The trip kinda ended so soon. But this series did not. I apologize for the delay in post, pretending that the cyber world is waiting only for my travelogue to get released on time. But then the fourth day dawned so soon for me. I took bath and checked with the reception about our dues and paid it. Then we went to have the buffet breakfast while Sarayu’s friend called up to say that she was joining us that day. Good to explore Kochi with a local guide I thought.
The traffic was quite heavy that day and along the way all I could think was only about how I had to go to office the next day. Sometimes that very thought could put us in bad mood. Similarly most of the people in the car were in their own world. They may have been thinking about what they would do the next day at their home or reflect upon life in the free time they have had last few days. But anyway the car was quite till Sarayu’s Arathi hopped in the car.
She had beautiful voice. Soon, our nightingale of the trip and she started crooning one of my favorite song “Munbe vaa en Anbe vaa”. I recorded it in my phone but couldnt upload it because unfortunately I couldnt stop myself from joining them and thereby spoiling the whole thing. We reached the Mattencherry palace and started to look around. It was unbearably hot. We entered the bookshop to have a look. They had a good collection of books, but all in English. One of my friends had asked for “Aadu Jeevitham” and one more book in Malayalam. But those books were available in English. I was kinda shocked.
I always thought Keralites take their reading habit and their language seriously. Almost all the important books in the world literature is translated or being translated in Malayalam, I hear from my friends but in a busy book shop, a book written by a malayalee in malayalam is not available was a rude shock. He asked me to go near the train station to find such books. It was not only the books.
Throughout our stay, we didnt have a typical Kerala breakfast. The only Kerala item, we tasted would be Pazhampori and Curry fish. The tourist space is totally adoptive to the visitors. You could easily get pancakes in the resorts we have stayed. Almost all of them served cereals and milk for breakfast. I didnt see aapam, puttu, kadalakari or beef. It was really saddening. But the government is taking some serious steps towards tourism in Kerala. Be it online campaigns or local fares and exhibition, it must be applauded. All the hotels follow an uniform pattern with the toiletries. They are named, well stacked and have instructions which was really helpful. But at the same time the government should also understand some people like me visit Kerala, because it is Kerala. I had a feeling that these tourist spots become a colony of the visiting foreigners. Much like Pondycherry.
So those things aside, we wiped our sweating faces throughout the palace and walked a really long way to jewish synagogue to find it locked, entered an artist’s workshop to find out that he was out for lunch leaving two old people who didnt know the value as well as cost of his art. The best thing that happened was lunch at Kashi Art Cafe. For Others.
Again, this was not a authentic kerala space. They again served typical English lunch, in which I was not really interested. Vidya was interested by Nandu, one more friend of Sarayu about Kochi Carnival and the graffiti that were done in that part of Kochi. She took a walk to capture some images. And when she was back, it was time to part ways. I had to take train in another half an hour.
Shijit was ready by the car, when we reached it.
“Shijit Etta, Railway station. How long will it take?”
“Oru one and half…”
“Etta!!”
“I know when your train is, you will be there do not worry” he said.
We dropped of Arathi, Shruthi and Sarayu in BTH, which was supposed to be the best vegetarian restaurant in Kochi. It was sad that we couldnt stop by for a coffee with Arathi’s dad. We reached the railway station at time. Bought some chips for the friends and relatives in Chennai.
Vidhya started to talk about how the trip was to her in train. Thanks to the AC tickets she booked, I was snoozing off in another half an hour. We woke up in the morning to rains in Chennai. It was what we were longing for in Kerala. But to smell the petrichor in your own city is priceless.
I reached office an hour late than usual. And I got texts from everybody that their Monday started, from their office.
All good things come to an end. But this was very soon.
That is it. This was how I spend my days in Kerala. I may be back with a travelogue soon. From a place that starts with “A”
P.S. All the images in this blog post were clicked by Vid Dev.