Fort Cochin - Bangladesh + India x 2 - CycleBlaze

December 23, 2010

Fort Cochin

Kochi

It's late December and it could well be cold and snowy where you are, but here in the South of the subcontinent it's far from it and the bottle of sun cream spray that's been at the bottom of a pannier for well over a month is retrieved and I apply some before pedalling down the main road for just a few minutes and making a left.

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This is a wonderfully quiet lane just like yesterday, with similar homes nestled among palms and there are only motorcycles sharing it with me and my bike, plus those occasional three-wheeler taxis that chug around. 

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I stop to take a self-timed snap and while doing so get a local spectator who offers to help and this is welcome as 10 seconds is not that long to ride and do a U-turn after pressing the shutter release - and turning a sharp 180 degrees is even more difficult when the lane is so narrow. I ring my bell and he presses... done.

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He mentions a river and a scenic view at the end the track and I follow his instruction and ride down a dirt path, past a small college building where students can be heard chatting to find a young teen with his bike admiring the view. I take a few more photos and he poses with me and asks about my tour before I ride on, roughly south, but meandering as always.

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The lane eventually comes to a broad river where a ferry with a two hulls like a catamaran and a flat deck to allow vehicles to roll on and off is on its way across. The fare is only three rupees, a man with a Honda motorbike tells me when ask. My tripod is set up on the stable wooden deck and I take another shot of myself as we sail away.

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The ferry
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The lane is nice, but eventually it T's into a wider road and ends up in a place called Mala, where I see an internet café and decide to chill out for half an hour and check my email etc. 

After that's done I buy a piece of rolled cake from the shop below but it tastes a bit stale, so I leave it after just one bite.

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The road is okay and it's taking me in the right direction, but then connects to NH 17, which isn't so great but as it's now almost 3:00 and Cochin is still 30 km away according to a sign - meaning five hours to only cover around 25 km - I reckon it's best to press on and get there.

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The traffic as I approach sprawling Erunakulam gets increasing manic and the last 20 km are not ones to recommend. I hate this congestion but simply keep going and cross several long bridges to get to Fort Cochin, where I look in my Lonely Planet to check out sleeping options. 

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There are a few circled on the map and I find one of them. It's very nice and the non-AC room is affordable seeing as it's Christmas and busy, so I agree to 2,400 a night, which includes brekkie. 

However, I decline the extra grand for using the AC as that's quite outrageous and the ceiling fan will  suffice.

My hotel room in the Ballard Bungalow - 2,400 rupees
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Dutch Palace
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Once I've showered the day's grime off, I walk along the coastal footpath to watch the sunset and take some snaps and then accidentally find a nice place to eat, where I have a curry and rice and peruse the guide book's pages and discover there's an island just to the north and ferries depart from near my heritage bungalow.

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As I'm doing so a young couple from the nice English city of Norwich start to chat to me and we talk about cycling and traveling for 30 minutes or more.

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Today's ride: 65 km (40 miles)
Total: 2,223 km (1,380 miles)

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Andrea BrownI'm a little late to the party here but I just realized this journal is "Song of the Little Road", one of my favorite journals ever! Love the photography, the route, everything. I am just sad that you changed the title. We nearly started our last trip in Bangladesh but got worn down by all the logistics of visas for it and India because we wanted to overland into Myanmar. But Bangladesh is still on our "maybe wanna" list.
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3 years ago
Gregory GarceauI've got to say that I've enjoyed many of your recent journals, Graham, but your older journals like this one and the Morocco one that I've recently been reading are most exciting. And vivid. And visual.
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3 years ago
Graham FinchTo Andrea BrownHi, Andrea

I love that title, too... I just wanted to have it here under a different name, as with my other old journals.

Visas can be a headache. While in India/Bangladesh, I wasn't sure how valid mine were after re-crossing the border, but obviously nothing was said.

Touring in both countries can be taxing, with personal space sometimes eroded, and the same questions about where you're from soon get old, but the people are wonderful.

You don't see too many journals of cycling in Bangladesh, but just try to find the quiet back roads, like I did. You'll no doubt love it.
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3 years ago
Graham FinchTo Gregory GarceauHi, Greg

It could be that I get more of a buzz and a feeling of being 'out there' - on an adventure - in those kinds of countries, whereas riding here in Taiwan is very familiar to me now, and of course the same with the UK.

Hopefully I can get away this year as it seems ages since I did so.
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3 years ago
Graham FinchTo Andrea BrownPS: The journal has been slightly changed,too - I've amended it to present tense and not included all the same photos, practically all of which have been edited as most were underexposed.
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3 years ago