Cochin

This post is coming at you from an internet cafe in Cochin, Kerala, India.

Cochin is pretty cool. Think of the Florida Keys but in India and you have Cochin - sorta. It's hard to explain without photos (womp, womp not this time), but it's the best I can do. You should google it. I think it is a great place to get my bearings before moving on to the rest of Kerala. I am learning that Kerala is different from the rest of India. So if you are expecting to hear stories along the lines of Slumdog Millionaire you will not hear them from me. I can tell you that it is hot and humid. I was expecting it, but coming from the frigid temperatures of Chicago, this is a nice break.Also, I'm glad that Scott has been here a few more weeks than myself because I was able to benefit from his knowledge of the country before I got here. He had come to know the country pretty well in his time here.

Getting here was a bit rough because my flight from Newark ended up getting delayed which made my layover in Mumbai a tad bit shorter then expected. I found that if you go up to Indian people they will most likely want to help you, but might expect payment in return. During that time in the Mumbai airport, I didn't care because I didn't want to miss my flight to Cochin. Oh, and I almost lost my purse, but don't worry mom, I found it. :) Anyway, after all of the drama, I met up with Scott (it was so great to see him, for many reasons) and we headed to Chochin.

My first views of the country in the dark, so they are a little bit different from the first impressions that you might expect. India at 3 am is not India at 10am. We are staying at a homestay here in Fort Cochin. It is a great little place. I will post photos at some point, but don't have time to do so now. It's like a bed and breakfast. We have breakfast every morning with the rest of the guests. This morning it was nice to talk to some of them about their travels in India. Seeing as I just got here it gave me a wider perspective of the country.

Today is our last day in Cochin and then we head to Wayanad, google it. I am looking forward to seeing a new part of Kerala. I think I will find that even though I am experiencing a much more focused trip then others have had when they come to India, I will still experience the same diversity that this country reflects.

Oh yeah, before I go. Food has been awesome. I just finished some prawns and white snapper that we got right from the fisherman and brought to a restaurant to cook. I am learning the seafood is good food. I should eat it more. I am now off to a cooking class to learn from the locals how it is done. Since we both like to cook I think that both of us are going to enjoy it. 

I will post an update the next chance I get, but I have to say I am enjoying the break from email and my cell phone. Yes, I love both of them dearly, but sometimes a break is good.

Hope everyone is doing well!