half huddled together amongst the masses - some who had been there all night by the look of it. The sun rise we were treated to was well worth the effort and the cold, and we joined in with the ooh-ing and aah-ing of everyone else when the golden dome burst out of the clouds and into the sky.

We also got to witness the strange phenomenon that the sun rise causes: as it rises it casts a shadow of the peak onto the mist covered valley beyond, creating a perfect triangle.

We charged down the hill enjoying the view over the misty valley, our youthful bodies giving us an advantage over a majority of the climbers. We packed as fast as possible and headed in search of a bus to take us back to the Hatton train station. We were lucky with our timing and the fact that we knew where the train station was, because as soon as we got there we bought our ticket to Kandy and seconds later a train rolled in.

Once in Kandy we joined forces with a British couple we'd met on the train and set of in search of a cheap place to stay, and once this was finally accomplished food was next on the list!

Apart from a quick browse around the supermarket, our bodies that had been on the go since 2am screamed for a break. So we made a slow wander around the Kandy lake towards home.

Adlibing Adam's Peak.

Day 622 - A scenic railway ride

We tore ourselves away from Ella today and headed by train to Hatton, from where we bused up to Delhousie at the base of the real Adam's Peak (we could hardly come to Sri Lanka and not climb a mountain named after Adam could we?!).

The train ride was stunning. On one side the tantalising tea fields continued to draw our attention, while on the other side vast open valleys with villages nestled amongst them just begged for our attention.

On the bus ride up to Delhousie the stunning scenery theme continued with Sri Lanka's tea fields never failing to amaze. The bus wound its way around a gigantic river with islands dotted in the middle - great to see a waterway not littered with rubbish, like the Indian counterparts.

When we arrived in Delhousie we were a little disappointed as we had expected a beautiful wee town, but instead were greeted by a grimy, depressing town sporting a few trinket shacks, a standard eatery (that did provide us with good, cheap food), and a lot of expensive hotels! We found a room in the only budget place in town, and prepared ourselves for a 2am wakeup to climb the peak in order to catch the sunrise from the top of this:

Unfortunately, today we found out our alarm clock is broken and Adam therefore was put on alarm duty meaning he pretty much got no sleep at all!!

Adlibing a scenic journey.

Day 621 - Tea trails

We got up nice and early today to make sure we made the bus in time! We made the 2.5km walk along the shoreline to the station to get our legs moving as they would be stuck in the bus all day. It was a good thing we left early, as our bus filled up and left half and hour early!

Our destination is Ella, a quaint wee village tucked amongst tea fields in the hill country of Sri Lanka. The first half of the journey was an enjoyable tiki-tour along the southern shore, in and out of fishing villages and past beaches. As we turned inland and begun climbing, our conductor jumped out at a roadside temple and gave a donation and made a prayer - not sure if this is a good sign or bad?

When we arrived in Ella we were immediately glad of our decision to come here. We found ourselves in a beautiful guesthouse completely surrounded by pine forests, that reminded us a lot of being home. We almost feel like we have the world to ourselves up here, it's so peaceful.

After we settled in we made our way up to small Adam's peak where a local guy took us under his wing and guided us through the trails that lead through the millions of hectares of tea fields. He parted at the base of the hill, and left us for the climb - even though only 10 minutes up we got amazing views out over a lush land with a view of the Ravana waterfalls we passed on the way up in the bus.

On the way down we watched as gleeful ladies with delicate hands picked the leaves and buds of the trees and laid them into the sacks they balance on their heads as they move along.

We found a little restaurant for lunch where the friendly cook told us of another trail to follow through some more fields, which we did after getting our fill!

As we had a huge lunch we elaborated on our bread and banana diet by throwing in a huge pot of buffalo curd and a mango, which we devoured for dinner, after watching the sun slowly set on this green paradise.

Adlibing Ella's tea.

Day 620 - Swimming in the surf

As we are travelling without a guide book, we took an educated guess where we could catch a bus into the tea fields from. Unfortunately for us, the place was right, but the timing was all wrong! We were lucky enough to get a view of the Galle Fort during our bus missions back and forth in order to find a bus.

We ended up in Matara we were sat on the side of the road conversing with the tea-selling man about the possibilities of a bus coming by! The chances were about 50/50 but we lost out!

The positive of this was that the day wasn't completely wasted, as we scored a free tuk-tuk ride to a secluded part of the coastline, and found ourselves nestled amongst a flock of surfers. The wavy beach meant Liv was a little less comfortable swimming than up at Unawatuna, but Adam got to play the lifeguard part and keep a watch out!!

Before we settled in for the night we caught the beginnings of a storm shadowing the beach, and then retired to our beautiful room and balcony to read, continue our bread and banana diet and get ready for our early morning bus to the hills tomorrow.

Adlibing the back-up beach

Day 619 - Magical Mirissa

As we only have 12 days here in Sri Lanka we really want to see as much as we can, so today we headed a little bit further south to another beach called Mirissa. Here the beach is much quieter than up at Unawatuna and we managed to find our own little piece of sandy paradise complete with palm tree to relax on for the day.

On the way to the beach we passed a group of fishermen perched on stilts out in the ocean that they balance on for much of the day in order to get a good catch.

At the beach Adam had a play in the rock pools alongside the reef and was intranced by the tropical fish that flashed beneath the water. Eels, electric blue and turquoise fish, and an array of other creatures too bountiful to mention.

Later on in the day we ventured off for a walk up a hill that protrudes into the ocean, providing stunning views of the Mirissa coastline and gives a birdeye view of the local swimmers playing in the coral lined waters.

Back in Unawatuna we went for a sunset swim in the still cosy warm waters, where we were joined by a local family having a ball (fully clothed)!!

Adlibing aqua beaches.

Day 618 - Sri Lankan beach bums

As we knew from our wanderings last night that we couldn't afford to eat out for breakfast, lunch and dinner, this morning we set off down the road to buy bread, jam, and bananas to sustain us for the next few days at the beach. Just as we were coming back to our room a gigantic lizard as long as our arm jumped in front of us - don't know who got the biggest surprise, us or the lizard, but it was a cool thing to see.

Afterwards we did what we came to Unawatuna to do: laze on the wonderfully stunning beach! As you can see from the photos the water is such an amazing aqua colour that changes to an icy blue as the water deepens. With a coral reef sneaking around the tip of the beach, we had a calm water playland to enjoy the day away.

We wandered along the beach and up a path to a stupa perched on a hill, if we were in NZ this spot would have sported a lighthouse - but as Sri Lanka is one of the cradles of buddhism, the stupa fits perfectly. As we perched on the sun warmed rocks we got an amazing sunset to finish off an already amazing day.

Adlibing a beach paradise

Day 617 - Soaring into Sri Lanka

We woke up in the airport, well we didn't really get much sleep considering our bed was 2 chairs (with arm rests) pulled together! Nonetheless our excitement to go to Sri Lanka overruled our exhaustion, and we were soon shuffling through check-in lines and onto the plane. As soon as we landed in Colombo airport our camera drama continued - we somehow got into the "transit" area duty free and once we found a camera we liked we were told we weren't able to get it as we weren't transit flyers! After going through immigration we ended up at the other duty free shops and found the same camera. First of all we had to argue to get the price down to what the other shops had quoted us, and then after agreeing on a price the sales lady turned around and told us that we couldn't buy it because only Sri Lankans can shop at the duty free shops! Say What?! Oh well, in the end we got the camera (without boxes and with instructions to tell customs that it was our used personal camera!), and we love it.

In the time it took us to get from the airport down the coast to the beach we were pointed in the right direction by soldiers sporting machine guns and smiles; our bus was stopped, emptied and searched by military officers while we were the only ones who got to stay on the bus; we were escorted onto a local bus by a tuk-tuk driver; and were directed to a cheaper hotel by another hotel owner! Talk about Sri Lankan hospitality!

During the 3 hour bus ride down the western coast to Unawatuna beach we were treated to a visual scenic overload. As we swerved our way along the sea shore we passed a variety a different temples, from elaborate Hindu carvings to simple but towering white Buddhist stupas. The water ways that led inland from the sea were gorgeous greens and blues with lush foliage taking a dip at the shoreline. Best of all was the colourful sunset we got over the ocean as we neared to our final destination.

After getting our bargain room (US$4, right across from the beach) with the wonderful Mala at Coralland, we set off in search of food. It was then that we got the shock of how expensive things were here! As we entered and left each restaurant asking prices, our jaws dropped lower and lower at the prices - for goodness sakes, many places had things listed in Euros! Luckily we stumbled across a family home who dish out rice and curry (one Sri Lankan staple) to the budget travellers of Unawatuna each night! It was here sitting in the family room that we met JP and Nico, a couple of other travellers who we would dine with over the next few nights, and give us some tips for our (guide book-less) Sri Lankan journey.

Adlibing it with a new camera

Day 616 - Mamallapuram's monuments

Compared to the touristy towns we've been to over the last month, Mamallapuram is a nice mixture of some tourists and lots of locals - often it's been the other way around with more white faces than Indian! Here the streets are lined with men chiseling stones into masterpieces - inspired by the huge stone temples and carving scattered around town. The other main presence are the nylon nets being repaired by the weather beaten hands of fishermen preparing for their next catch.

After brekky we followed Peter the leader into Talasayana Perunai a small temple where for a revitalising change we were charged the Indian price of 1 rupee for entrance. It was such a peaceful place with Brahmins and priests giving blessings as we wandered around the place as the only tourists there.

From here we went to a beautiful park full of small temples carved out of huge rocks and hidden amongst the trees. As Adam held up "Krishna's Butterball", some teenagers on a school trip came rushing to join in the photos and fun - the boys (Adam included!) then proceeded to skid down a slippery section of the rocky playground. We were on our way out, convinced we'd seen everything (even the ocean from a high temple), but came across many more temples hidden from view.

Afterwards we went to have a look at the Shore Temple but the ticket was more than we could afford, and we'd had an awesome view of it from the beach yesterday. With the day so hot we decided to retreat to a seaside cafe for drinks and fresh seafood caught that morning, before doing some last minute shopping as we are sleeping in the airport tonight for our flight to Sri Lanka tomorrow!!!

Adlibing carvings.

Day 615 - Camera dramas in Chennai

A few days ago our camera packed it in and so today as soon as we arrived in Chennai we went on a mammoth shopping expedition to try and find a replacement. This was rather stressful and fruitless as it seems that India is cheap for everything except for digital cameras - the ones they have are several models/years old and are more expensive than the new models. Frustrating to say the least.

The 30+ degree temperatures and the fact that we were running around with our packs on our backs was not a good combination, and we were soon exhausted. We think we found the biggest camera stores in Chennai but still walked away empty handed.

In the end we gave up and decided to go out to Mamallapuram, a sea side relaxed town and a complete contrast to the sprawling and hectic Chennai city. This involved jumping on a random bus as advised by a local and then getting another to take us most of the way there.

In Mamallapuram we walked around for another hour or more to find the cheapest rooms on town and then finally sat down to a drink on the beach where we commandeered Peter's camera for the night to get some photos of the fishermen in their natural element - with the Shore Temple in the background. This town is still doing things the old school way - ancient pieces of wood are lashed together to form crude rafts and boats are removed by the sea not with wenches but raw man power.

Exhuasted from the day the Adlibing Trio did what we do best and enjoyed meals, drinks and conversation that unfortunately will be a thing of the past and sorely missed.

Adlibing it with Peter's camera!

Day 614 - Killing time in Kollam

With our train leaving at 6.30pm, we had the entire day to fill. Unfortunately Kollam is a town full of nothing to do - except unless you need glasses, as there are millions of opticians around!!

We managed to fill the day with food, internet, exercise and naps. The highlight was seeing hundreds of eagles gracefully carving up the air as they waited for the tides to change and their meals to come swimming up the backwaters!

Come 6.40pm we were on the train, and settled in for another overnight trip that would take us from west to east coast.

Adlibing it coast to coast.

Day 613 - Back on the boat

This morning we spent more time just hanging out at the ashram and observing life here. All in all we're both glad we came here for a look but can't see ourselves becoming long term stayers / devotees.

At 3pm we checked out and went across the river to wait for the boat to come and take us to Kollam. The journey for the first hour was amazing with lush palm trees lining the water's edge, eagles soaring above, and jellyfish working their way against the current.
Just as the sun was setting we arrived at Ashtamudi lake where fishermen worked the shallow waters and we enjoyed watching the sunset over the ocean and backwaters simultaneously. As the dark shadow of night fell on the water, lights suspended from the huge fishing nets sparkled alive to attract the fish and we floated into Kollam. Once in Kollam we found a pretty dingy room for the night, and set off for dinner and drinks.

Adlibing it to another backwater town.

Day 612 - Ashram life

Life at the ashram seems pretty laid back. For the $6 each you pay to stay there you get a pretty nice room (if you're a couple anyway- unfortunately singles get jammed into dorms) and 3 Indian meals a day. The ashram has a daily routine of singing, chanting, working, meditation, yoga, conversation and hugs!

There are lots of people (Indian and foreign) who stay here for months at a time, and are obviously staunch devotees, but there are also quite a few people like us who have just come along for a few days to check it out. We never felt like we weren't welcome, and everyone was extremely nice to us. Most long-timers dress completely in white and you can really feel a sense of collectiveness.

For us the day was spent in observation of the people and their practices, whose faces are lit up in what can only be described as contentment.

The ashram feels both traditional and modern - its accommodation towers seem totally out of place in the stretch of land sitting between the ocean and backwaters, but the setting is undeniably beautiful. And the view from the roof is incredible! We spent a few hours reading (Liv and Peter) and exercising (Adam) at the beach looking out over the ocean that stretches for miles and is lost over the horizon.

Although Indian meals are free there is also an amazing western cafe there where you can buy yummy western food and coffee - not what we expected coming here, but it was a great surprise. The food, cakes, and coffee might just be the best western food we've had since leaving home!!

Adlibing the ashram.

Day 611 - Boating through the backwaters

We started the day having a cheap Indian breakfast, buying boat tickets and then fighting for space to plonk ourselves for the 6 hour boat ride to Amritapuri Ashram.
At the beginning of our journey we were blown away by the Kerala backwater scenery, but we have to admit that after a few hours it seemed like we were cruising along the same channel passing the same palm trees and the same fishermen. Come 4pm we arrived at the Ashram where we will stay for a couple of nights. Even though this is a step in an unusual direction for us, we are both excited to experience something new, and particularly Indian.

This Ashram is based around a female Guru known as the "hugging mother", who travels around India and the world giving people hugs and speaking about what she believes in. While some may see it as a semi-cult like place, what we saw were happy people and an amazing woman who raises a lot of money for struggling Indians and foreigners alike.

We were lucky with our timing as Amma ("mother") is at the ashram at the moment - though it was a little bit stressful trying to arrive on time to ensure our hug! We were even luckier to get our hug today and have it in the temple instead of the main hall where hugs are usually given.

We weren't sure what to expect from our hug, and after waiting for a couple of hours in line to get it (so far Amma has hugged millions and millions of people) we were getting pretty hungry. But we have to admit it was quite nice getting a hug from someone who so many people admire and flock to see. Even Liv the hug-o-phobic rather enjoyed it!!

Adlibing hugs.

Day 610 - Crusing Fort Cochin

Although we only arrived in Fort Cochin yesterday, we are already a little bored here so are leaving this afternoon. We wouldn't really recommend a visit here - not only is it quite a tourist trap but it is very expensive. AND the hotels are rude. Well that's how our morning started off anyway ...

We weren't catching the bus until mid-afternoon and the hotel checkout time is 11am, so we packed up our things and went down to the hotel foyer to pay. Usually it's no problem to leave our bags behind the desk at hotels but this guy told us there was no room (he says this while standing in an office about the size of a huge living room). Obviously he's just a jerk!

What this meant though was that we spent the day sightseeing in 32 degrees with our packs on our backs, which tried our patience.But by the end of the day we had seen a few more churches, gazed in over the Dutch cemetery (closed), stood outside the Dutch Palace (closed) and skipped the synagogue (closed)!!! The best part of the day was walking along the seashore and watching the fishing nets in action. Even though we saw these yesterday, they're still pretty cool. At 2pm our sitting on the side of the road and hoping a bus would come paid off and we were on our way to Allepey. With accommodation and washing sorted we went off to the internet to book the flights to Sri Lanka we'd been planning for the last 2 weeks. We spent the next 2 hours dealing with credit card / airline issues - only some airlines allow international visa cards to work on their site, and the one we chose didn't let us use ours!!!

In the end we managed to find a solution which means we head to Sri Lanka on the 13th of Feb!!

At 9.30pm we finally managed to get dinner - it's great to be getting cheap, tasty Indian food again, after being in towns with limited and expensive options.

Adlibing it even when it's closed!

Day 609 - An island port

We "woke" up this morning in a totally new state - Kerala, one of the most southern states in all India. By 11am our train rolled into Ernakulum station and while many passengers jumped in rickshaws to the jetty, we went by foot power - and we all ended up on the same ferry to Cochin anyway!

On the island of Cochin we set about our usual task of walking around and around and around until we find a decent room at a decent price. Peter who had promised to follow our footsteps gave up and took a rickshaw, but 5 minutes later we found the room for us!!
We met Peter in a restaurant for lunch, where he order beer that came served in a teapot and mug! This is because Kerala is a dry state and so it's illegal to sell beer in restaurants!

After lunch we made our way to the waterfront where Cochin's main attraction lay waiting for us: Chinese style fishing nets that require 5 or so men to haul up the catch. Adam loved watching all this body movement and it'll be hard for Liv to pry him away in search of palaces and churches tomorrow!!Today we managed to make some money in India by selling one of our books to a second hand bookstore for about $3 - not bad really, as this will buy us dinner tonight!!
While fighting our way through hundreds of kids jamming into their rickshaw school buses, we had a frantic hour of retracing our steps on search of our lost room key, only to return sheepishly to the hotel to find the owners smiling away at our mistake: we had left it on the table when checking in! Ooops.

As we didn't get much sleep on the train we all had a much needed kip before meeting up again for a candle lit dinner - a product of India's power problem.

Adlibing it to the island.