Radinja 9

First of all some stats Flight distances from Airline websites. Indian Trains from IR. BD trains and boat estimates as no distances appear anywhere. Road distances from Google. International Flights               4             18,000 km BD Domestic Flight                  1                200 km BD Metre Gauge Trains           2                285 km BD Car                                         1                120 km Rocket Boat                                1                200 km ...

Our early check out goes smoothly and the lift to the airport is prompt and efficient. Kochi International Airport has been totally rebuilt since we last visited in 2015. It is also rather quiet, so queuing to have our passports and boarding cards checked five times on the way through doesn't take up too much time. The fact that we arrived by train from Bangladesh causes a bit of interest at immigration. They obviously don't see a Kolkata Chitpur stamp very often. The large and very empty food court takes about forty minutes to complete a straightforward breakfast order, delivering it in dribs and drabs. They need a bit of Sajhome efficiency here. There is a delay announcement for the flight but things soon get moving. In a break with tradition the meal on the flight to Dubai is breakfast rather than lunch, and not one of Emirates' better efforts. In Dubai D manages to leave our boarding passes at the duty free checkout but realises before any harm is done. R then...

Breakfast at the Saj place works on a four day cycle so we are back to puttu today, served with curried chickpeas and delicious fresh papaya. Divine. We have to clear our room by 10 am but we can leave our bags until our taxi picks us up at 3 pm. Monday is Free Day at the Biennale venues so that will do nicely. We see some of the stuff at Aspinwall House that we didn't have time for on Wednesday. One exhibit is a cross between a loom and a harpsichord, with taut wires, that can be played with shaped sticks Out in the big courtyard there is a circular glass construction, designed so that the inside mists up with condensation. Visitors are encouraged to create images which last for a minute or so before steaming up again. R makes her Biennale debut with a picture entitled "Can U Paddle". Not sure when the judging takes place. We celebrate with ginger mint lemonade. We move round the island checking out some of the lesser venues but don't find anythi...

 Today is the day of the Big Pack. Will things fit in our luggage? Always a bit nerve wracking but hopefully we should be OK as we have shed one or two items en route and not bought too much to take home. Breakfast is dishcloth dosas and potato curry. After we have eaten R has a Mehendi session booked while D starts to tackle the packing. The lady who does the hand painting is a real artist. By the time we go out it is noon, the clouds have cleared and walking is not on the agenda. We take an auto down to Mattancherry and do some spice shopping in a cooperative store, run by extremely knowledgeable ladies. They are keen to show off the hand loom in a room at the back of the store but there is no pushy hard sell. At the cashier's desk we learn that they give a discount for cash, music to the ears of a Yorkshireman. The very smart hotel on the waterfront is nearby and we drop in for ginger lime sodas, bagging the last shady table in the process. At the prices they charge ...

Alarm clock this morning as we plan to get on with things. Breakfast is rice noodles with pea and coconut kari. It is humbling to discover how many different delicious breakfasts there are in Kerala. Muesli will never seem the same again. Once fed we set out for the ferry. It is a bit cloudy and very humid this morning. No breej at all as we cross the harbour. We take an auto up to the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary, near the High Court. We become aware of a lot of noise from some of the tree  tops. There are hundreds of bats hanging up there. There is a watch tower which might give a better view so we climb that, but when we get to the top it rocks precariously, as well as providing a home for some enormous black bees. We beat a retreat.  Ground level is basically swamp with a couple of paved paths for access. We get glimpses of sunbirds, an unidentified water bird and an orange headed thrush but R quickly attracts clouds of small biting insects and we decide to ski...

Today is earmarked for D's outing on the Kochi Metro. For once we are not the only ones in breakfast, which is small dosas stuffed with potato and tomato. Very tasty. D gets his things together, including the dodgy sandal, and sets off on foot to the ferry terminal. Overnight large quantities of Hammer & Sickle red flags have appeared around the town.  D's timing is perfect the last couple of people are at the window on the landing stage, buying tickets and, after D buys his, the shutter comes down. The boat is standing room only, but not jam packed, and there is a nice breeze through the open sides. The trip is non-stop and there are plenty of other boats crisscrossing from other jetties around the harbour. On the Ernakulam side D has to walk about 600 metres to the current southern terminal of the line, Maharaja's College, which is a lofty three levels above MG Road, the busy shopping street through the heart of the city. When we were last here there was just ...

We sleep extremely well and have to scramble to get to the eight o'clock breakfast that we asked for. The Kerala menu was our chosen option and we have no regrets when it arrives. Pineapple lassi, followed by puttu topped with coconut, served with black chickpea kari, sliced banana and things that look and taste like crisps. You can keep your avocado toast and hash browns. The concept of black tea, no sugar has arrived here so all is good. Our plan today is to hit the less touristy areas to get one or two things for home. D does some research and finds a place a mile or so away that has a few shops that might fit the bill. As we exit, yesterday's auto driver is waiting. He quotes a reasonable fare to where we want to go and, once we are underway, asks why we want to go there. When we say 'Kitchenware' he tells us that he knows some good places. As we know nothing about the places picked off the internet we go for it. If he picks up a few bucks commission we can li...