Let this journey begin

A walk along Calvetty Rd and Bazar Rd got me the 2.5 kms to Mattancherry.

Found the wholesale area on Bazar Rd right by the water’s edge really fascinating with activity constantly going on ... goods being loaded and unloaded from the shops with their narrow frontage.

Boxes of tea

No point going into the Dutch Palace nor the Synagogue as that was on the tour tomorrow. So it was a walk around the Jew Town area bustling with tourists. By now it was hot with not much breeze at all.

Lunch at Fort House overlooking the water of Verbena Lake. Settled on fish molee - Karela style mildly spiced fish stew with thick coconut milk 360 rupee / NZ$ 7.50 / US$5.60 served with Appam 60 rupee / NZ$1.25 / US$.90. That plus a couple glasses of refreshing lime soda came to 570 rupees / NZ$12.00 / US$8.80.
http://sutra.myindiasite.com/

Then back to the hotel along the same roads and time to put one's feet up.

After the group 6pm / 18:00 "welcome meeting" (how some hotels may not have hot water as it could be heated by solar or need to wait 5 minutes for the water to heat, strong accent down south, mossies – dengue fever prevention better than cure, north men are clean shaven while down south they have a beard and moustache, so many different languages, body action down south shaking of their head side to side means YES. Then if they shake their whole body that is really saying YES.

The first dinner which all who had arrived so far attended was around the corner at Sutra. For me it was their fish Tiffin Thali's plus a sweet lime soda. This may be my drink of choice on this part of the trip as I enjoyed it at lunch time as well.
http://sutra.myindiasite.com/

Fish Tiffin Thali 300 rupees / NZ$6.30 / US$4.65. Add on the lime soda came to 390 rupees / NZ$8.20 / US$6.00.

Bags onto the bus that night or else we will be carrying it to and from the train. So a pack …

Let this journey, just another journey within life's overall journey begin.