An uneventful flight - the best type I find - over
northern Sumatera, then Sri Lanka & southern India, the latter two almost
attached by a string 'o pearls of islands and islets. I could see below the
hills & lakes of Kerala, soon to be my mountain-biking stomping ground. Upon
arrival I top-up on Rupees at the airport, and grab a taxi into Ernakulam and
my Spartan digs; chosen for their close proximity to the station and an early
morning get away. Although unfamiliar with the city, I had a better grasp of
its geography than my driver. He struggled to find one of the two main railway stations,
a skill I would have thought essential for any self-respecting cabbie.
After recently spruiking my ability to find a bargain hotel, I now humbly realise that I received every Rupee worth of value from that exchange. Dinner was - of what I expect will be many, before this trip is over - chicken biryani from a rail side diner. Based on the constant attention of the friendly staff, I was clearly the odd one out in the establishment. The food service was fast & friendly (take note so-called fast food establishments), and the biryani excellent. Concealed in a hemisphere of spiced rice were chunks of chicken & a boiled egg. Sides of red onion raita & brinjal pickles topped off a most excellent end to a long day. Now to rest, as best I can, in my mosquito infested bunker, sometimes referred to as a 'Hotel Room' in these parts.
No comments:
Post a Comment