25 Feb - Allapphuza to Kochi
Daily Run 65km Total 247km
Start 08:09
Ride Time 04:08
Height Gain 108m
Average 15.7 kph
Today was a much nicer ride, never far from the sea, but you wouldn't know it unless you looked on the map. More rural, always friendly people. For two mornings on the trot now I've had my morning tea paid for by complete strangers, I'm so touched by it and just can't imagine it happening in Europe.
I'm in the touristy area of Fort Kochi and there's lots to do and see here. Friday is an admin day, tomorrow is a bit of sightseeing. Saturday morning I catch the ferry across the bay and start on a 3 or 4 day trip to Ooty.
Ooty, the 'Queen of the Hill Stations' is about 300km NE by the back roads, and is just over the border into the state of Tamil Nadu. More significantly for me, it sits at 7,350' above where I am sat now.........around 12 deg cooler (good) and it is raining/thunderstorms (not so good). Also, avoiding the main roads like the plague, my route shows precious little in the way of civilisation on the way up there, probably due to the fact that it is all nature reserves........which I'm wondering if I'll be allowed to enter.......hmmm.
Or...... I could just keep heading up the coast to Goa.
Today was a much nicer ride, never far from the sea, but you wouldn't know it unless you looked on the map. More rural, always friendly people. For two mornings on the trot now I've had my morning tea paid for by complete strangers, I'm so touched by it and just can't imagine it happening in Europe. |
| Tranquility |
 |
| I want to swap places with this guy |
 |
| Coconut drying in the front 'garden' |
 |
| Then the husks are shredded and turned into coir |
 |
| Lots of outboard motor businesses around here |
 |
| Yes , he has a pigeon in either hand |
 |
| Water pipes - good idea I suppose - you won't dig them up with a JCB |
 |
| Keeping up my salad intake! |
 |
| The call themselves 'Charlie#s Angels'. Lucky Charlie! |
 |
| My landlord for 3 nights |
 |
| The arrow is me in Fort Kochi |
I'm in the touristy area of Fort Kochi and there's lots to do and see here. Friday is an admin day, tomorrow is a bit of sightseeing. Saturday morning I catch the ferry across the bay and start on a 3 or 4 day trip to Ooty.
Ooty, the 'Queen of the Hill Stations' is about 300km NE by the back roads, and is just over the border into the state of Tamil Nadu. More significantly for me, it sits at 7,350' above where I am sat now.........around 12 deg cooler (good) and it is raining/thunderstorms (not so good). Also, avoiding the main roads like the plague, my route shows precious little in the way of civilisation on the way up there, probably due to the fact that it is all nature reserves........which I'm wondering if I'll be allowed to enter.......hmmm.
Or...... I could just keep heading up the coast to Goa.
Fantastic pictures again Mick. Your words combined with the pictures is almost like us being there. It must be very difficult with the dodgy internet service to get it all sent out.
ReplyDeleteThe heat would be vastly different from Australia eh? Humidity.. I remember that type of heat from the two weeks I spent on the R.A.F. Staging Post on Gan in the Maldives. a bit south of you.
You will be going through Mumbai, I bet you don't remember going through there when it was Bombay in 1960 on the P and O Stratheden on our return from my Australian posting . . . . .you were 8 years old.
Anyway Mike, I am enjoying every kilometer and encounter with those interesting people . . . .best wishes . . Dad.
I vaguely remember bumboats coming out to the ship to sell trinkets (sounds like an excerpt from Captain Cook in the South Seas!) but that might have been Port Said or Colombo, no? Glad you are enjoying the journey!
Delete