Christmas Eve on Vypeen Island

December 24, 2010

going North via ferry

The ferry to the island is a vague plan is crystallizing inside my head. Yes, Vypeen Island, which according to my guidebook has a nice white-sand beach about 25 km up it. It sounds like a good destination.

This historic hotel in popular, old Cochin is fully booked up as most others will be what with it being Christmas Eve and a national holiday. I'd planned on staying a couple of nights - you know, just to relax - but there'll be somewhere else.

The hotel receptionist says there's no exit from the north end of Vypeen Island, so that means doing a loop and ending up back here and coping with that horrible traffic and consequently I now wonder what to do. I need a coffee to help my brain get into gear. It's almost 10:00 AM, so I'll pack and go get one.

There's a branch of Coffee Café Day down the road, so that's where I go for two cappuccinos and a toasted sandwich of spinach and corn followed by a heated chocolate donut. This does the trick.

Once on the bike I make a half-hearted attempt to sight-see and visit the Dutch Cemetery and take a snap through the padlocked gates. That's about it.

What puts me off is that there are a lot of gift stalls around and touts are forever approaching to see if you want to go somewhere or do whatever. Nope. My mission is to get the ferry, which is just across the road from my hotel.

The fare to the nearby island is just three rupees and there's a hoard of motorbikes and a few vehicles lining up with me. It's a short trip - you can see the other side where it stops. Everyone looks serious and impatient.

Once off I ask again about getting a boat from the northern tip of the island, which is spelt Vipin on a small tourist map that the receptionist gave me, and a guy says it's okay, but he's vague and I ride on hopefully.

The long bridge that connects the 30 km-long island with the frenetic traffic of mainland Ernakulam is to my right and I go straight as anything is better than that.

This island road has one lane heading each way and there's a decent amount traveling on it, but it's the buses that grind my nerves with their speed and honking. There's no shoulder to speak of, just some hard dirt that's a few inches below the edge of the tarmac and it's a bit dodgy, that. I ride fast and keep my wits about me.

Ten minutes after starting I stop and ask if there's a "cycle road" running parallel, perhaps near the shore, but get a negative answer and can't be bothered to explore the little lanes that I notice leading off this central artery to actually find out mainly because it's only around 25 km now to the beach known as Cherai. The Lonely Planet says it just might be Cochin's best kept secret. Pull the other one.

After about twenty Km I spot a turning left and take it because a sign points down it naming another beach and I'm not really fussed which one I go to as one beach is pretty much the same as any other. The name of this beach goes out of my head straight away... V something.

The road is fab. It's single lane and quiet and almost level with the lake-like sea, which hovers just inches below either verge and I wonder what the hell people here will do if global warming raises sea levels at all, as they will be well and truly screwed. At a couple of places the ocean is washing over the tarmac. Maybe it's high tide. Still.

The beach is deserted and the only reason I know this must be the one named on the signpost is because there's a row of about half a dozen straw parasols lining the crest of it and just by the lane is a lady staffing a cabin from which she offers drinks and snacks, but it seems that business is sluggish and my guess is I'm probably the only customer she's had for a while.

I buy a 600mm Sprite and she charges me 22 rupees whereas most places want 25 and this might sound supercilious and it's not that I'm looking to save a rupee or two but it's the fact she's very honest and not out to rip anyone - me anyway - off that makes me feel happy and there a sense of contentment about her. She has a kind face which I take a photo of.

I walk up to the sandy crest across the soft grains that make walking slow and see a group of around six men hauling a long canoe-type fishing boat into the sea.

They've pieces of wood set out to help it go into the water, like early mankind's wheel except these are rectangular. I take another photo and then continue riding.

The deserted lane runs north by the shoreline and I follow it after asking where there's a guesthouse and get a reply of about two kilometres away and bet that'll be at Cherai Beach for sure. The surface is potholed a bit and it's all basically the same stretch of sand running adjacent down this part of the island. There are a few basic homes dotted along the route and no doubt the key job here will be fishing - there's little land around.

I pause for a breather and walk up to the crest again and check it out to make sure, going through a narrow spinney of thin pines and finding the same scene and don't really see anyone around. You could camp here if you wanted as I can't imagine anyone would complain, just as long as you're sensible.

There's a crowd at Cherai, which is really the same long beach as I've seen all along this bit of coast for the last few kilometres, but here there's a concrete walkway and some large rocks to break the waves and a row of cafes and home-stays.

I ride past a couple before going in one and getting a room for 400 rupees, which is not bad at all seeing as it's Christmas Eve.

I take more photos as the sun is setting people playing with small kites and Frisbees and splashing and frolicking in shallower parts of the warm water with footballs as gentle waves come rolling in.

My place has a restaurant on the ground floor and I venture down at 8:30 and order some kind of fish curry, which is kind of brave of me as I'm not really a big fan of fish, but as I'm here at the coast surrounded by fishermen I know it'll be fresh and not river fish, which is what I particularly dislike due to the muddy taste. I opt for 'lemon rice' - something I'm also unsure about.

Winner! The meal is tremendous. There are no bones to mess about with and the pieces are chunky and the spicy sauce that it comes in is slightly mellow, almost like a korma. I have two glasses of sweet lassi and once all that is done I finish off with a mango ice lolly. I could murder a cold pint of beer - maybe tomorrow.

Later I go back to the beach with its row of halogen lights bright and take some long-exposure shots of the waves and empty sand and wonder about getting off the north end of this island again tomorrow. Some people I've asked seem to think it's possible. I'll find out in the morning.

Today's ride: 25 km (16 miles)
Total: 2,248 km (1,396 miles)

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