Dec 11, Saturday
9:30 am
The crowd of twinkling jewels, candles, and golden smiles spins around the center of the temple. The procession of golden clad elephants, drummers, musicians, and tikku-ed people swirl around the center to replicate the anatomy of an atom. This analogy was provided to me by a very kind individual, and it was a much more detailed explanation than I had anticipated. The center shrine that holds the idol is considered the nucleus of the atom, containing the protons and neutrons. The man explained that the procession of people act as the electrons, and must orbit the center three times (then they add another elephant and do it again) to positively charge the nucleus. The nucleus will then radiate positive energy to all those within the temple walls. I'm not sure if it was the positive atom charge, the fifteen elephants, or thousands of people celebrating together amidst a see of twinkling lights that had me bursting with excitement. It was phenomenal.
We had just arrived to Kochi, Kerala, late last night, and already this festive evening made the six and a half hour train ride seem like days ago. In fact, one week ago we were hanging out in Kozhikode, or Calicut, with Jenna and Kyle. We made plans to meet up with them since they now teach a few hours south in Tirur. While Calicut wasn't too hoppin' with excitement, spending time with our ATI buddies made it a great weekend. We toured around the typical shopping areas, got hassled in the street by some man with some serious volume control issues (he kept screaming about the Fonda family), and hit up the beach where our agents apparently set up another surprise photo shoot. All of us have experienced the paparazzi here, but this time at the beach we literally had a semicircle of people crowded around us snapping pics.
Anyways, we met a friend in Calicut who suggested Beena Homestay in Kochi. This place was like living with an Indian family! Beena and her husband are like your Indian parents, their puppy-eyed adorable granddaughter, Krishna is your little sister, and you live in a quiet (you can't hear any cars!) neighborhood in Fort Cochin. A delicious breakfast and dinner are (cooked by her husband!) served as part of the $10 bucks a night charge--the food was phenomenal, fresh, and legit Indian home-cookin'.
On Saturday we got a rickshaw driver to show us all around Fort Cochin. We visited several historic churches created by the Portuguese--these churches reminded me a lot of the ones I've seen in Granada, Nicaragua with their colorful interiors, decorative statues, and elaborate altars---no doubt the similarity in structure and appearance derives from Iberian colonists. The St. Francis church is the oldest church in India, and holds the grave of Vasgo de Gama! Not only could I stand at the altar of a church that these early colonists prayed in hundreds of years ago, but I could stand over the gravestone of one of the fathers of traveling! Ah!
Our friendly rickshaw driver, Ashraf, left no site or shop to mystery as he hauled us to every nook and cranny of Fort Cochin. I loved seeing the local spice market where I was able to try a hodge podge of different teas and spiced items. (Dad--you would have loved this place! I took a picture for you :-) I think you would love the masala tea.) The spices are for sale in the upstairs area, and downstairs is a huge limestone courtyard of sorts with big warehouse rooms lining the sides. We watched women sift black pepper into a giant mound, and took a gander at the limestone baths in which they soak ginger before setting it out to dry. Ashraf also took us to some shops where he no doubt received commission for any purchases we made. Colleen and I have gotten quite used to people trying to take advantage of us; and something just seemed different about Ashraf and his eagerness not only to show us around his town proudly, but to take us to the tourist area and say "just look, don't buy…expensive" and then to a local shop to buy any goodies. I would like to thank Ashraf for helping crack off some of the hardened shell thats calcified around me as a result of being taken advantage of on a daily basis. Robin--our new South African friend exploring with us--and I inquired about the commission that Ashraf received for our purchases at the shops. He explained that the 2% he received helps pay for his children's school. He beamed with a smile to see Colleen and I walk out with shopping bags and exclaimed, "I can get their books!" His honesty was heart-warming and refreshing.
My face hit the pillow with a PLOP of coconut cannonball, only to be aroused the next morning to the sweet aroma of freshly sliced fruit, steaming idli, chutney, and sambar. This day would be even more fun filled as we were about to embark on the Kerala famous backwaters tour! While this was probably the most touristy thing we have done since arriving to India, who could resist floating on a houseboat through sparkling waters and palmed islands, get a crash course on ayurvedic plants (I ate a cinnamon leaf!), hop on a canoe thru the tiny shaded canals thru a local village, with lunch, pick-up and drop off included all for eleven bucks?! It was also our first 'real' encounter with the tourist crowd, and we had the pleasure of sitting alongside peeps from Canada, England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Finland, Denmark, and India. I felt as bad-ass as Anthony Bourdain in his Kerala episode, sitting in the sunlight on a houseboat, sipping fermented coconut water (which later turns to "Toddy"), and picking at freshly prepared seafood. While I loved sitting up front in the houseboat, with my feet dangling over the edge while I waved at passing fishermen, I'd say that I mostly enjoyed meandering thru the tiny backwater canal. The long canoe rocked through a sea of lily pads and mosses stretching over the banks. Saturated hues of green blanket the thick, humid air. Sunlight trickled through the trees and sparkled along the water ripples. I have expected fairies to flutter out from behind the tall grasses and place a crown of lilies on my head.
Women slap their laundry in the dark water while children scampered along the riverbank calling out to us curiously. This teeny shaded village is just one of the many treasures tucked between the palms of the backwater tropical paradise. It was a time where I feel like I experienced a secret in India.
No comments:
Post a Comment