Fort Kochi: taking care of business

January 2, 2016

New country means new currency and new sim card are needed. We head for the ferry to Ermakulam, across the bay to a shopping area. The process of buying a ticket was a bit confusing, finally realizing Ladies and Gents had a separate line, though each person could buy up to 3 tickets. Rachel was in the shortest line. Boarding the ferry also seemed to be segregated except for those of us tourist types.

Rachel sat next to an Italian gal who had a nice map of the area where we were headed. She too was going to shop. We walked a ways together, and then shared a tuk tuk to the shopping center. Only it wasn't the shopping center the Italian gal was looking for and she continued on and we found an ATM to exchange money for rupees, about 70 rupees equal 1USD, a liter of coke is 35 rupees.

Next order of business, we found the shop for a sim card and got another exposure to the Indian bureaucracy and their love of paperwork. Patrick had to sign the form in 5 different places, copy of the passport and passport photo also were needed.

The rest of the day, Patrick works to get the bikes back together. There was no damage and he had cleaned them very well before boxing them up, he was able to get both bikes done.

Tomorrow we go on a 7 hour tour of the Backwaters of Kerala.

Ferry to Ermakulam, across bay. Ladies and Gents que up in separate lines to buy tickets.

Fort Kochi is in the state of Kerala, God's Own Country (which is on about every road sign)

Buying a sim card requires filling out forms and signing papers five times, a copy of the passport and a passport photo. Seems that India likes paperwork

Tuk tuk ride back to the ferry costs 20 rupee plus 10 for each kilometer (about 30 cents US)

Patrick works to get the bikes put back together on the nice balcony outside our room

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