January 10, 2015 -- A Little more Fort Kochi

I guess I forgot to talk about a great restaurant we found -- front to the little lane, and back to the beach - open-air - called The Ginger House.

 

On the tables were little wooden signs stating "Today's Special - Ginger Ice cream" and  "Today' Special - Ginger Prawns."  How on earth could we not stay.  BTW, we had the ice cream first, while the prawns were being prepared.

 

Actual pieces of ginger root -- not candied

Rob and ginger prawns

Rob and Ginger ice cream

I decided to attach the book store picture to this supplement, because there was a bit of a story.  The driver knew we wanted a book store and what book we were looking for and he was aware that there was a good bookstore in Fort Kochi.  He enlisted the help of a youngish kid with very good English (should have set off our tout alarm) - in front of the basilica - to direct us to this store.

Rob at Indian "bookstore"

We drove where we had been told, with the youngish kid following behind on his scooter.  Of course, what awaited us was a handicraft store - NOT a bookstore - and the kid was a tout, hired to bring in tourists..

In good faith, thinking, "Well, MAYBE they have books here," we went on in and all the way to the back of the shop.  Gifts, gifts, gifts of all kinds, but no books.  Not even a book about books. The proprietor kept saying, "Books, yes, yes!  One minute! I will check!  Please just look around," as he headed for his phone.  We could clearly see that there had NEVER been any books there, so we cleared out, but I honestly think he was going to phone that bookstore which WE finally found and have that book sent over.

 

BTW, we are no longer in Hindi or Punjabi speaking territory.  Malayalam is spoken in Kerala, and the writing looks completely different.

 

Kerala sign

The number of languages spoken in India varies greatly on the web, but somewhere between 778 and 220 languages are spoken here - and look different on paper, obviously. 

 

If you all keep getting the same pictures, over and over, it's because I'm confused - and let's leave it at that.

 

Hansi