India Day 5

Today I got to spend the day with my roommate Hannah and a new friend we made Charlie. We all were really tired so we decided to sleep in until 9:30! WOOHOO!!!  The only plan we had was to go with the flow. We started out the day negotiating a price for our motorized rikshaw. This rikshaw driver was crazy. No matter how many times we said no he would try to convince us to do something else we didn’t want to do. Even throughout the day he followed us to try to get us to “rethink” our decision. After the third time he confronted us during the day did he finally leave us alone.

                When we got dropped off, we found a really cool postcard store. So, here I bought the postcards and stamps that I needed in order to send them. It is so strange to buy things in India. You think that you are spending so much money but in reality it is almost nothing. For example I bought all the stamps I needed for 156 rupees, which is really about $3. I mean it is really so inexpensive but because of the value of a rupee it seems like a lot. We then found a nice store that sold some beautiful silks. So again, we did just a little shopping. The owner of this store was funny. He asked if we were from the ship when we said yes he asked why we were coming in so late in our time in India. He knew when we had arrived and when we left. I thought it was funny to see how big of an impact we were having on some of the stores.

                We then just started to wander around the city. We found many historical sites. First we saw what was left of Fort Kochin. I mean it is basically a cement like wall that stood at the water’s edge. This was all that was left after many battles and years of wear and tear. Next, we saw the Chinese Fish Nets.  These nets use manual labor to raise and lower them instead of machines or current technology.  While there we didn’t really see any of them catch anything but I’m going to hop that was just because it was the middle of the day. The three of us decided we were getting hungry and we wanted to eat at this hole in the wall restaurant that was supposed to be very good.

                On the way to finding the restaurant we saw this church. This church became the highlight of my day. We walked through the gate and saw the name St. Francis Church. This name sounded so familiar and I could not figure out why. Once I got inside I was instantly drawn in deeper. This was one of the few working Christian churches in this area. I walk up to the front of the church and see the Nicene Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer. I instantly felt full with the Lord. The last time I had felt this way was in Aworesu, Ghana. It was an awesome feeling. I took a few moments to reflect and to pray…really pray. It was a great feeling to have a conversation with the Lord in his house again. Even now, remembering this moment in the day I have goose bumps all over. It was just a very special moment between my father and I. Then as I am preparing to leave I see a picture of a man I have seen before. Then it hits me, I know why the name sounded so familiar. This church is where the explorer Vassco de Gama was first buried. I had learned about him in Global Studies just a few days earlier. It was just overall a great experience.

                Walking a few minutes more we find the restaurant Upstairs. This is an Italian restaurant in the middle of India. I know what you are thinking Italian in India? Really Courtney? Let me just tell you that all of their ingredients are imported from Italy, and this place is in the guide books as one of the places to go if you are a backpacker. So we decided to give it a shot. It was delicious. It was really inexpensive too! We enjoyed a few moments of quiet time, eating delicious food, while looking out the windows of the restaurant at this wonderful country below.

                Once we finished eating we went across the street to another Christian church that is no longer working. Here it still had the parsonage and a separate building specifically for funerals (at least that is what the sign said). This church was also beautiful. It was crazy to see all of these beautiful buildings that no longer work. As I peered in through the few open stained glad windows I tried to imagine what this church was like when it served as a working church and not a monument of a time from long ago.

                After seeing the church we walked around and just explored. While exploring we found a school (there were no kids it was exam time), a park, and some other stores and restaurants that were in the guide books as places we should try. We were so full from lunch that we just stopped in and looked at all the wonderful pastry’s and dessert’s these places had to offer. We were so excited that we had found this whole little area of Kochin that most people never find.

                One of the cool places we found was a side street market. There were only five or six vendors, but they had a variety of items to sell. Here I bought some really cute skirts and necklaces. Let me tell you my wardrobe is going to be awesome when I get back to the states!  At the end of this market we found the Arabian Sea! I was so excited. Hannah and I climbed down the small rock ledge and onto the warm sand. She and I took turns standing in the bath water sea. How many times in your life can you say that you could put your feet in the Arabian Sea. Well, now I can!

                By this time in the day Hannah and I are exhausted and Charlie had something in the evening. So, we headed back to the ship for a little late dinner and just hung out together. It was really fun to hang out with just Hannah for a night. We talked about our trips in India, and just got talk. She and I also watched Signs. I have not seen that movie in forever. When you are missing home (well kind of) it is never good to watch a movie about Aliens taking over a place like your home town1 lol

                Only one last day in India, and I knew it was going to be great!