All aboard... The Cochin express.
Today heralds the end of our major travelling. In the past Two weeks we have covered hundreds of kilometers using every possible means of transport. It has been an amazing experience.
Today I was determined to get crispy to experience the Indian rail network. Trains are by far the best method of long distance travel here and the cheapest by a long way. The problem being that there is only one train track here and that skirts the coast. Travel by train to the mountains is simply not possible as no tracks exist. The track however does run from Alleppy to Ernakulum, Cochin central. Just near where we need to be.
Crispy posted on Facetube, last night, a picture of Ben the buffalo sat all forlorn outside a butchers next to the remains of his best friend. No doubt awaiting his own similar fate. I'm afraid this caused a furore amongst her face tube friends. Well I,m sorry guys but the truth is all meat comes from animals. Just because we have distanced ourselves from the actual slaughter of a beast by buying our meat in neat little polystyrene trays does not mean that it was not once alive and frollicking around a field. The choice is simple. If you don't want to eat dead animals, and thus be responsible for their demise, become vegetarian. In which case I would have the utmost resect for you. If you do like the odd steak or chicken breast then build a freaking bridge and come to terms with it. Don't moralise about how cruel it is to the poor wee beasties and then order a ten ounce rib eye at the first opportunity. You know who you are.......Rant over.
Caught a tuk Tuk to the train station to catch the ten thirty cha cha saht to Ernakulum. Cha cha saht is Hindi for the 667 but sounds so much more exotic. The Indian train network runs like clockwork as a rule but it seems there have been flash floods in Chenai overnight and as such the southbound trains had been delayed. This is a single track line in places so we had to wait for the southbound trains to clear before we could go north. All in all about a one hour delay, for which the train guys were very apologetic. Crispy loved the it. The next time we are in India I will try and plan the route so we take in a sleeper train as part of our itinerary. I have used sleeper trains in the past but only second class which basically means you book a bunk but can't guarantee that you will be the only person in it. The last journey I took a soldier tried to sneak on my bunk in the middle of the night. I don't think he had designs on me but simply wanted a bed. I spent the remainder of the night sat outside on the end balcony of the carriage. It was definitely preferable to sharing.
There are always armed soldiers on the more remote lines as bandits still hold up the trains. How cool is that.
After arriving back in Cochin we got a tuk tuk back to Fort Cochin where I had booked a little surprise for dear old Crispy.
A beautiful high end heritage hotel. Clean comfy bed. No creepy crawlies. Endless hot water and best of all it overlooks the beach. It was built by Robert Bristow in 1909 as his private residence and lighthouse. Good old Robert was a marine engineer who designed and built Cochin harbour.
Crispy has spent an hour in the shower and used every single complimentary shampoo, conditioner, razor, bubble bath (although there is no bath) and body lotion. She's lying on the bed like a princess awaiting dinner.
The photo does not really show how grand this really is.
Good old Crispy she has really earned this bit of pampering. We are here for the remainng five nights and I think to all intense and purpose our adventuring is over for the time being. Let's see what happens.........
Today heralds the end of our major travelling. In the past Two weeks we have covered hundreds of kilometers using every possible means of transport. It has been an amazing experience.
Today I was determined to get crispy to experience the Indian rail network. Trains are by far the best method of long distance travel here and the cheapest by a long way. The problem being that there is only one train track here and that skirts the coast. Travel by train to the mountains is simply not possible as no tracks exist. The track however does run from Alleppy to Ernakulum, Cochin central. Just near where we need to be.
Crispy posted on Facetube, last night, a picture of Ben the buffalo sat all forlorn outside a butchers next to the remains of his best friend. No doubt awaiting his own similar fate. I'm afraid this caused a furore amongst her face tube friends. Well I,m sorry guys but the truth is all meat comes from animals. Just because we have distanced ourselves from the actual slaughter of a beast by buying our meat in neat little polystyrene trays does not mean that it was not once alive and frollicking around a field. The choice is simple. If you don't want to eat dead animals, and thus be responsible for their demise, become vegetarian. In which case I would have the utmost resect for you. If you do like the odd steak or chicken breast then build a freaking bridge and come to terms with it. Don't moralise about how cruel it is to the poor wee beasties and then order a ten ounce rib eye at the first opportunity. You know who you are.......Rant over.
Caught a tuk Tuk to the train station to catch the ten thirty cha cha saht to Ernakulum. Cha cha saht is Hindi for the 667 but sounds so much more exotic. The Indian train network runs like clockwork as a rule but it seems there have been flash floods in Chenai overnight and as such the southbound trains had been delayed. This is a single track line in places so we had to wait for the southbound trains to clear before we could go north. All in all about a one hour delay, for which the train guys were very apologetic. Crispy loved the it. The next time we are in India I will try and plan the route so we take in a sleeper train as part of our itinerary. I have used sleeper trains in the past but only second class which basically means you book a bunk but can't guarantee that you will be the only person in it. The last journey I took a soldier tried to sneak on my bunk in the middle of the night. I don't think he had designs on me but simply wanted a bed. I spent the remainder of the night sat outside on the end balcony of the carriage. It was definitely preferable to sharing.
There are always armed soldiers on the more remote lines as bandits still hold up the trains. How cool is that.
After arriving back in Cochin we got a tuk tuk back to Fort Cochin where I had booked a little surprise for dear old Crispy.
A beautiful high end heritage hotel. Clean comfy bed. No creepy crawlies. Endless hot water and best of all it overlooks the beach. It was built by Robert Bristow in 1909 as his private residence and lighthouse. Good old Robert was a marine engineer who designed and built Cochin harbour.
Crispy has spent an hour in the shower and used every single complimentary shampoo, conditioner, razor, bubble bath (although there is no bath) and body lotion. She's lying on the bed like a princess awaiting dinner.
The photo does not really show how grand this really is.
Good old Crispy she has really earned this bit of pampering. We are here for the remainng five nights and I think to all intense and purpose our adventuring is over for the time being. Let's see what happens.........
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