Showing posts with label India-Kerala. Show all posts
Showing posts with label India-Kerala. Show all posts

Tuesday, 10 December 2024

Kozhikode (Formerly Calicut): Kerala and More Part 3

This is a new post though it covers the events of the 6th of September 2023.
It will be moved to its appropriate chronological position shortly.

A Mercantile City by the Sea

28-Feb-2024

Kochi to Kozhikode


India
Kerala
Our plan was to spend Thursday exploring the city of Kozhikode, so we had to spend Wednesday getting there from Kochi. Kerala is a long thin strip up the coast of south west India and the distance from one to the other is around 180km. The ride up the coast on Route 66 – yes, India has one, too – is the shortest route and takes 5¾ hours. The more inland route through Thrissur is 30km longer and 15 minutes quicker. Road travel in India is never fast, most roads have one lane in each direction, roadworks are common, few towns have by-passes and Kerala is heavily populated, 34 million people living at 890/km² (cf England 438/km², California 97/km²).

Kerala

Kochi’s metropolitan area has 2.1 million inhabitants,so leaving it takes some time, Sasi navigating through apparently endless suburbia…

Kochi's endless suburbs

… until we found a larger road - most roads have one lane each way, but not all! Dual carriageways present other problems. Flocks of motorbikes swoop around like starlings at dusk, and trucks, always in the outer lane, force overtaking cars to carve a path through the bike's flighty world.

A three lane road takes us out of Kochi

Beyond the city, Sasi stopped for coffee. He left us to it, and after ordering we were each brought a small shiny metal cup of coffee, sitting in a shiny metal bowl. As we discussed how to proceed, the manager strolled over, poured my coffee from the cup into the bowl, then from a great height, poured it back, twice. Keralan coffee is best aerated.

The bill was tiny. As ever, where tourists are rare, we were welcomed as guests and treated in a friendly and fair manner. In tourist hotspots we are faceless cyphers in an over-monied and often rude and overbearing crowd, just ripe for the fleecing.

Mandi Lunch

It was after two before we paused for lunch. Sasi was clearly looking for a particular restaurant as he drove up the outside lane inspecting the buildings on the opposite side. I think he failed but, finding a gap in the central reservation he, U-turned and drove 200 metres back to a restaurant he hoped would do. It seemed to be called Mandi. Who, I thought, is Mandy?

The lunchtime service had been busy and there were few available tables. Drivers customarily see their clients settled, then disappear but like many mid-range restaurants, Mandi had AC and non-AC seating, and the empty tables were in the non-air-conditioned area. Sasi hovered, leaving us in non-AC would mean he had, in his own eyes, failed us, though we would have happily eaten beneath one of the ceiling fans. Just as this seemed inevitable the AC area cleared out and he quickly shepherded us to a newly vacant table.

A waiter arrived and asked, in English, what we would like. ‘A menu’ seemed a reasonable request. He pointed his phone at the QR code on the table and showed me an English menu. It read – ‘Chicken Mandi, Mutton Mandi, Paneer Mandi…..’ Light dawned slowly. We were in a ‘mandi restaurant’ and ‘mandi’ was what they did. We had no idea what that was, but ordered two mutton mandi and waited to find out.

The Mandy arrived quickly, looking a lot like meals we had eaten in Oman which Yousef called ‘biriyani’ though maybe for our benefit (see Lunch in Sur in Sur and Turtles). Biryani-style rice was mixed with vegetables and topped with slabs of mutton apparently carved with an axe. No cutlery was on offer, so we washed our hands and got stuck in. It lacked the sophistication of its Omani sibling, but the fresh, well-spiced ingredients made a hearty meal. We would happily order it again.

Lynne and mutton mandi

Kerala, particularly Kozhikode, has had trading links with southern Arabia for millennia – it is only a trade wind away. More recently the area has supplied migrant workers to Oman and the Gulf states. Mandi is originally a Yemeni dish and returning migrants opened the first mandi restaurants in the early 2000s. After a slow growth it took off in 2018 and mandi restaurants are now all over the Kozhikode area.

Kozhikode

Harivihar

We reached the city around 5 o’clock. It has been officially called Kozhikode since independence in 1947 but under British rule it was Calicut, a Portuguese transliteration of the name used by Arab traders. The airport is still officially ‘Calicut International’ and the major university, Kerala’s largest, is the ‘University of Calicut.’ Maybe the locals say ‘Kozhikode’ to each other, but to us it was always Calicut. I will, however, stick with Kozhikode for this post.

With over 600,000 people the city is the heart of a metropolitan region of 3 million, but much of it is surprisingly green. Sasi found his way to an area northwest of the centre, where narrow lanes run between high walls protecting the privacy of large residences. A former royal manor-house built in 1850 by the Kadathanad royal family, once rulers of northern Kerala, now houses Harivihar, a ‘heritage homestay’ offering Ayurvedic and yoga treatments we would have no time for, and vegetarian meals.

Harivihar Wellness and Heritage Homestay

After checking in we took a pre-dinner stroll in the gardens, discovering the area around the pond was very popular with mosquitoes.

It would be an error to stand by this arch around dawn or dusk

At the appropriate time we presented ourselves for dinner and found we were the only guests. We had been warned that Harivihar served only vegetarian food, but in a country with a vegetarian majority, that is not unusual. This, however, was different. It was vegan rather than just vegetarian, much of the food was uncooked (though obviously not the rice), and spices and sauces were used with restraint. Everything was beautifully presented (pity we destroyed it before I took a photograph!) and we found the freshness and the occasional unusual flavour made an excellent and satisfying dinner.

It was a beautifully presented vegetarian meal when it arrived

29-Feb-2023

Breakfast at Harivihar

Breakfast was, of course, also vegan so no omelettes, but other South Indian breakfast treats were available, we had idlis with coconut chutney…

Idli with coconut chutney and sambar

… dosa...

Dosa, Harihvar

….and as much fresh fruit as we could eat. Some varieties of orange, as we discovered in Vietnam in 2012 (see Hue (1)) are green even when ripe, but this was the first time I had eaten one. Colour is skin deep, inside it is just an orange.

A green orange, Harihivar

Tali Shiva Temple and Student Police Cadets

Pleased with our vegan breakfast, we met up with Sasi and a local guide I shall call 'Mr Guide', partly because I have forgotten his name, and partly as a tribute to his sense of self-importance. Together we headed for central Kozhikode. Traffic never flows very freely here, but today, in and amongst the cars, there were dozens, possibly hundreds of young people in uniform. They seemed to be moving between a central building and a field where an event might be taking place later,

Taking great care not to drive over any of the youngsters, Sasi deposited us at the Tali Shiva Temple.

Tali Shiva Temple (the man leaving and the man on the left reclaiming his shoes are wearing mundu)

It does not look particularly old from this angle, but it was much improved by the local rulers in the 14th century and it was not new then. It was badly damaged during Tipu Sultan’s invasion in the 18th century (For more on Tipu Sultan, see the 2016 post Mysore, Somnathpur and Srirangapatnam) and underwent major restoration in 1964. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, its most treasured possession is a Swayambhu Lingam (self-manifested lingam) which ‘some believe’ (to quote the temple website) was installed by the legendary sage Parasurama. Parasurama, the 7th avatar of Lord Vishnu, is mentioned in the Ramayana, making him as historical as Achilles (though better heeled.)

The dress code for men is dhoti or mundu without shirts. I removed my shirt to enter Suchindram Temple in Tamil Nadu in 2016, but mercifully stayed covered here as temples in Kerala are open to Hindus only. A mundu, the traditional male attire in Southern India, is a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist and often folded to knee length for convenience.

A side view of the temple entrance shows the typical Kerala design of long eves shading slatted windows.

Traditional Kerala eves and slatted windows, Tali Shiva Temple

Next to (almost) every temple is a large artificial pool, known as a tank. Across the tank is a gopura, these brightly painted towers are common in Tamil Nadi but almost unknown in Kerala.

Tali Shiva Tank and a small gopura

Along the bank were a series of carved representations of important events in Hinduism, or perhaps local history. Unfortunately, I am too ignorant of both to attempt any interpretation.

Man on palanquin, beside the tank Kozhikode

There was also a magnificent tree I identified as a rain tree. Mr Guide corrected me, it is a peepul or bodhi tree, the tree under which the Budha was meditating when he achieved enlightenment.

Peepul or Bhodi tree, Kozhikode

Girls in uniform were fluttering around here, too. They were members of the SPC – Student Police Cadets – an initiative aimed at 13–16-year-olds with the usual worthy aims of such organisations – promoting civic responsibility, social awareness and leadership skills among them.

Our pale faces stood out in the crowds around the tank and they soon noticed us, small groups pointing and daring each other. Eventually the bravest broke ranks, walked up to Lynne, held her nerve and asked if she could have a photograph with us. Being asked for a photograph is common where foreigners are rare and of course we always say yes. Mr Guide was appalled, ‘allow one,’ he warned us ‘and they will all come. I will shoo them away.’ No, you won’t Mr Guide. We have been photographed by many people in many places, including large school groups in the citadel of Kabaw in Libya and a rock temple in southern China. We do not have a tight schedule, or any schedue at all, and ten or fifteen minutes spent to promoting international goodwill is time well spent. There were a dozen or more groups in the end, all very polite and smiley - and we got a photograph, too.

Student Police Cadets, Kozhikod

Tasara Arts Festival

Mr Guide suggested we might like to visit the Tasara arts festival, taking place nearby. It is an international event, though the entrance was distinctly low-key.

There are no big signs, no arrows pointing the way, just this on the gate

The festival was mostly outdoors, around a large house, its balconies and patios used for display purposes.

Paintings on the Balconies and patios, Tasara Arts Festival

Individuals were also showing their own work, some of which I liked,…

Hanna from Sweden has painted what might be a brain
Tasara Arts festival

…. and some I failed to understand.

Valerie from France has tied some twigs together and....?
Tasara Arts Festival

Other, perhaps more established, had their own areas and exhibitions.

More traditional painting from MG Narayan, Tasara Arts Festival

We spoke to an artist whose work we admired,....

An artist whose work we admired, Tasara Arts Festival

... and I owe him an apology. I have no photogrpah of his work, and I have lost the piece of paper with his name on it. If he ever finds his way to this page (a long shot) he will, at least, have a nice photograph to show his mum.

He happened to be local, but the festival attracts artists from across India, the rest of Asia and a fair sprinkling of Europeans. The only other British voices we heard in Kozhikode were inside the house discussing textiles.

There were crafts as well as arts, spinning….

Spinning, Tasara Arts Festival

….weaving…

Weaving, Tasara Arts Festival

… and swinging – perhaps less a craft than a silly person playing?

Swinging, Tasara Arts Festival

Mopilla Mosques

The Mopilla are descendants of Arabian traders who settled on the northern part of the Kerala coast six or seven hundred years ago. Over the centuries they have largely integrated into Kerala’s eight million strong Muslim community, but remain notable for their mosques.

The Miskhal Mosque, one of the oldest and largest, was built in the 14th century by Nakhuda Miskhal, a Yemeni shipowner and merchant who had settled in Kozhikode.

Miskhal Mosque Kozhikode

It once had five stories, but now has four, after a violent confrontation with the Portuguese in 1510. Like all Mopilla Mosques it is constructed of wood above the ground floor, and has the pronounced eves and slatted windows typical of Kerala. Domes and minarets are conspicuous by their absence.

Miskhal Mosque, end view

Islam was born in Arabia and the architecture of most mosques worldwide reflects that origin. Mopilla mosques do not. We first saw Mopilla mosques here in 2010 (pre-blog). In the 2020 post Praying Facing West, part of my Variety of Mosques thread, they can be seen in the context of other Asian mosques.

Wholesale Coconuts

Although this was our second visit, Kozhikode sees few tourists and has few of the usual tourist attractions – but that does not mean it lacks interesting things to see.

Kerala is estimated to have 180-200 million coconut trees, averaging around 5,000 per km². Coconuts are essential to Keralan life, and we visited a coconut wholesaler, whose business spread into the street in a most Indian fashion.

Grading coconuts in the street, Kozhikode

These men are coconut graders. They take two coconuts from the pile, tap them together and then lob them into the appropriate baskets depending on size and sonority of tap.

Unhusked ‘tender coconuts’ harvested at 7-9 months are for drinking, these are mature coconuts harvested at 11 or 12 month and have had the husk and copra removed. The biggest with large kernels and high water content are premium grade. Slightly small and with lower water content are used for domestic consumption and oil production – coconut oil is essential to the cuisine of Kerala (see Cooking the Kerala Way). The smallest are often given to the gods. Offerings are an integral part of puja, the Hindu worship ritual, with flowers, incense and a coconut being a typical offering.

Inside are enough coconuts to keep the graders busy....

Plenty more coconuts inside

...and gangs of men packing sorted coconuts for onward transport. Inside the atmosphere is hot and dusty, some workers covering their faces with scarves. In an ideal world they would all have protective masks, but Indian health and safety awareness is in its infancy.

Packing the coconuts

Lighthouse and Marine Bungalow

Before heading for lunch, a short detour took us past two of Kozhikode’s ‘must sees,’ the lighthouse….

Kohzikode Lighthouse

….and, next door, the Port Marine Bungalow. Why?

Port Marine Bungalow, Kozhikode

Lunch

Mr Guide took us to a restaurant that was good enough to be regularly full and they had set out chairs in the street for those waiting. The young man next to me asked how old I was. Mr Guide leapt down his throat, telling him, rather sharply, it was very rude in our culture to ask a person’s age. But my chair was situated in the middle of his culture, so I told him I was 74 and asked how old he was. ‘26’ he replied, a little surprised. I told him I had been 26 once, which, as intended, he found more amusing than informative. The conversation might have progressed but a man arrived to tell us a table was available. Predictably, we ate a curry of some sort, which must have been pleasant enough, but failed to stick in my memory.

Calicut Cathedral

After a morning with the Hindus and lunch with the Muslims (Muslims run a disproportionately large number of restaurants) we next visited the Catholic Cathedral. Kerala’s religious make-up differs from the Indian norm where Hindus are 80% of the population, Muslims 14% and Christians head a long list of ‘others’ at 2.3%. Kerala is 55% Hindu, 25% Muslim and 20% Christian.

The Cathedral is a handsome building…

Catholic Cathedral, Kozhikode

…officially known, according to the plaque outside, as the Matri Dei Cathedral, Calicut, which mixes Latin and English and ends with the old name for Kozhikode, originally used by the Portuguese.

Vasco da Gama’s 1497 expedition was the first to round the Cape of Good Hope and he landed at Kozhikode in May 1498 giving Portuguese traders unimpeded access to the spices and other riches of the Malabar coast for a couple of centuries. The Plaque records the first Cathedral being built by the Zamorin (King) of Calicut under the ‘supervision’ of two Jesuit priests. The 1724 extension were also the work of the Zamorin – supervised by a Portuguese Priest. There were no Zamorins by the time of the 2008 renovation, after which the cathedral was rededicated by the Bishop of Calicut.

Inside the cathedral, Kohzikode

Across the courtyard outside, is a catholic secondary school where Mr Guide had once been a pupil. I think it gave him part-ownership of the cathedral.

Archaeology Museum

It had been a long day, we were still jet-lagged, and although we usually adjust quickly to Indian temperatures, we were struggling with the 33° heat and high humidity – and Mr Guide was continuing to be opinionated and wrong. Although the museum was probably interesting, I was not interested, I wanted to sit down and have a cool drink. Mr Guide failed to realise he was losing his audience and insisted on describing every single exhibit. We listened politely, but the visit felt interminable.

Dinner at Harivihar

Eventually we escaped, Sasi drove is back to Harivihar and we said goodbye to Mr Guide. Later, dinner erased any lingering doubt, that a vegan meal can taste good and be completely satisfying.

Vegan dinner, Harivihar. I am not quite sure what it was, but it was good.

Again, I did not take a picture until too late, but do not really know what they did or what we ate, except that we liked it.

Kerala and More

Part 1: Cooking the Kerala Way
Part 2: Kochi: Not Really a Free Day
Part 3: Kozhikode (Formerly Calicut)

and much more to come

Tuesday, 27 February 2024

Kochi (or Cochin), Not Really a Free Day: Kerala and More Part 2

A Folklore Museum and Lunch with an Old Friend

Breakfast at the Tea Bungalow


India
Kerala
We slept reasonably well given the time change and our unusual day yesterday and had a leisurely if routine breakfast. Chef’s South Indian Special was only available ‘later’ (if and when he turned up?) so we settled for masala omelette, watermelon juice and fruit (watermelon, banana and pineapple).

Breakfast at the Tea Bungalow
A good omelette is not hard to find in India, but the bread is too soft, too white and too sweet

A Little Orientation

Kochi, (formerly, and often still) Cochin is a city in the state of Kerala on the west coast of southern India. It has a population of 680,000 and is the centre of a metropolitan district with 2.1 million inhabitants.

The city sprawls across a section of Kerala's fractured coastline which constructed itself from the silt brought by the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats. Behind the coast is a vast maze of waterways known as the Kerala Backwaters.

Kochi with places relevant to the post indicated in red

Kochi consists of three main parts. The tourist districts of Mattancherry and Fort Kochi sit on a peninsula, while across the water is Ernakulam, the working city. Between them is Willingdon Island; 6km long and 2km wide, it was built in the 1930s by dumping the silt brought up by dredging the harbour.

Kerala Folklore Museum

Since our cooking exercise had been ‘preponed’ we had a blank day, but we had use of the car, so our plan was to visit the Folklore Museum, as recommended by friends Wilson and Norma, and afterwards we had a lunch engagement a little deeper into Ernakulam.

The streets of Kochi, well the one outside the Tea Bungalow.

Sasi turned up on time, as we knew he would. The journey was less than 10km, but even well after peak time it would take a good half hour.

The Kerala Folklore Musuem

The museum building does not look special from the side. Although clearly older than the surrounding structures, it lacks the low eves and slatted windows of traditional Kerala constructions. The front, though is entirely different, but difficult to photograph, or even see in full. It was made using parts from 25 traditional building, and showcases all three of Kerala’s traditional architectural styles, Malabar, Cochin and Travancore. Construction took 7½ years and involved 62 traditional carpenters, but I find the mixture of styles confusing – not that my opinion is important.

The front of the Folklore Museum

The museum was founded by Jacob V. Thaliath, who was joined by his son George when he left university 35 years ago. It was not the career George intended, but it has become his life’s work and he admits to being obsessed – but in a good way. He travels all over the sub-continent acquiring objects and researching their origins and meaning.

Crossing the threshold, it is obvious the museum is the work of an enthusiast who wants to display every wonder he has found. The objects are crammed together, sometimes on top of each other, but almost all are labelled with place of origin, material and date.

Inside the Kerala Folklore Museum

Anywhere else this portrayal of multi-armed Durga with her expressive face yet strangely dead eyes would have a spotlit plinth to herself, but here she jostles for room with depictions of the bull Nandi (the vehicle of Shiva), and ornamental elephants. Durga is an avatar of Parvati and her vehicle (every Hindu deity has a vehicle) is a lion or tiger or sometimes a magical blend of the two. Her name means ‘impassable, invincible and unassailable' and she is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. She also slays demons, so it is unwise to stand in her way.

Durga

This Garuda is smaller, but no less flamboyant. An eagle/kite-like bird he is the vehicle of Vishnu. but is also a god and protector in his own right. He can be represented in zoomorphic form, or, as here, in anthropomorphic form. In his left hand – almost omitted from the photograph (sorry) is the jar of Amrita, the Nectar of Immortality created at the Churning of the Ocean of Milk (the story has a post all of its own).

Garuda

Shiva is often represented by his lingam, but here is a bronze muckhalingam, a penis with a face. I make no further comment. I doubt it was made to fit into the early 20th century bronze prabhavalli, (translated as ‘aureole’ which it is not, quite) but here artefacts go where they fit.

A lingam with a face, Kerala Folklore Museum

A glass painting from Tanjore is an example of an unusual artform from southern Tamil Nadu.

Tanjore Glass Painting

Kerala’s Christian heritage is also well represented. This Guardian Angel seems to have a slightly Roman look. Tradition states that Christianity was brought here by the apostle St Thomas, but Southern India had strong trading links with Rome, which is in the same general direction…

Guardian Angel

…while this group of Christian figures hits a more general European note.

Christian figures

We spent some time in the museum before inspecting the gift shop and the auditorium on the top floor. The museum is recommended in the Rough Guide and is well worth a visit, though it is outside the usual tourist area.

The LuLu Mall

It was too early for lunch and Sasi wanted to show us the LuLu Mall, in a more affluent but untouristy part of Ernakulam, so we let him.

The entrance is on the ground floor of a multi-storey car park with a clearly marked ‘drop off’ lane as if they expect customers to be brought by their drivers – as. indeed, we were. We waited for Sasi to rejoin us before passing through security where I promised to put my camera away. They would rather I did not take it in at all, but security guards are humble, underpaid, servants, so when a wealthy(ish) European makes a promise, they do not to argue. I felt obliged to keep my promise, so no photos inside.

Inside, we had coffee with Sasi, then he suggested a meeting time and left us to it.

The centrepiece on the ground floor is a LuLu Supermarket. We had come across these in affluent Oman, where every town has a large, cool, very tidy, very clean LuLu. This was the first we had seen in India, but apart from the stock reflecting local tastes, it was as large, cool, etc, etc as any in Oman.

No photos here, but this is a Lulu supermarket in Salalah, Southern Oman

Carrying our purchases we left the supermarket and toured every floor of the mall. Each shop was bright, and tidy, and selling varied, high quality merchandise. I cannot imagine a cleaner, more affluent-looking mall exists anywhere in the world. The only problem was the absent customers; few in Kochi can afford to shop here and we had the place to ourselves.

LuLu, who own the whole mall, not just the supermarket, are Abu Dhabi based and have over 200 supermarkets mostly nestling in Asia’s wealthier corners, but the company is owned M A Yusuff Ali, a native of Nattika, just 75km up the coast from Kochi. They have five ‘hypermarkets' (three of them in Kerala) and several malls in India. The company sees great scope for growth here, but it seems slow getting off the mark.

The Mall was conveniently close to our lunch venue in Seaport Airport Road.

‘Are you having lunch with Thomas Matthew?’ Sasi asked as we arrived. I was a little surprised, but obviously Pioneer drivers talk to each other. Then we saw Thomas walking towards the Restaurant wearing a new blue shirt.

Thomas Matthew

This is our seventh Indian trip, the fourth to Kerala and the south. Six of those trips have been organised by Pioneer Travel of Kochi, one of them via a London based travel agent, the others booked direct.

Lynne and Thomas buying coconuts to drink, near Hassan, Karnataka 2010

I negotiate an itinerary with Pioneer who then book it and provide us with a car and a driver. All five drivers employed or sub-contracted by Pioneer have been excellent, but Thomas Matthew, who drove us on our second trip in 2010 (pre-blog) stood out. His self-taught English was better than most of the professional ‘English speaking’ guides; and not only could he speak, he could listen. We have encountered guides all over the world who know their stuff and can communicate well enough, but when asked a question, respond with either a baffled expression or a confident answer to a different question. Listening is the hardest linguistic skill, and Thomas can do it. He is well informed about India and elsewhere, and his thoughtful, moderate opinions on a variety of issues are worth listening to.

Visiting the shipbuilders, Calicut, Kerala

We got on so well we started to think of him as a friend, not just a driver. We kept in touch after returning home and made sure he was our driver on our next southern trip in 2016 (those posts start here). When travelling we usually lunched together because Thomas can unfailingly pick the right restaurant in an unknown town. Maybe it was against the rules, but it was a win-win situation. Thomas got a free lunch, I paid far less for three such lunches than for I would for two in a tourist trap, and we ate real local food, not dumbed-down tourist fare.

Lunch with Thomas, near Udipi, Kerala 2010

We remained in touch, and we would have asked for Thomas this year, but he has left Pioneer and is now a self-employed tuk-tuk driver. ‘It’s little money,’ he said, ‘but we get by.’

Above Vazhachal Falls, Kerala, 2010

We ate biryanis and chatted for an hour. He seems content with his new situation, no longer being away from home for two weeks or longer. Thomas is a devout Christian and takes comfort in his faith. I stupidly failed to take a photograph – but I have previous, lunching with people we do not see often and failing to take pictures is my unwanted superskill.

Lynne, Thomas and a pearl spot for lunch, near Kollam 2016

We went outside for final goodbyes, giving Thomas and Sasi a chance for a chat. ‘One of the best,’ said Sasi as we drove away. During lunch Thomas had said ‘You’ll be fine with Sasi, he’s one of the best.’ And indeed, he is and we were.

And just for balance, lunch with Sasi, Mysore 2024

Chez Thomas. 2016

In the 2016 post Kochi, a Second Visit, we had lunch in Ernakulam – another biryani - and then went to the airport, but that is not quite what happened. Before going to the airport, we went home with Thomas who had earlier invited us to meet his wife Mary and sons Daral and Dennies. This was strictly against company rules, so he asked me not to mention it. Now he no longer works for Pioneer I have his permission to tell the full story. This section will eventually migrate to the 2016 post.

Thomas lives in a village not far from Kochi Airport. It feels very rural, though Kerala is densely populated and towns and their facilities are nearby. The surroundings are very green; the monsoon rains dump ample water from May to October to keep Kerala verdant all year round. The average daily high is around 30° throughout the year, the minimum 24° which would suit me fine in the dry season but I would struggle with the humidity during the monsoon.

Village Street

Thomas owns his own house and several family members live nearby. He had recently bought a shiny, new tuk-tuk to bring in some money in the rainy season when there are no tourists.

Thomas on his doorstep (with his tuk-tuk to the right of the building)

And here is the family. Thomas and Mary with Daral, then just started at university, and Dennies, two years younger, and just finishing school. There is food on the table because, of course, guests must be fed. Our thanks to Mary for an excellent chicken curry.

Mary and Thomas with Daral and Dennies behind

And here we are with the family. Both boys have since finished university, Daral works in Kochi and Dennies is busy seeking the right opportunity.

Everybody

It is a rare privilege for travellers to be invited into people’s homes. Our thanks to Thomas and Mary for their hospitality, and to the lads for putting up with the sudden arrival of two elderly foreigners.

‘Wine Shop’

Returning to 2024… Sasi drove us back, pausing en route at a so-called ‘wine shop’ (they sell little or no wine). Back in 2016 Kerala was flirting with a form of rolling prohibition, now thankfully abandoned. Drinks licences remain difficult to come by, but there is a network of proper liquor shops with government fixed prices. For our nightcaps we acquired a bottle of Chennai distilled ‘Old Monk’ rum and a Bangalore Whisky that owes little more to Scotland than its wonderfully bizarre name: MaQintosh.

Pakoras

After a good lunch we only wanted a snack in the evening. Our hotel had a restaurant with a full menu, though no other diners, but we thought it would be alright for a snack. We perused the menu and ordered something from the youth who seemed to be in charge. He disappeared into the kitchen and after a few minutes returned to say our choice was unavailable but would we like a plate of pakoras? ‘That would be fine,’ we said, and it was – when it arrived, 40 minutes later.

Two other diners who came in after us were less fortunate. They wanted a full meal and were brought menus. After due consideration they placed an order. The lad disappeared to the kitchen and after a while came back with the message that their choices were unavailable. They had a rethink and made another order, again the lad went off and again returned with the same message. It was perfectly obvious that there was no chef, just a pakora fryer, because his next words were ‘would you like a dish of pakoras? Why the elaborate charade? Why was there no chef? I was glad we were leaving in the morning.

Kerala and More

Part 1: Cooking the Kerala Way
Part 2: Kochi: Not Really a Free Day
Part 3: Kozhikode (Formerly Calicut)

and much more to come