Kochin (Kerala), India - January 1st, 2007

Happy New Year 2007!
Christine has hired a car with driver for 2 weeks, so today she was leaving town. She decided this time to doing this way and make it easier on herself. After all, she has to go back to work in a week already, so she can relax and be taken from town to town (only the south of Kerala, So. India).
I took the ferry to Fort Kochin and suddently I saw many tourists in groups. I sat with the sari ladies. When we arrived, I went to visit the Mattancherry Palace and the Pardesi Sinagogue surrounded by Jew Town. This sinagogue was destroyed by the Portuguese and rebuilt by the Dutch. Around the sinagogue is Jew Town, spice trade center.
The beach on Fort Kochin is terrible, small and dirty water, just a little promenade above that the Indian people were walking by. Next to it are the Chinese fishing nets, which they are used in high tide only.
I had to take another ferry to go to Vypeen Island where the beach with decent water was located. This time, many Hindus were in the water, the young boys, and guys, the women only wet their feet and hold on to their saris so they don't wet too wet. No tourists though, I wanted were they all went.
I realized that being in the beach in India is different than the rest of the world. None of these people really enjoy the beach nor let us enjoy it! They have a big issue with bodies and undressing, yet, they are full of morbid thoughts and judgements when we, westerners, ar trying to enjoy the ocean or the sun. They will watch, they will stare, and they will approach you - in the water and out of the water -- so you are not allowed to be left alone or to have some privacy. It can be very annoying because the fun of going to the beach becomes a real challenge and culture shock.

Kochin (Kerala), India - December 31st, 2006

Since today is the last day of the year, I decided to travel to Kochin because I wanted to be by the beach to welcome the New Year. I stayed in Kochin mainland, Ernakulam.
Kochin consists of 4 islands, Fort Kochin, and Mattancherry, and they are all linkied by ferries and bridges.
I went to see a Kathakali performance in the evening, which is based on the Hindu epics of Ramayana. They used to take place in the temples. The first hour we watched the characters put on their make up, and after that was the performance dance. Christina, the Italina girl I met there, asked me to call her if I wanted to do something for the New Year's eve celebration, but instead I went to bed...and woke up to the New Year 2007!!