Day 2

I woke up very early and that allowed me to slowly get myself together. When I learned that in hotel breakfast is in price and it's open buffet, you can only imagine what I did. I stuffed myself quite a lot, but maybe not to degree when I can't walk. Breakfast seems to be important meal in Kerala. All the staple food is breakfast food.

With my hoodie and jacket packet that I had on me in Poland, there were very little space left in suitcase and backpack and I didn't have space for new things I bought. Out of desperation, I decided that I will go for something more familiar - mall. It's hard to know for me sometimes where to buy certain specific things even in Poland and here it's even more confusing. Fortunately one was very close. One interesting tidbit - they have guard and check-in before entrance to the mall, metal detector gate and all. Weirdly enough, it's only when you're entering, but not when you're leaving.

I had long route ahead of me and I went for the buses like yesterday, but it was less smooth, because at least once I entered wrong one. Buses here are experience. Usually they don't have windows at all (and for good reason, otherwise I don't know how that would heat with all these people closed in it) and if they have it's plastic windows which are basically always opened either way. There are two people who run the bus - the silent driver and the guy who is collecting tickets and screams something at the stops. I'm not sure if it's name of the goal or something else. At the front there are always some quotes - sentences, usually marxist, Christian or something motivational. There are also some imagery - again communist or religious. There were Che Guevara alongside his quote, there were tri-picture symbolizing three major religions of Kerala - Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. Put together alongside it symbolizes religious harmony of Kerala.

I didn't arrive exactly where I wanted, but it was close enough so I covered remaining distance on foot (again carrying suitcase around in places which don't have even pedestrian lanes). Addresses in India are confusing and I didn't get at the correct spot. I asked some local guy and he helped me - it came out that it's better to write name of the homestay rather than address provided, because otherwise Google Maps doesn't process it correctly. Somewhere at this point somehow the same tuk tuk guy from yesterday was just driving by so he stopped, but I developed thicker skin since yesterday and I said that I'm busy and I don't want his service.

My homestay's name is Bethlehem Green Woods. And it is lovely, it is exactly what I wanted, instead of sleeping in hotel. Even narrow alleyway leading to it was filled with charm and greenery. As the name suggests, it is made by Christian family, so as usual there are a lot of Christian imagery, but also photos of family. There are here also all-Kerala or all-India imagery or books. It's all really beautiful and I was happy as soon as I saw it. It's also in Fort Kochi itself, close to the ocean, close to most famous landmarks of Kochi. The owner said that they offer tour for cheap starting at the morning. I was actually happy, because it allowed me to slow down and not to try to see everything and just relax.

I think it's a good moment to switch from chronological depiction to more free flowing impressionistic, because rest of the day is in a way series of impressions and reflections. It allows me to cover some observations I had for both days so far (but were very on different level today, as I mentioned in [[Day 1 (Friday, 20.12.2024)|Day 1]]).

I went to the beach side and it visible transformed in the afternoon from the way it looked in the morning previous day. Honestly, I barely recognized it at first and I thought I'm on some beach much farther away. Somehow along the coast all the stalls magically appeared, even whole tent shops. Water was so warm, I couldn't believe it's December. I don't remember Baltic Sea being so warm even in the hot periods during summer. People rarely swim here, they usually only go to wet their feet and have fun with avoiding bigger waves. I saw only rare groups of boys that were swimming, I don't think girls ever do. I just enjoyed the beach, trying to wrap my head around the fact it's winter, going to wet my legs as locals do.

There is so many symbolism of communism and Marxism here in public. Red color flags, party symbols, sickle and hammer, even Che Guevara. There is also a lot of Christianity, people have cross and other paraphernalia put everywhere, in their cars, buses, but also stalls, doorsteps and obviously homes. The special cake prize winner is one church that was holding huge party banner at their gate with other red symbolism around it. Fusion and entanglement that was fully expected due to my knowledge about Kerala, but still baffling for my polish brain.

Another important, constant observation is how open people are. They can stare at you, really really stare, they don't have any sense that it could feel rude. Of course, big part of it is due to my look, with my unusual long hair with weird color, blue eyes and being tall. People don't have problem with pointing fingers at me while chatting and giggling. The bigger prize is going for the girl who smiled and pointed at me from another bus when we were at the traffic. They often also smile so widely that is irresistible. Some random passersby smile at me so way as in Poland you would smile upon randomly meeting good friend at the street. They often say hi and try to talk with me. Usually first question is where am I from. So I answer that Poland. There are different reactions on that and I don't know if most of them have even idea where it is so I add it's Central Europe. But only one person in the bus asked me after long pause, "sir, where is Poland? Is it close to UK?" Some boys usually recognize it as country of Lewandowski. There were one reaction I have been waiting for and I get it from a group of girls. Upon hearing "Poland" one girl said quote from a movie to another. Then I asked if that was the quote from the movie and all of them were visibly embarrassed and burst into laughter. The quote was from old cult classic political movie and it goes something like this: "Don't utter a word about Poland!"

People are so chatty, so helpful and smile so brightly, often they smile and wave at you. It's hard to predict who would smile at you, who would just stare and who barely notice you. It doesn't seem to be related to gender or age. Little kids, teenagers, adults, elderly - boys and girls.

I feel like I'm around so much beauty here. Nature obviously, but female beauty too. It's not just that these women are beautiful, but whole female aesthetic. They usually have long hair, wear saris (mostly older women, but some young ones too occasionally), churidars or salwar kameezes or variations of thereof. They put kajal around their eyes and they wear jewelry and jhumkas or other nice earrings. Sometimes some woman or girl dresses in trousers or generally more western clothes, but it's rare.

For men, they usually wear on the bottom either dhoti or jeans. Dhoti can look elegant when it's unfolded, but when folded in certain "practical" way that reveals legs it looks like diapers for adults (sorry malayali men, but it really do look like that!). On top they wear usually buttoned shirts. T-shirts are less common. Often enough also they wear some small earrings. The only exception are Muslim men sporting characteristic bear, sometimes wearing salwar and kurta and often taqiyah cap.

I went by ferry to the other island. It was attraction of its own, because ferry carries people on foot, but also cars, tuk tuks, motorbikes or even buses. Beach here were not so crowded and at some lagoon when the islands finished there were only small rivers separating it from an island with mangrove forest reserve park. Some boys encouraged me to come to swim "Come, swim! Come swim!". With limited English they asked me about everything, from where I'm from ("Lewandowski!") to my marital status ("Wife? Girlfriend?"). They tried without result to teach me some malayalam. They also asked me for 10 rupees for ferry raid (Little rascals!), but since the day before I developed thinner skin so I said them to ask their parents. Either way it was one of many highlights of the day.

When I returned to Fort Kochi I wandered a little bit more to the bazaar street and I saw more Muslim and their buildings, but it was too late, because most of things was already closed at this time. I returned to beach side and it was still very lively and very chill. There were police along the coast, but it was very chill and unproblematic crowd. I didn't see any people arguing or fighting I would expect in such a place and time in Poland. But rarely I saw any alcohol or drunk people here either.

One small highlight was when I was already moving around this evening crowd with goal of slowly returning to homestay. Some Christian children were coming to me, giving me some fliers with Christmas stories and inviting for some Christmas celebration at their church (I would actually go, but I will move at this point to different city at this point). When other children came with same fliers I didn't have heart to resist and taken it from them and give them "prayer wishes" - they wanted to pray for something I ask them to. I'm not sure how to depict it, but they were so sweet that I was almost moved to tears.

All in all, whole day was really wonderful. Probably the only bad thing for whole day is that I need to find some sandals, because I'm going around flip-flops that hurts me a little bit. At the late evening when I jus went to drink tea at the roof before going to sleep, mosquitoes were biting my already hurt feet. But besides that I was so happy and relaxed with this day that I went to sleep fully satisfied.

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