“We’ll keep the boat here until the south-west monsoon breaks, then head over to Malaysia sometime around October,” said Jamie and I when, in May 2010, we tied up at Kochi International Marina.
A rare easterly blowing through Cochin this morning has freshened things, brightening colours and tempering Kerala’s humidity. It has lured me from the air-conditioned saloon up into our boat’s cockpit. The breeze brings with it snatches of a lone voice chanting a Malayalam Christmas prayer across the water.
Dylan Martorell’s installation is in a small, dark room. Hanging from the ceiling are colourful objects, the kinds of everyday bits and pieces you see all over India: copper pots, empty bottles, plastic bags, temple dishes. Thin electric cables and fairy lights are woven between them. A hand written note by the door says: “Take off your shoes, go in and touch the objects. Only four people at a time.” So I went into the makeshift grotto and patted a hanging bottle; it played a musical note. I tapped a pot next to it and a peel of bells rang out. Then I was off, touching everything I could reach, composing my own symphony as I went. A group gathered round the small entrance, as interested in me as the exhibit.
It just goes to show that a little persistence can (sort of) pay off. I’ve been bombarding the poor old Guardian for months with tips, opinions and comments. I’ve managed to get a few pieces in Saturday’s newspaper (but none of them has made it to ‘tip of the week’ and netted me that elusive camera … yet). I was lucky enough to have two of my longer essays spotlighted in “Readers’ blogs”. This week I’m stoked to say they chose my piece for their on-line introduction to Kochi (name credit an’all). Here it is, fresh from the Guardian website:
Cochin (as its inhabitants prefer to call it) is a collection of islands and peninsulars jammed along the shores of tranquil Vembanad Lake and the Arabian Sea. Each district has a distinct personality, from the colonial trading post of Fort Cochin and concrete towers of Ernakulam, to the sandy beaches of Vypeen Island. A multicultural bubbling hotpot of humanity, Cochin has a place for everyone. Put on your walking boots and jump on the ferry for a flavour of Kerala’s biggest city.
For those who don’t already know my story, I live on a boat with my partner Jamie, and our cat Millie. During the past six years we have tended to move around, never staying in one place for longer than a few months. Until we arrived in India a year and a half ago and tied up on an island in the busy port of Kochi, opposite the commercial district of Ernakulam. Cochin – as most people who live here prefer to call it – is home to the only marina in India, so for reasons of security, safety and convenience the yacht has not budged. There have been a couple of trips back home to Blighty, and we have had lots of adventures around the Indian mainland, but we have learned to call Bolgatty Island home.