The start of the day for us to journeying to Cochin, aka Kochi. Cochin and Kochi by the way is the same. Same. Basically. Basically, its up to you how you want to address or call this part of Kerala, I somehow, don't ask me why, prefer Cochin. Cochin indeed as I have already told you, is the jump start, but we will be doing Trivandrum sightseeing first. Those places we didn't cover on the first day, prior to stepping foot in Cochin. My last night sleeping, are you curious in finding out? I bet you are, especially solo women travellers like me? Albeit, remember, I told you? About the couple joining in my Kerala holidaying (
Kerala Alleppey Houseboat &
Trivandrum Part 1)? Which means, I didn't do Kerala on my own, yet, its me my sleeping alone. Honestly, not a peaceful sleep because as always, my fear of sleeping alone in a new county, in a new hotel is far out, the fear of hammer house of ghost horror. Those horror stories I am assuming you have already been told by sleeping alone solo travellers? Those horrifying stories, trust me, kept popping up on my mind. Back and forth throughout the night. As if automatically striking on my head constantly. What then? I tossed and turned the whole night despite leaving all the lights on. Leaving the lights on definitely I think will help in thwarting evil because basically darkness is our fear and darkness in return will put imaginative scariness on our mind? Wouldn't you agree?
Regardless of fear or fearlessly, I was ready by 7.00am for joining the couple for buffet breakfast. Really mouthwatering Kerala cuisine as
in so far (Alleppey Houseboat). Delicious Kerala cooking. We of course delightfully tucked in, yet pigging out has never been my game point. Never to pigging or piling up and wasting. Never me. Sincerely no. But I did food venture a tiny bit of this and that, sparingly.
Breakfast was followed by, what else you tell me? Cannot be back to the room sleeping? Of course not. Instead sightseeing embarking Trivandrum. Our first stop? Thanking and seeking gods blessing in Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Once we got down at the main road, my common sense and gut feelings spoke to me. No matter how decently you are dressed in this part of India, it is still obscene for the Keralites/Malayalies. These people somehow feel they are, above everyone, the most decently dressed people throughout the globe. So, my t--shirt and angle length pants I knew will be an obstruction to god reaching. Maybe, just saying, one way of tourist ripping money making gimmick as well, we had to buy the dhotti/vatti for tying around our lower part of our body. And seriously, tight security caught us off guard as well. What? Why? Handbags checked, no photographs,
lucky me for my camera was not barred and to be on a save side, we trailed the
locals into Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple
While offering our prayers, we noticed the express lane. The "paying-highway' lane for speeding up the process of god reaching closer. Oh-my-god!
God have mercy. Holiness for a price? You tell me please. Are you kidding me? Should we at all comment, should we oppose, should we speak our mind or we should just zip-up? I kept quiet. If only I would have opened my big fat mouth, most probably I would have been kicked out of this temple. But you know what? For all that Kerala religion preaching and practicing, you should have seen the Kerala women. Chunks of meat hanging and protruding out from their skimpy saree blouses and tummy hanging huge bellies saree midriff. Phew! What a shame. Decency interpreted differently in differently parts of the world. Of course, for the Indians, they are the worst hippocrates and size hippopotamus.
Whatever, we prayed and within half an hour, we left Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple to arrive in Sree Chitra Art Gallery which houses the collection
of paintings, representing various genres of paintings in India and from other parts of Asia with a distinct stamp of Indian culture. Okay, I
agree. Arts, culture and creativity must be 100% honoured. Then again, for the ordinary human like me who know nuts about paintings and drawing values? Well, you just see and there is only so much you can gasp and understand. Especially within the limited 20 minutes. Unless of course, you get down to the nitty gritty and spend a few hours in Sree Chitra Art Gallery? Right?
Subsequently, we walked to the close by 130 years old Napier
Museum (named after former Madras Governor General, John Napier) where we were allowed to awe but not allowed to take pictures of the rare collection of archaeological
and historic artefacts, bronze idols, ancient ornaments, temple chariot and ivory carvings. All of these, summing up as Kerala's rich cultural heritage.
Napier Museum definitely will be a treasured treasure for history and culture fascinated buffs, I am one of them by the way. Up next, Art Gallery and Zoo within the same admirable garden ground. Art again? Indeed yes. Was I impressed? Perhaps. But sincerely, I actually enjoyed my time in the zoological garden. One of the oldest in India where it is basically seeing the animals or animals seeing you.
Half a day day gone by, we then arrived in Travancore Court which was the starting point of our Kerala Tour. Leaving our belongings in the room, we lunched. Indeed. Another round of wide spread Kerala cuisine splendidness. My-my! Good to every bite and bit savory dishes and super-creamy,
super-rich and super-luscious desserts. Payasam, gulab, rasgulla and what
not, I tell you, ultimately, were the crown winners as world crowning desserts.
To be continued.........................
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