Ernakulam looks familiar, but the hotel is a bit disappointing. We’re staying in a hotel catering for Indians rather than tourists just off the main road in Ernakulam city. It was built in 1973 and looks like they haven’t redecorated or bought any new furniture since. Most of the wedding guests have chosen to stay on the quieter nearby islands of Fort Cochin and Wellington. We’ve met up with Manu and Lillian and a few of the crew over from Ireland, been sari shopping, spent the day ambling around sleepy but filthy Fort Cochin and eaten more fantastic food.
I’ve had the pleasure of having my sunglasses case belt-strap replaced by one of the leather craftsmen at the side of the road. He sits under a canopy of blue plastic just around the corner of the hotel, and fixes hundreds of shoes all day. You have to kneel down on the ground to talk to him. He took my broken case – cut a new piece of leather to fit exactly, glued it and double stitched it so it would fit on my belt, all the time holding it with his feet, for the asking price of €1.20. I was asked for €19.50 to replace a zip in Dublin the day before we left.
Now we’re making preparations for the Indian/Irish wedding tomorrow. This should be interesting.
eightyfish 
