Rob and Anna's travel adventure

We chose to stay in Ernakulum, and took ferries to Kochi and Vypeen Island. Ernakulum seemed more authentic and real, while Kochi a lot more artificial - too many tourists and souvenir shops. The ferries were very cheap, for about 10 cents you could go across the lake, plus it added a nice scenery and experience. On one of such boat rides we struck up a conversation with a local, and he gave us a pineapple from his tree. It was the best pineapple I've tried, so sweet and juicy, and the best part - it was a very friendly gesture from a local to make us feel welcome. In Kochi (also called Fort Cochin) we were also cordially greeted by a bus full of elementary school children. They enthusiastically waved to us, all with big smiles on their faces, then they stuck their heads out of the windows and shouted "welcome to India!". It was so sweet and cute! Rob and I keep comparing our traveling experience in India with Central America, and it is completely different. In Central America (specifically in Nicaragua and Guatemala) locals were so closed in and a lot of times unapproachable, and were even hiding their kids when they saw "gringos". In India, quite the opposite, people try to talk to you, shake your hands, bring their children closer to wave to you and send air kisses. People's attitude makes the experience in India so memorable! Of course, there are some people we want to stay away from, and we also get short changed at times, but the average person on a street is friendly, kind, gentle, and over all we are made feel very welcomed.

In addition to Ernakulum and Kochi, Rob and I took a ferry to the Vypeen Island, and then a public bus to the Cherai Beach. We were the only Westerners or "gringos"

as we call it, so people tried to help us out to get to the right direction. The bus we were one had a local pop music blasting, so Rob decided to have fun and was making dance movements as a joke. The conductor was initially surprised about that (it is not typical of locals to do that on a bus), but then he began laughing and pointing Rob out to other passengers. So, unaware, Rob collected several fans on a bus who were giving big smiles and thumbs up.

Another "special" thing about Ernakulum was a big invasion of mosquitoes at night. Luckily, we are traveling with a mosquito net that we set up around the bed, and that wasn't a problem for us, but for others it certainly was - we kept hearing slaps in other rooms, no doubt while chasing the mosquitoes and loosing a battle.

Lunga, traditional men's clothing of South India

Fishing nets, the emblem of Kerala