last days

On our way back to Cochin from Alleppey we took the coast road and pulled into Marari Beach just to make sure the beach was as beautiful as we remembered. It was. Finally we reach Cochin and the Old Harbour Hotel. As returnees we've been given an upgrade and are now currently enjoying the facilities of their Princess Suite which has its own covered veranda with the wooden windows you see in a lot of the promotion external shots of the hotel. There is a dining table with four chairs and planters chairs with arms that extend out to enable you to put your feet up. In the bedroom are the most beautiful wide polished floor boards, upon which is another great big bed and the first bath we have seen in India. It is enormous, a roll top with the taps in the middle, an invitation to wallow if ever there was one. We still opt for a shower though! Music under the stars again was perfect.

This morning I'm awake early as usual and opt for a walk along the sea wall. We've only been away six and a bit weeks and in that time they have built a new container port which opened two or three weeks ago. It has rail links to Chennai and Bangalore. Its on the other side of the river and I watch as a container ship stacked high makes it way past the traditional Chinese fishing nets. India is changing fast.

The catches of the day were being sold, the fish vendors bicycles were lined up with their plastic crates waiting to be filled with fish before being pedalled around the town to sell, their calls echo around the streets alerting householders to the approach of the mobile store.



Our final day of hard work by the pool beckons, we might splash out on a bottle of wine tonight but possibly not as we have to be up seriously early tomorrow for our fight to Dubai and then onto London and home. Its going to be tricky adjusting!

later - I don't think we will be splashing out on wine tonight as we have just found out that the first of every month is a dry day and alcohol is not allowed to be served! It is designed to stop people spending all their wages on booze.