Day 60-63: Fort Cochin — IndefinitelyOOO

Its fair to say then that we had a very peaceful pre-cursor to New Year. Handy as next up was Fort Cochin – Kerala’s capital and King and Queen of the state’s NY celebrations.

Where exactly to spend it was the pressing question upon arrival so our first afternoon and evening was diligently spent touring the short list of places I had investigated in advance – we are nothing if not thorough. A few happy hours later we were booked in to a charming place with a courtyard and the promise of a seven course meal, an actual wine list and importantly approximately 10 metres from the much talked about pyre of Big Papa… the effigy which is burned to see in the new year, curiously reminiscent of Santa Claus.

We’d previously decided to give ourselves over to a certain degree of financial frivolity during the festivities – although still steering clear of Kerala’s eye watering 138.5% tax on imported spirits; thankfully India’s one gin brand Blue Riband is more than passable (Jacko thinks it’s a bit fumey). And that’s really what Cochin wrote – restaurants over sight-seeing, sunning ourselves with beer in hand over solvency and celebrations aplenty.

Cochin - or Kochi, it goes by both - is a busy, boisterous small town and, while pleasant enough, we probably would have passed it by but for the fact that they take New Year seriously here. We’re in the mood for a party and perhaps a little luxury. We book ourselves into a chain hotel, pay for laundry service and enjoy hot showers, both a rarity on our travels so far and eat out, developing a taste for Indian wine from the Nashik Valley along the way. Sula Vineyards, we note for later consideration.

After checking out the local bars and restaurants we pick our favourite and make reservations for their gala New Years dinner. A swanky affair, we dress as well as we can, my honking walking boots stashed away for a night and get happily tipsy across a sultry, muggy evening of European food and local music and dance. At midnight, there’s a good natured jostling of thousands towards the Parade Ground where a towering effigy of Santa Claus is spectacularly set alight for reasons no one can adequately explain. We see the new year in in some style and the next day, dehydrated but happy, prepare for the next stage of our journey up the West coast; Karnataka and Goa, living in shacks on the beach, enjoying the sun and sea and generally bumming around. Doesn’t sound terrible. There’s more intrepid travelling to be done later, new cultures to experience and huge swathes of India still to explore but that can wait a week or two. For now, we plan to open our 2018 account by investing in idleness. Can’t wait.