If we’re being really honest, we went back and forth about whether on not we should travel to India on this trip many, many times. Would it feel too overwhelming? Would we both feel safe? It’s such a massive country—where would we even go? These were some of the questions we flipped and flopped over until at last we made a last minute choice to go for it! This southern state in India couldn’t have been the more perfect introduction to what this country has to offer. Palm trees, seaside fishing, and vibrant green tea-covered hills weren’t previously synonymous with India in our minds, but we’re so glad that has changed after a week in this area.
Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi is a historic port city on the south western coast of India. This area has been impacted by Portuguese, Dutch, and British influence while remaining a strong spice trading port throughout time. A slow, delicious dinner caused us to miss out on our walking tour here, so DIY tour part 2 was thrown into action! We meandered through the streets that look like they’re simultaneously being built up and torn down. A visit to St. Francis Church, which is one of the oldest European-built churches in India, & Santa Cruz Cathedral taught us we certainly underestimated the popularity of Catholicism in some parts of India!
After making our way to the seaside, we had to stop and admire the Chinese fishing nets, which are thought to have been introduced in the 13th or 14th century. These counterweight contraptions proved quite effective as the streets were lined with fisherman selling freshly caught fish to be cooked for you on the spot. We spent quite a bit of time walking down the waterfront promenade, sitting near the water, watching fishermen wading off the shore, and then dipping our legs in the Arabian Sea.
Once upon a time in August, a very young us set the ambition to see a movie in each country we visited. We did not do this. However, we did see a movie in Fort Kochi! Nothing says date night like checking out the local theater and seeing a movie in a language you cannot speak or understand at all, but really the kick we get out of this remains in tact. We saw the ultra-locally filmed Officer On Duty movie in Malayalam. Sure, some of the dialogue elements were lost on us, but the key takeaways seemed quite clear: drugs are bad & violence is good as long as it’s by the officer on duty. Thankfully a new local friend we met while walking out confirmed that we successfully gathered the general gist of this “Mollywood” movie.
Munnar
We thought some of our bus rides in South America had us a little on edge…how young and inexperienced we were. The local bus drivers in Kerala in comparison are seemingly fearless speedily whipping the windowless buses down narrow, winding mountain roads. All we could really do was hold on tight, surrender to fate, and enjoy the tea-filled views.
The main attraction of Munnar are the many tea plantations. We quickly learned that locations of some tea plantations are absolutely not where they say they are on Google Maps. After feeling pretty lied to after a few failed attempts, we were thrilled when the tea museum location was accurate! Here we learned the history of Kanan Devan Hills Plantation starting in the 1890s and saw a demonstration of the tea leaf preparation process. It was also here that we ourselves became an exhibit for the first time. While standing and reading some exhibit signage, a lady was suddenly standing by our side pointing to a friend with a camera. Suddenly there was a line formed to take individual pictures with us. Little did we know this would become all too normal for us.
We also did a tour and tasting at the Lockhart Tea Factory. Seemingly transported back to the early 1900s, all safety standards were tossed out the window as our group climbed the creaky stairs of the drying areas and then got way too close to cutting and packing machinery. That’s not to say we didn’t enjoy it, it was just laughable how wrong things could go if one person just got a little too close and curious. The tour concluded with sampling different white, green, and black teas. All of which were brewed for the same amount of time with water of the same temperature?? Not sure who is/has been lying about tea brewing procedures…Also, we were shocked to learn that all three tea types come from the same exact plant.
Being surrounded by hundreds of acres of tea plantations, it was easy to enjoy some beautiful walks along the tea-lined roads. During each walk, we found ourselves taking on a furry companion joining us for hours at a time. I guess these outcast dogs just wanted to feel like they’re part of a pack. We concluded our time in the hills with a nice and vertical sunrise hike. The soon-to-be rising sun was raced as we hiked along the ridge up to Chokramudi peak. The sun beat us by just a few minutes, but we still won gorgeous sweeping views from the top.
The Tastes of Southern India
- Idili. Fluffy steamed cakes from a fermented batter.
- Dosa. Huge & perfectly thin and somewhat crispy crepe-like treat with lots of dipping sauces. We love.
- Curries. Oh, how splendid it is to be able to indulge in endless variety of delicious and affordable curries. Some favorites here were: kadai chicken, pea & cashew, and butter chicken. Dry garlic chicken was also extra yum.
- Grilled chicken. After one of us spent a month indulging in mostly vegan/vegetarian cuisine in Indonesia, access to affordable grilled chicken here was quite welcome.
- Chai. Although this just means tea, we love the masala chai that it’s typically synonymous with that’s packed with a beautiful warm blend of spices and milk.
If you ever find yourself in Fort Kochi, you should absolutely eat at Spice Root Restaurant and eat everything on the menu.
Silly Little Stats
- # of beds slept in: 77
- # of countries visited: 11
- # of transportation modes: 14 (plane, train, bus, colectivo, tuk-tuk, ferry, motorbike, long tail boat, tricycle, car, bicycle, canoe, jeepny, cable cars)
- Bus (non-local): 30
- Plane: 17
- Ferry: 11
- Train: 3
- # of days since leaving Colorado: 232
After dipping our toes into India with a gentle start in the South, the time had come to dive to the North.