From Mumbai I transferred to Kerala and arrived at 7.30am. It was a long journey from Auckland especially with the 9 hour time difference.... 4 flights, over 37 hours in airports or on planes and I ended up only getting 8 hours sleep in 3 days (72 hours). It was most definitely the longest flight I have ever had. Round the world tickets are cheap but there must be a better way of getting from Auckland to Kerala than 4 flights in 37 hours. It is not the best way to arrive in India.
At the airport there was a parade going on because it is India's independence day - a national holiday. It was interesting to watch. The guys wanted to have their photo taken in their uniforms. Bless.
When I arrived at the airport I thought I would be meeting Steve from Couch Surfing. I thought that it would be best to stay with someone locally on the first day that was not a hotel so that I could settle into India with the help of someone not trying to get as much money as possible from me and without me having to haggle etc - which can be exhausting when you are tired from a long flight. I wanted to ask a local about the best sim card to get to travel around India, get some Indian style clothes, buy some coffee, sort out the best place to go for a house boat and some other small things. Steve is a software developer with his own business and so I thought that he would not want to sell me things and did actually want to meet people from different cultures as he said in his profile.
Neither Steve nor his driver met me at the airport (as he had said he would try to) and the mobile number that he had given me was switched off. I was not too sure what to do and so I went to an internet place and sent Steve an email and then waited for an hour or so and then checked it again. He had told me in previous emails that there was a bus to catch to go to close to where he lives and so I thought the best thing to do would be to head to there and then try his number and email again. As I did not have an Indian Sim card at this point it was difficult to call him and each time I went on the internet to check to see if he had left me an email it cost me and I had to cart around my bike box.
Unfortunately the bus to his area did not leave for another hour and so I ended up waiting some more. A kind Indian man let me phone Steve from his mobile and I eventually got through and Steve suggested that I catch the bus and then he would meet me where it drops me off. I rebuilt my bike from the box and then took the 45 min ride to the correct stop. I waited for 10 mins at the bus stop but he did not arrive and so I borrowed another mobile from a man in the street. The man in the street called for me and said to wait for a Ricksaw. I did and it arrived in about 10mins. I just about managed to get me and by bike and luggage into the Ricksaw and off we went. We drove for about 10mins to get to Steve's - by which time it was about 11 and I had been in India for 3.5 hours and only just got to where I was going. I had no idea where I was in terms of Kochi and the airport and felt completely alone and very tired. I also felt pretty grotty as I had not changed my clothes in over 42 hours and I had managed to get oil all over my trousers and really sweaty when putting my bike back together again. I only have one pair of trousers with me and I did not feel comfortable wearing shorts.
Steve has a really lovely big apartment which was nicer than most of the places that I said in when I visited India last time (2 years ago). He was welcoming and we chatted for a while and he got me some tea, bananas and some cake things and suggested that I have a nap. He woke me up at 2ish when I had been fast asleep. He introduced me to his father and Landlord. I could hardly string a sentence together I was so tired. In fact his father ask where I was from as I could not be English as I kept on saying "Umm". Steve then put me in the kitchen to eat a "parcel" lunch - it is known in India as a "meal". I felt it was a little strange as I was just left in the kitchen to eat alone - maybe just a cultural thing I thought. Although Steve was friendly with me his father and landlord were very off with me.
After lunch I discussed with Steve the things that I needed to get and he said that I would have to go 10km to get it. I was torn between going and getting more sleep. I want to change my body clock and so did no want to go to sleep in the middle of the day but I knew that I was so tired I could sleep in the afternoon and through the evening. However, I wanted some Indian clothes so that I did not feel so grotty and out of place and also a sim card so that I could activate the GPS and internet to check my emails and know exactly where I was. When I have the internet on my phone all of the time I do not feel alone as I always feel connected to the outside world and makes me feel safer. The GPS is also great so that I know were I am at all times and where I need to exit too should the need arrive. I decided that I was too tired to go the 10km to get these things sorted and instead I would go to sleep for a few more hours and then join Steve for some dinner.
I went to the bathroom and when I came back Steve and the landlord had disappeared and Steve's father said that I would not be able to stay the night as I was an unescorted female in a house with males and that there are some very lovely hotels. He said I could sleep more but then I would need to go. I could not handle the idea of sleeping there and then having to work out where I was in the dark and finding a hotel and so I just got my stuff together and left.
This would not normally have phased me at all but because I was really tired, in a very different foreign country and on my own with no idea where I was, I felt a bit unsettled. When I am really tired things look out of proportion verses the actual problem. Logically I was in no real danger. It was the middle of the day with loads of people around and I had all of my stuff with me and loads of time to find a cheap hotel and relax. It just took a bit to persuade myself of this today..... In fact I only had to cycle about 5km down the road asking people for Kochin to find the right road. The traffic was really busy though and I felt like I stood out like a sore thumb. I had not seen another westerner since the airport and I was very much away from the tourist areas.
I got a sim card from a little shop on the way. There are loads of the same type of shop every few hundred meters as you travel into the center of town. Unfortunately, I had to wait 1 hour while the guy at the shop tried to get the internet settings for my phone to enable GPS and email etc but the computer systems at the technical support center were down and so I did not managed it.
I stopped off at various hotels on the way and asked their prices. The first one I came on was
actually the cheapest and I should have just stayed there as I just needed to crash at that point but I wanted to compare the prices etc and carried on towards town. I ended up staying at the Star Hotel. The manager there was very friendly and they let me keep my bike in my room and helped me to the room with all of my things.
I headed out for an early dinner at a restaurant round the corner at 5 ish. I had a mutton curry of some description. It was very tasty and my whole meal cost me about £1 including tea. The people in the restaurant were not very friendly and I felt very uncomfortable in my western trousers and top with dirt and oil everywhere but I had nothing else to wear. I did not have the energy to shop for Indian clothes at this point.
I felt very happy and relaxed to get back to my room as it was getting dark and shut the world away and go to SLEEP :-) Today was not the best way to start the India part of the trip. No more couch surfing for a while - or until I have my wits about me again!
I am going to be able to stay in India pretty cheaply if I do not go to the tourist areas. I only need a cheap room where I feel safe and ideally where there is a western toilet. I paid 400 RS for a room in the central area of Kochi - about 5.70.
At the airport there was a parade going on because it is India's independence day - a national holiday. It was interesting to watch. The guys wanted to have their photo taken in their uniforms. Bless.
When I arrived at the airport I thought I would be meeting Steve from Couch Surfing. I thought that it would be best to stay with someone locally on the first day that was not a hotel so that I could settle into India with the help of someone not trying to get as much money as possible from me and without me having to haggle etc - which can be exhausting when you are tired from a long flight. I wanted to ask a local about the best sim card to get to travel around India, get some Indian style clothes, buy some coffee, sort out the best place to go for a house boat and some other small things. Steve is a software developer with his own business and so I thought that he would not want to sell me things and did actually want to meet people from different cultures as he said in his profile.Neither Steve nor his driver met me at the airport (as he had said he would try to) and the mobile number that he had given me was switched off. I was not too sure what to do and so I went to an internet place and sent Steve an email and then waited for an hour or so and then checked it again. He had told me in previous emails that there was a bus to catch to go to close to where he lives and so I thought the best thing to do would be to head to there and then try his number and email again. As I did not have an Indian Sim card at this point it was difficult to call him and each time I went on the internet to check to see if he had left me an email it cost me and I had to cart around my bike box.
Unfortunately the bus to his area did not leave for another hour and so I ended up waiting some more. A kind Indian man let me phone Steve from his mobile and I eventually got through and Steve suggested that I catch the bus and then he would meet me where it drops me off. I rebuilt my bike from the box and then took the 45 min ride to the correct stop. I waited for 10 mins at the bus stop but he did not arrive and so I borrowed another mobile from a man in the street. The man in the street called for me and said to wait for a Ricksaw. I did and it arrived in about 10mins. I just about managed to get me and by bike and luggage into the Ricksaw and off we went. We drove for about 10mins to get to Steve's - by which time it was about 11 and I had been in India for 3.5 hours and only just got to where I was going. I had no idea where I was in terms of Kochi and the airport and felt completely alone and very tired. I also felt pretty grotty as I had not changed my clothes in over 42 hours and I had managed to get oil all over my trousers and really sweaty when putting my bike back together again. I only have one pair of trousers with me and I did not feel comfortable wearing shorts.
Steve has a really lovely big apartment which was nicer than most of the places that I said in when I visited India last time (2 years ago). He was welcoming and we chatted for a while and he got me some tea, bananas and some cake things and suggested that I have a nap. He woke me up at 2ish when I had been fast asleep. He introduced me to his father and Landlord. I could hardly string a sentence together I was so tired. In fact his father ask where I was from as I could not be English as I kept on saying "Umm". Steve then put me in the kitchen to eat a "parcel" lunch - it is known in India as a "meal". I felt it was a little strange as I was just left in the kitchen to eat alone - maybe just a cultural thing I thought. Although Steve was friendly with me his father and landlord were very off with me.After lunch I discussed with Steve the things that I needed to get and he said that I would have to go 10km to get it. I was torn between going and getting more sleep. I want to change my body clock and so did no want to go to sleep in the middle of the day but I knew that I was so tired I could sleep in the afternoon and through the evening. However, I wanted some Indian clothes so that I did not feel so grotty and out of place and also a sim card so that I could activate the GPS and internet to check my emails and know exactly where I was. When I have the internet on my phone all of the time I do not feel alone as I always feel connected to the outside world and makes me feel safer. The GPS is also great so that I know were I am at all times and where I need to exit too should the need arrive. I decided that I was too tired to go the 10km to get these things sorted and instead I would go to sleep for a few more hours and then join Steve for some dinner.
I went to the bathroom and when I came back Steve and the landlord had disappeared and Steve's father said that I would not be able to stay the night as I was an unescorted female in a house with males and that there are some very lovely hotels. He said I could sleep more but then I would need to go. I could not handle the idea of sleeping there and then having to work out where I was in the dark and finding a hotel and so I just got my stuff together and left.
This would not normally have phased me at all but because I was really tired, in a very different foreign country and on my own with no idea where I was, I felt a bit unsettled. When I am really tired things look out of proportion verses the actual problem. Logically I was in no real danger. It was the middle of the day with loads of people around and I had all of my stuff with me and loads of time to find a cheap hotel and relax. It just took a bit to persuade myself of this today..... In fact I only had to cycle about 5km down the road asking people for Kochin to find the right road. The traffic was really busy though and I felt like I stood out like a sore thumb. I had not seen another westerner since the airport and I was very much away from the tourist areas.
I got a sim card from a little shop on the way. There are loads of the same type of shop every few hundred meters as you travel into the center of town. Unfortunately, I had to wait 1 hour while the guy at the shop tried to get the internet settings for my phone to enable GPS and email etc but the computer systems at the technical support center were down and so I did not managed it.
I stopped off at various hotels on the way and asked their prices. The first one I came on was
actually the cheapest and I should have just stayed there as I just needed to crash at that point but I wanted to compare the prices etc and carried on towards town. I ended up staying at the Star Hotel. The manager there was very friendly and they let me keep my bike in my room and helped me to the room with all of my things.
I headed out for an early dinner at a restaurant round the corner at 5 ish. I had a mutton curry of some description. It was very tasty and my whole meal cost me about £1 including tea. The people in the restaurant were not very friendly and I felt very uncomfortable in my western trousers and top with dirt and oil everywhere but I had nothing else to wear. I did not have the energy to shop for Indian clothes at this point.
I felt very happy and relaxed to get back to my room as it was getting dark and shut the world away and go to SLEEP :-) Today was not the best way to start the India part of the trip. No more couch surfing for a while - or until I have my wits about me again!
I am going to be able to stay in India pretty cheaply if I do not go to the tourist areas. I only need a cheap room where I feel safe and ideally where there is a western toilet. I paid 400 RS for a room in the central area of Kochi - about 5.70.
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