Cochin!

Our own table on the verandah.

The Homestay has lovely wooden finishes.

After two bus rides we were soon in Cochin and back to familiar ground. We booked in at The Spencer Home where we have stayed for the past two visits to Kerala and we were given the same room as previously. room nine!
It is a delightful place, close enough to most things and is beautifully maintained. the rooms all open onto a verandah which leads onto a central garden.

Right opposite to the Homestay is a large open field where boys of all ages gather. Various cricket teams or soccer teams are set up and they play and play and play!! On one occasions I counted over ninety boys. I wonder where all the girls are!! Learning to cook some of those delicious Kerala dishes I hope.

Moving on!

All good things come to an end and it is time for us to take leave of the Backwaters. this special place has given us the peace we were seeking, the healing we needed, time to reflect and a chance to appreciate the wonderful world we live in. We feel that we have touched the soul of India ...just a little.

Our last night was filled with the most beautiful colours, reflected across the water from the sunset. We have so many amazing images, experiences and special moments to take away with us. Wow!

I was awakened early to the chatter of a couple of fisher women! They have to get to work early before the big commercial boats start using the waters so to mark their spot as a warning to passing traffic a long stick is stuck in the mud. These women were fishing for sand mussels.A basket is lowered on the bed of the water and then they jump and jiggle on them to make them go deeper and after awhile they go down and bring them up and empty their baskets into the boat. They seem to  stay down for  such a long time too!

Mussels are not only used for eating but also for fishing. So I guess the women get the bait and the men get the big fish!!







It was time to bid the family goodbye. Thomas and Josie loaded our luggage onto their bikes and pushed them down the canal to where we would get the tuk tuk to take us to the bus station for the next leg of our journey.

Note our luggage being transported on the bicycles!!

Oh dear, we've forgotten the coke for the journey in the fridge!! So back we go.

It was a hot morning and the perspiration was pouring off my face although it was just after eight in the morning. Rosie thought I was having a cry because we were leaving and she hugged me and said she knows we will be back soon!! I hope so, but who knows. We leave with lots of wonderful memories which we will dwell on for a long time to come.

Cricket, cricket,cricket!

Coach Warren.

While waiting for our bus, we got friendly with a group of local boys. Their English was pretty good and they loved practicing it on us. Being school holidays,  much time was spent throwing a ball around. Cricket is the most favoured sport and topic wherever you go in India and before we knew it Warren was invited to join the boys in the afternoon at their cricket game.

He also gave them a few coaching lessons while we were waiting for the bus that never arrived. When we did get to town he bought the kids a new ball for which they were really grateful.

This old boy just watched quietly.

 Next to all this action was this porker lying, tethered to a tree. It probably knew it's time was up!

Right near this spot is the BUTCHERY!

The Butchery was undergoing a few renovations before piggy was going to be prepared for Easter lunch! These fellows, plus a few passersby were propping up the roof and adding an extra pole. Once the pole was in place, all of the helpers had to test the strength of the new pole by swinging on it to test it's strength.  Aha....it is all ready for the .....piggy.

The Big Test

I am sorry to say that piggy is not going to make it to the market!!


So after sitting around watching the passing show and Warren doing a bit of coaching, we are gave up on the bus and went into town in a tuk tuk.