Tuesday January 26th Cochin Kerala.

INDIA CELEBRATES 60 YEARS OF INDEPENDANCE TODAY!

Fitting that I just finished reading Gandhi's autobiography. Amazing.

Can't help thinking he would turn in his grave (if he had had one) if he saw india today.

I didn't get to tell you much about Gokarna as I found a good Ayuvedic Doctor and spent 5 days in treatment for my gall bladder but I think I am fine now.

I loved Gokarna.Its a one street town full of little temples and lots of pilgrims and many cows.

It felt like going back in time.People living as they have done for hundreds of years with just a few more white folk around and cell phones.The white folks are a trip.Never seen so many dreads as many seem to be compeating for the longest dreaded hair or beard like the babas.

It's the in look in Gokarna along with face piercing and tatoos and clothes of every discription but most popular is the the Gandhi look complete with stick.Most are wearing some kind of beads and often bracelets and anckle decoration too.This is the white men!!

Some came years ago and never left as it is so cheap to live in Gokarna.My lovely guest house room with private bath and views was only $4 a night and my meals were never more than $2

There are great beaches there too and lots of choice.I managed to grab a couple of days topping up the tan before comming here to Cochin Kerala. A 13hr train journey.

This is a whole other world here too.I am on the island of Fort Cochin which I came to by a little ferry so you can imagine how at home I feel.This is like being in Portugal somewhat as the Portugese settled here in the 1500's and built churches and many other lovely buildings.It is famous for the Chinese fishing nets which hang out into the water from the shore and are still in use and each day you can whatch them bring in the fish.

It's much more up market here with clean streets, boutique hotels, and prices to match though there are also loads of nice guest houses for cheap.I pay $6 here. Food is double what I paid in Gokarna but lots of great fish. I just wish they didn't fry everything.

There is a lovely area called Jew town where the jews settled when they were thrown out of Palastine so long ago.An origional synogogue is still here dated 1550.The area is also becoming very up market with trendy coffee shops and book stores and of course the clothes and jewlery shops that all seem to sell the same things which you get sick of seeing.

I drove a scooter around the island yesterday and didn't have to go far to see the other side of life where the poor live in falling down houses. Every town here seems to have an abundance of derilic buildings. Some old some never finished building yet there are plenty of people in need

though I see no beggars here.There is definately more money around here.

I did encounter an Indian man going around asking fellow Indians for money as he needed an operation.Thank heavens for BCMed.

I am always surprised by the type of people I meet here.The other night I met an older conservative english woman who came here 7 years ago on holiday and has been living here 7 months a year since. She loves it , weares a sari and hangs out with the indian folks. Says the moment she arrived she knew this was here place.

I am certainly enjoying myself here and now looking forward to the backwaters.Will probably head down there tomorrow.
This is a very old computer and it doesn't even have a spell check dam it.

That's all for now
Namaste.
caz