From Munnar To Fort Cochin

After a relaxing Munnar we went on to Fort Cochin. Our relaxed bodies soon gave way to tense muscles after a bus ride from a driver with 'special Keralan training'. We made it to Fort Cochin in 4 hours, well under the allotted 6.5 hours of the state run bus! We found our preferred guest house Elite Hotel, which was a major disappointment. It was obvious that a mention in the Lonely Planet had made the owner complacent and the hotel was now in a dingy state. We decided to stay one night, whilst we found somewhere else. We ended up in a guesthouse only 50 meters away - Princess Inn, which was clean, friendly and cheaper.

That night we had a wander around the historic town and discovered the Chinese fishing nets - large, cantilevered nets that are down by the port. They've been there hundreds of years and were bought over during the reign of Kublai Khan. They're still used today by the fishermen who scratch a measly living from them. We discovered these just as the sun was going down and the tide was high, so the fishermen were using them in the low light of evening sun. Quite magical.

The rest of time in Fort Cochin was spent wondering around the colonial streets and drinking tea in a charming little teashop called Teapot. Their selection of tea was second to none, with a variety of different grades from the plantations as well as fruit and herb teas. All of which could be accompanied by cake. How colonial we felt! On one visit we had 'silver tips' tea, made from the young unfolded leaves of the tea plant. They create a fragrant, delicate flavour which we both adored. Unfortunately, this tea was 50 Rupees a cup as compared to 15 Rupees of standard tea. A rather expensive cuppa, but really good!