Tuesday 3^rd February 2015 – Day at Sea.

 

We are now at GMT + five and a half hours! India is such a vast country but it is all on the same time zone – hence the further half an hour forward (apparently!).

 

Another relaxing day at sea…Off to the Royal Court theatre at 10-30am to secure a seat for Jackie Stewart’s presentation. He is severely dyslexic (I think that’s how you spell it!) and he spoke of the problems it had caused him as a child, his coping mechanisms and how it still affects him to this day. He then talked about motor racing and his F1 career. Unfortunately (for us anyway) he then went on to talk about his commercial contracts with Rolex, Ford Motor Company and Verve Cliquot to name just a few. It became almost like a “motivational presentation” always promising low but delivering high and going that extra mile etc. Slightly disappointing – plus he overran so we missed the Captain’s daily update.

 

In the afternoon, it was off to choir again. From our point of view, it’s not going well. The main problem is the lack of men despite (because of?) Gary and Ian being there!

 

At 7-30pm we met Helen and Mike in the chart room for a drink and then it was off to our “Coriander evening”. The food was absolutely wonderful and we had a fabulous evening.

 

 

Wednesday 4^th February – Cochin.

 

Woke up this morning and it was even more humid outside. If we thought getting our Indian visa was a hassle then clearing immigration was long-winded, shall we say, and involved a lot of queueing.

 

We were going to the “Backwaters of Kerala” and were supposed to leave at 9am. At 10-30am we were still in immigration! Still, we all eventually were allowed in and set off on our 90 km trip to the boats. Well – driving in India is “interesting” to say the least. Cars, trucks, busses, tuk-tuks, motor bikes etc. just go anywhere. There are no obvious rules of the road and can appear quite scary at times – but we saw no accidents or collisions and there was no road rage – so perhaps they’ve got it right?

 

Kerala is described as being “God’s own Country” (with apologies to all Yorkshiremen!) and it is a land of contrasts. Our two hour trip along the canals and lagoons was brilliant. We went past houses, schools, churches as well as paddy fields and the contrasts were all there to see. On the banks of the canal there were women washing clothes by bashing them against stones, a fish-seller in a canoe going from house to house and yet next door they had solar panel street lighting. It is an amazing part of India and a real shame that we have so little time here.

 

When we came to “sail away” scores of people lined the banks of the river to take photos and wave us goodbye. It was quite a sight.

 

In the evening we decided to go to the show. Vocalist Helen Wilding and magician Phillip Hitchcock are getting off the ship in Colombo, so this was our last chance to see them. They were ok (there’s no pleasing some people!) but not our cup of tea.

 

Talking of tea…we’re going to Sri Lanka tomorrow!!