Cochin

I had a free day by myself before I met the group and decided to walk around and check out the town. I got abushed by a couple of autorickshaw (little motorcycle type taxi vehicles) asking me if I wanted a tour around the area. I put up a good fight, but in the end I decided that there wasn't much to lose. It turned out to be a good trip. The driver's name is Jose Thankachan. He took me to some villages south of the main city. We stopped at the end and walked through some villages to find a little resort run by an English physician and his wife Michaels Land Resort. They fixed up the place and started building sailboats with the idea of offering cruises around the area. I sat down and had a bit of a rest and some Australians showed up. They're yachties touring the world in their sailboats and have been at sea for about 3 years. They stop in different countries and stay for a few months. Really nice people...I chatted with them for a little while. Jose then took me to his village and I met his wife and his mother (82). Nice little place...the people are poor by western standards, but they're not desolate. They have enough and live within their means. I ended up back at the hotel in the afternoon and had a little snooze. I met the group at around 6pm.