We take a bus to Cochin from Alleppey and get dropped at MG road around half past eleven. I want to take Mandar to the coffee shop I visited on MG road when I was there a year back. The only landmark I remember is the Levis shop. We spot the coffee shop. Its called Cocoa Tree. We have coffee and pancakes and make our itinerary. We plan to visit the Jew street, Fort Kochi and the Dutch Palace all in Mattancherry and then head back to the Marine drive and Spice market on MG road in the evening. Our bus to Bangalore is at half past eight from MG road. We want to make best use of the time we have.
We take a rickshaw to Mattancherry. It is about 15 kms from MG road. To our bad luck, the oldest synagogue in India on Jew street is closed today because of a Jewish holiday. We take a walk around Jew Street. Its so different form rest of Kerala or even Cochin. We enter the Jew Café and look around its bookstore. We pick up some books we haven’t seen in our city bookstores. The café serves freshly made Swiss cake. We walk further on the street. I feel like I've landed in some different land, very different from the rest of Kerala. There are shops selling Jewish antiques, postcards, coins. The street is artistic. I pick us a ceramic door knob. I have never seen so many door knobs ever. They are in different shapes, prints and colours. We are at the other side of the street. I spot a shop cum café on my way. It has a board that says Kerala meals and biryani served here. We decide to visit the Dutch palace first. Its just at the end of the street. Its an old building. Nothing impressive. We back step to the café in the shop. It’s a cute place. There are paintings, essential oils and home-made perfumes for sale. Our chicken biryani and roti and chicken is delicious. I smell all the fragrances and finally pick up a Kerala-flower essential oil. Mandar spots a Kathakali pamphlet on another table. Our attendant tells us that there is a Kathakali show today evening at Fort Kochi from 6 to 7:30. I am elated. It is too tight for us to fit into our schedule but we decide to go for it.
So post a late lunch at 3 we head to Fort Kochi in a rickshaw. Its just 2.5 kms from Jew Street. Fort Kochi makes my day. It reminds me of Goa or Pondicherry. The Dutch/Portuguese/French occupied parts on India have a different feel to them. Fort Kochi with its colourful cafes, long stretch of beach, beer bars, small boutiques and chapels has a European look to it. I love the walk. We walk along the beach, see the Chinese fishing nets, admire the streets with their funky names like Lily Street and Burger Street and finally halt at a Coffee Day. It is very humid. I want a wine and Mandar a chilled beer. However, we cannot find a café that serves wine. So we just settle for Coffee Day out of sheer exhaustion. We have been roaming with our backpacks whole day and need a break.
After refreshing cold coffees we head to the Kerala Kathakali Center for the Kathakali show. We have been told to be there by 5 if we want to witness the make-up. We reach there by 5.45. It’s a non-pompous place. The auditorium is filled with foreigners. We are the only Indians. Make-up is in progress. One of my recently read books “Mistress” is based on Kathakali so I am very eager to watch the performance. They show us how natural colours are used for make-up, what each colour signifies, brief us on the nine emotions of Kathakali and demonstrate the mudras. It is a tough, rare and dying art. I feel sad for the art. The show costs only rupees 200 per head. I wouldn’t have appreciated the art myself of it weren’t for the book I read. We have been given a page which describes the act from Mahabharata that will be performed today. Its called Keechakavadham – the killing of the half-good half-bad king Keechaka by Bhima for the sake of his wife Draupadi. The actors are introduced through the singing. They look so stunning and just so unreal. Its like a fairytale. The show is amazing. The music, dance and acting leave us spellbound. I come out with a feeling of melancholy. And satisfaction – my dream to watch a Kathakali performance is fulfilled. I am content.
Its already 7.30 pm and we are late. We rush to catch the bus to MG Road. It will take us an hour. We just hope we reach in time for our bus to Bangalore. And we do. Just in time. The irony being our bus to Bangalore being delayed by an hour.
We take a rickshaw to Mattancherry. It is about 15 kms from MG road. To our bad luck, the oldest synagogue in India on Jew street is closed today because of a Jewish holiday. We take a walk around Jew Street. Its so different form rest of Kerala or even Cochin. We enter the Jew Café and look around its bookstore. We pick up some books we haven’t seen in our city bookstores. The café serves freshly made Swiss cake. We walk further on the street. I feel like I've landed in some different land, very different from the rest of Kerala. There are shops selling Jewish antiques, postcards, coins. The street is artistic. I pick us a ceramic door knob. I have never seen so many door knobs ever. They are in different shapes, prints and colours. We are at the other side of the street. I spot a shop cum café on my way. It has a board that says Kerala meals and biryani served here. We decide to visit the Dutch palace first. Its just at the end of the street. Its an old building. Nothing impressive. We back step to the café in the shop. It’s a cute place. There are paintings, essential oils and home-made perfumes for sale. Our chicken biryani and roti and chicken is delicious. I smell all the fragrances and finally pick up a Kerala-flower essential oil. Mandar spots a Kathakali pamphlet on another table. Our attendant tells us that there is a Kathakali show today evening at Fort Kochi from 6 to 7:30. I am elated. It is too tight for us to fit into our schedule but we decide to go for it.
So post a late lunch at 3 we head to Fort Kochi in a rickshaw. Its just 2.5 kms from Jew Street. Fort Kochi makes my day. It reminds me of Goa or Pondicherry. The Dutch/Portuguese/French occupied parts on India have a different feel to them. Fort Kochi with its colourful cafes, long stretch of beach, beer bars, small boutiques and chapels has a European look to it. I love the walk. We walk along the beach, see the Chinese fishing nets, admire the streets with their funky names like Lily Street and Burger Street and finally halt at a Coffee Day. It is very humid. I want a wine and Mandar a chilled beer. However, we cannot find a café that serves wine. So we just settle for Coffee Day out of sheer exhaustion. We have been roaming with our backpacks whole day and need a break.
After refreshing cold coffees we head to the Kerala Kathakali Center for the Kathakali show. We have been told to be there by 5 if we want to witness the make-up. We reach there by 5.45. It’s a non-pompous place. The auditorium is filled with foreigners. We are the only Indians. Make-up is in progress. One of my recently read books “Mistress” is based on Kathakali so I am very eager to watch the performance. They show us how natural colours are used for make-up, what each colour signifies, brief us on the nine emotions of Kathakali and demonstrate the mudras. It is a tough, rare and dying art. I feel sad for the art. The show costs only rupees 200 per head. I wouldn’t have appreciated the art myself of it weren’t for the book I read. We have been given a page which describes the act from Mahabharata that will be performed today. Its called Keechakavadham – the killing of the half-good half-bad king Keechaka by Bhima for the sake of his wife Draupadi. The actors are introduced through the singing. They look so stunning and just so unreal. Its like a fairytale. The show is amazing. The music, dance and acting leave us spellbound. I come out with a feeling of melancholy. And satisfaction – my dream to watch a Kathakali performance is fulfilled. I am content.
Its already 7.30 pm and we are late. We rush to catch the bus to MG Road. It will take us an hour. We just hope we reach in time for our bus to Bangalore. And we do. Just in time. The irony being our bus to Bangalore being delayed by an hour.
The trip ends but the memories remain. It has been one of the best and most fulfilling trips. Two happy souls.
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