A Sea Change

I have seen the Arabian Sea. After coming back to Chennai from Kodaikanal, I found that the government had canceled classes in the city indefinitely. A young man, wishing to raise awareness about the ongoing conflict between Tamils and Sri Lankans in Sri Lanka, set himself on fire in front of a block government buildings. The state government was concerned that students may demonstrate or riot and decided to respond to the young man’s suicide by ordering all universities and colleges in Chennai to shut their doors. Of course, an organized closure did not happen and as a foreign student, had a friend of mine not read an article in The Hindu, I would have never known. Faced with the prospect of waiting amidst the haze of Chennai for an unknown number of days, I decided to repack my bags and head out to Kerala.

When I arrived in Ernakulam, I was tired. Sleep on the train hadn’t been easy. Sarah and I made our way to the jetty and managed to catch the 6.55 ferry to Fort Kochin. Walking through Fort Kochin’s streets of heritage buildings, I was reminded again of Casco Viejo in Panama City. The colonial style buildings looked the same and bore the same wears from the climate.

 

There is a long history here of foreign settlement that goes back to Jews fleeing Palestine after the Roman invasion. A few kilometers away from Fort Kochin, in Mattancherry, you can still see Jew Town. Of course, you have to admit there is an irony to all of the Muslim neighborhoods lined with green crescent banners that you have to pass through to get there. You will pass about three mosques and at least one church to get to the Synagogue. Islam came with Arab traders who sailed to Kerala, like the Europeans, for spices. Christianity got its start here from none other than Saint Thomas, the star of Santhome Church in Chennai. On certain streets, it’s easy to pass by women with bindis, burkhas, and nuns in sky-blue habits.

 

Fort Kochin is a tourist haven. The streets are relatively quiet, the food is good, and the alcohol is easier to find. In a region known for its sea food I could get pasta with fish and squid as well as sample traditional Keralan cuisine. However, one of my favorite restaraunts wasn’t memorable because of the food, but the beer. The Chariot Beach Restaruant doesn’t have a liquor license, but does serve beer. All you have to do is order a Kingfisher, even though it’s not on the menu, and the waiter will bring you a teapot full of beer and a mug to enjoy it from. When you’ve emptied the pot they even ask if you’d like more tea with knowing smiles. The thing that makes this really funny though, is that the tables are on an open patio by the street, with cop cars passing every once in a while, and every table has western tourists sitting behind teapots.