Travel UN!imited

To read another article select an option from the list --------------------------------------- Travel Unlimited Home Page --------------------------------------- Historical Sites --------------------------------------- Ajanta Badami Bhimbetka Bikaner Daulatabad Ellora Gyaraspur Hampi Jaisalmer Mandu Sanchi Vidisha --------------------------------------- Wild Ramblings --------------------------------------- Arashinagundi and Kodachadri Chembra Jog Falls Kabini Kerala Railway Track Trek Ranthambhore Roopkund Tapovan Dandeli White-Water Rafting --------------------------------------- Photo Gallery --------------------------------------- Miscellany

Day 2

The next day we manage to wake, bathe, breakfast and check out by eleven, feeling almost human again. We have been debating whether to go to Alwaye - a little known little town nearby, the prime attraction of which is a palace, now converted to a tourist bungalow - or whether to check out some of the sights in Kochi, notably the famous Synagogue, before leaving for Thekkady, in Periyar, a five-hour drive away. A phone call to Thekkady confirms our reservations and we learn that an afternoon boat safari leaves at 4. Since it is unlikely that we can catch it, we decide to spend some time in Kochi, but not leave too late, since we have no desire to repeat last night's experience any time soon.

A short drive takes us to Jew Town, which is, as its name implies, a settlement of mainly Jewish populace, with cobbled streets and quaint architecture. Shops line the street leading to the famous Synagogue, the oldest in the commonwealth, having been built in 1568. However we are disappointed, after hearing much about it, to see an unimpressive, modern-looking structure, with a crowded and dimly-lit interior. Despite the promise of riches in the shape of ancient scrolls of the old testament and Chinese paintings, our lack of knowledge of Jewish customs and religious habits deters us and we don't enter. Instead we pay a visit to the Dutch Palace, whose name alone gives rise to visions of grandeur. It is said to have been gifted to the Raja of Cochin in 1515 by foreign settlers-not Dutch - and acquired its current name following repairs carried out by the Dutch. Here we are disappointed once again by its unexcitingly modern exterior, and also the complete lack of anything grandiose in scale or decoration. This seems less like one of the palaces as we are used to seeing in the north in Delhi, Rajasthan, even Agra, bereft of decorative motifs and vast open areas of space either within or without. It seems more like the house of a once-well-to-do eminent citizen, who, determined to make the most of his small patch of land, clustered the maximum possible number of buildings in the minimum possible area without making it aesthetically unpleasant. Within is a museum, with some paintings, a couple of splendid dolis, a howdah, regalia and other such items befitting a museum. None of which succeed in overcoming our general disenchantment with the term 'palace.'

It is a Sunday, so the church of St Francis - said to be worth seeing - will be shut (???), we are told. Puzzled by this strange law, we decide to head for Thekkady, leaving behind us the oldest European settlement in India.

The route to Thekkady takes us close to Kottayam - a quick journey over smooth roads and little traffic. The road then heads uphill and deteriorates considerably, patches of it being so bad that it bears less semblance to a road and considerably more semblance to the lily pond which goes by the name Ulsoor Lake in Bangalore. In parts it seems a good idea to don life jackets and risk a swim.

However. We reach Thekkady just before six after a drive through beautiful hills offering vistas good enough to give the panoramic views of the lower hills in the Himalayas a run for their money. Despite a couple of brief stops for photo ops, the bone rattling journey has taken almost six hours, and the dense greenery around the resort invites us to go on a long rambling exploratory walk. So we rush through check-in and haggling with the driver, and hurry to unload our luggage. Only to find we have none. Panic strikes as wild thoughts of highway robbery flash through our minds. Then rationality returns with the drivers assurances that there was nary an opportunity. A few quick phone calls in front of an astonished front desk reveals that the Cochin hotel has indeed kept our luggage, under the impression that we were to check out and return for our luggage once we had finished local sightseeing.

We spend the next few moments alternately cursing and laughing at our predicament. Then a few more phone calls and it's all arranged: The hotel in Cochin will forward our luggage to the hotel in Alleppey who will pay the carrier of the luggage a predetermined amount which will then be - but of course - added to our bill in Alleppey.

This settled, we step out to view our environs. To our dismay, it is now quite dark, so we step inside and head for the bar, aiming to fortify ourselves for the luggageless night ahead. We discover a swimming pool and sit there sipping our drinks and discussing - of all things - how to calculate the area of a square annd circle by differentiation and double integration. Thus stimulated we feed our faces on Kozhi chicken and fish malabari served with excellent plain boiled rice, which, along with the drinks, does much to raise our spirits both literally and figuratively. Having borrowed a couple of toothbrushes from the still astonished front desk, we retire to bed.

Next page >> | << Previous page

Comments and information welcome. Write to poupee97 at yahoo dot com
Copyright © 2006 Amit and Anamika Mukherjee. All rights reserved.