day 72 – cochi, india

will post pics tonight when internet isn't jammed and slow...

this was such a memorable day!  we waited anxiously for the ship to clear customs and immigration, got our landing passes from the office for india, put on our sunscreen, got some bottled water and took off.  we had been told that the drivers for hire inside the port area had paid for permits to be there and would charge more than the drivers just outside the port area.  so for the price of a five minute walk in the sun, it was the difference between a 40 dollar ride and a 10 dollar ride… what a deal! 

we walked past several assertive cabbies to a tuktuk driver… a tuktuk is like a motorized tricycle with a roof, driver in front, two in a backset… it was decorated inside with pictures of hindu deities… our driver’s name was manilal and said he would take us to the place we wanted to go for lunch and then to the markets we wanted to visit for 10 bucks.  we were like, “10 bucks for all that?”  and he said yes… we were told to agree on and repeat the price several times before embarking so we did, and took off.  we asked to go to the taj hotel where there was rumored to be the best food in town with the least chance of anything making you ill. 

riding in the tuktuk is quite an experience!  there are no traffic signals, and the lane lines are there though not particularly observed.  the road is shared by tuktuks, cars, trucks of every size, motor scooters, motorcycles, bicycles, buses and goats (yes, goats!).  we got to the taj and manalil said he would wait for us.  we hadn’t even paid him, and could’ve taken off, but he trusted us to come back.  there were gates and guards at the hotel, and they asked why we were there before they would let us in.  once in, they had someone escorting us until we arrived at our restaurant destination.  the hotel and grounds were quite beautiful, right on the waterfront with lovely grounds and gardens and very well-appointed interior.  when we realized it would be another hour or so before we would be able to have lunch, bob went out to give manalil the 10 bucks and told him he didn’t have to stay if he didn’t want to, that we could catch another ride, then he could go and make more money, but he insisted on waiting for us.  bob told him it would be awhile, and he was fine with that.  when he came back, we browsed through the hotel gift shops (where i got an indian cookbook), and we walked around the gardens and grounds.  when it was almost time for our restaurant to open (and the maitre d’ had reserved us a lovely corner table looking out at the garden and water), we went to sit down and saw two ladies from the ship at the table next to us.  they bought us a drink, which was very friendly, i thought!  we tried the local brew, kingfisher beer, and it was very refreshing.  we were told not to drink un-bottled water or anything with it, including ice, and to opt for bottled beverages as the rim of bottle hadn’t been touched by anything.  beer seemed to fit this description… i didn’t mention that it was quite hot out, though, luckily, the humidity here was much lower than in singapore or manila, so it was a bit easier to deal with… the hotel was nicely air conditioned, so coming in from our stroll outside and sitting in a cool place with a view and having a cold beer was pretty great all by itself.  

there was a lovely menu, though we opted for variety offered by the well reputed indian buffet.  the price was 750 rupees per person, or about 15 dollars each.  in the states, a comparable meal in a comparable setting would have been at least 50 or 60 dollars each, i am sure; it was amazing!  the waiter came to tell us that even though the hot dishes were not yet out, if we wished to have soup, we could start with that.  we went into the room where they were laying out all the food… i asked if i could take pictures, and they said sure, so i did before people dove in and made them disappear… i had to take pictures of the names of everything so i could remember all the things we had… the names are fun and exotic… paneer pulao, kumbalanga moru curry, pavakkai thoran, kadai paneer, methi dal, meen manga curry, gosht palak, crab meat with spicy rice and scallions, thai tenderloin salad with glass noodles and chilies, hummus beiruty, lime pickle, sweet mango pickle, green chili and garlic pickle, gooseberry pickle, fish pickle, shrimp pickle, kerala rice, cheese and vegetable crepes with orange beurre blanc, and i could keep going and going, to say nothing of the desserts, including homemade blueberry ice cream… 

as we knew this would be our only meal that day, we ate ourselves into a bit of a stupor, i confess, and there wasn’t one thing that we didn’t both love.  not just like, but love… we decided that it was absolutely in our top five dining out experiences in all the time we have known one another… yes!  it really was that good that i could write paragraphs and take pictures of it and write a song about it… another kingfisher and we were ready to be carried back out to our tuktuk…

manalil asked where we wished to go, and i told him i was interested in picking up some spices, maybe some tea or fabric… he took us to an exceedingly high end store with very expensive saris and rugs, etc… we walked right back out and told him we need something cheaper!  we tried to explain we are working people, not vacationers, tho i am sure we are still better off than most folks in india where the average annual income is less than $3,000 a year.  he took us to another tailor where there were many beautiful fabrics, saris, scarves, still quite expensive though.  i gave up on the fabric and asked to get some spices.  we drove into a very colorful neighborhood (lots of goats eating the trash) and went into a couple of places.  the salespeople are very aggressive and don’t want to let you just look around or browse.  i had one try to force me to drink his tea even though i told him if i had one more thing to eat or drink i would be sick right there in his store… one vendor was so irritated with a tourist who wouldn’t cave to his best offer that he threw the bracelet and calculator across the shop… we quickly bought a few spices and left… manalil stopped at another shop with souvenirs, and i got a cheap scarf and a lucky elephant (trunk up) statue for nino.  we went back to the tuk tuk and told manalil we had to go back since bob had to get ready for work and i had to write a port song, get a short rest and shower and get ready also. 

we tipped him another 20 bucks for his amazing service and patience and kindness.  he even walked into the shops with us and i felt like he had our backs if we had needed him to translate or if anything weird went down… it was such an enjoyable day, though the pollution and dust made my throat recovery a little dicey… i felt a bit rough around the edges, but weaved in several instrumental breaks into my night to rest my pipes a bit… with the big tandoori bbq dinner they had on the ship (bob n i skipped dinner as we had such a spread today), my theme was RnB-bq (hee hee) featuring several rhythm n blues songs, some old, some new (from otis redding and etta james to john legend and alicia keys).  it was a well attended set, and i went til about 11:45.  what a day!  one of my favorite day adventures so far!  so glad bob is here, or it wouldn’t have been what it was at all… ciao (or chow, haha) for now, di (mama)

port song for cochi, india

(to the tune of “my favorite things”)

we came to india i was so excited

on a quest for cuisine by our tastebuds were guided

we took a tuktuk to the great taj hotel

and we thought that the atmosphere there was real swell

our driver said he’d wait til we were done lunching

i had no idea how long we would be munching

and he said no matter the price was the same

so we went inside and were so glad we came

the buffet would not start until twelve thirty

we thought we’d do shopping after in case it got dirty

we looked through the gift shops and bought a cookbook there

and grabbed a nice table where lunch we could share

and some ladies from our ship there bought us a cold beer

we said we would try a nice cold kingfisher

because it’s what people drink around here

i went in a before it was quite time to dish up

to take pictures of it all before it got mixed up

everything was so lovely, they didn’t miss a thing

i wish you could taste it and smell it as i sing

the spread it was wonderful and oh so inviting

the smells and the sights and the colors exciting

so many dishes to try that that we’ve never had

everything was amazing not a bid of it bad

peppers and pickles and chutneys and curry

we tried not to eat it in too much of a hurry

everything was oh so delicious there

i swear that i could have rubbed it all in my hair

but i didn’t, though we did have more kingfisher beer

and the flatbread, it must have come straight there from heaven

i wish we could stay for dinner here

we’ve dined on the east coast and west coast and in paris

there’s only a few meals with which we could compare this

the service was gracious, the prices were low

compared with so many other places we go

we met our tuktuk driver who was still waiting for us

he squired us around to the shops for the tourists

i saw women in saris of every hue

and people on scooters and bicycles too

the traffic was crazy and goats were all over

there was garbage one moment then beautiful flowers

we got an elephant statue and spices for the rack

and a cheap, pretty silk scarf then it was time to go back

to write a port song, and take a shower, and get a rest back here

this port of cochi was a wonderful daytrip

and the best lunch we’ve had all year