15-8-2024
No, no spaceships and tough guys. Today, Aug. 15, is Indian Independence Day. The day the British returned India to Indians in 1947. And like everything else here, this day is surrounded by ceremony and rituals.
Several buildings in the city have been decorated in the saffron-white-green of the Indian Tiranga (tricolor) in the past few days. The number of vendors selling flags and other tricolor trinkets has skyrocketed. And people are walking around in festive clothes. At St. Albert's, it's double celebration, because today is also Assumption Day. Decorations from the graduation ceremony have been used to decorate both the statue of Mary and the flagpole in front of the school.
At eight in the morning, the flag was to be ceremoniously raised by Father Thoppil. So we were present at eight o'clock. For a moment we had forgotten that eight o'clock could be Kerala time. A few students were preparing the flag, but no one else was there. Finally at a quarter to nine everyone was present. Besides students and teachers from the college, and the entire management of course, there were also the cadets from the NCC (National Cadet Corps), from Army, Air Force and Navy.
After several speeches, where again everyone was welcomed and thanked by name, the flag was raised and the national anthem sung. Then a few more speeches about how beautiful and good the motherland is. Sort of along the lines of, “Don't ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Indians are a proud people.
After this, the official part was over. We wanted to go out for the rest of the day. Simon still had a desire to go to Eloor, to go there as a disaster tourist to see the environmental pollution. Besides, in Eloor (once a separate town, now part of Kochi) there would be a military parade, which the Fathers said was worth watching. Apart from the fact that many people are free on this day, there is not much else to do besides a televised speech by the president and one by the prime minister. So: Let's go to Eloor.
Eloor
For the last time we took the metro, this time to Kalamassery. At the metro station we switched to a rickshaw. We requested the driver to drive us around for one hour, at a set price per kilometre. It turned out to be much longer.
First, Simon was eager to go to the Periyar River, to see for himself the pollution caused by the chemical plants in the district. We smelled the chemicals as we approached the factories, but otherwise Eloor looked mostly very green. People live there in a pretty lushly planted environment. The river flowed, and the few people we talked to at various points along the river, were of the opinion that the pollution was not that bad at the moment. However, much of this had to do with the rainy season, so the water level was much higher and the water flowed faster than during the dry periods. We took a few pictures of some large chemical plants, and after an hour-long tour, we had seen most there is to see Eloor. The parade had ended before we reached the parade grounds, so we'd like to see some more of the surroundings.
Instead of going back to the metro station, the driver suggested we go to the Varapuzha fishmarket, one of the largest in Kochi. We left Eloor and crossed the river. The fish market was indeed extensive, and apart from fish, there were also fruits and vegetables being traded. We saw the famous Karimeen (pearlspot), huge prawns and small tuna. To get rid of the sellers' commendations, even Simon told them he was a vegetarian.
After touring the market, we went to get something to eat. And there Simon suggested we drive a little further, into the backwaters.
Kadamakkudy
Not far from Varapuzha are the backwaters of Kadamakkudy. And in those backwaters, we had marked a beautiful viewpoint some time ago (in google maps). We asked the tuktuk driver to take us there. Leaving the built-up area behind, we soon drove on narrow roads through vast waters.
There was a lovely breeze and the sun was shining in our faces. And we were not the only ones who came here to spend their free Independence Day. Everywhere along the waterfront were couples, and at the viewpoint where we got off, a pre-wedding photo shoot was going on.
There we found out that we were also close to a tody shop, the Kadamakkudy pallu shop, which had been recommended to us back in March by Father Jensen. As we were so close, we thought we might as well finally try toddy, too. Pallu is another word for toddy. Toddy is a kind of palm wine, which can be made from the sap of different types of palms. If you let this juice stand for a while, a natural fermentation process begins. This results in a mildly bubbly, slightly alcoholic drink. Sweet, with an acidity due to the fermentation, and immensely delicious! Toddy is produced locally, and bottled in reused beer- and other bottles. We started cautiously with one bottle, but ordered one more a little later. Usually you have a sharp curry dish with your toddy, but this place had only seafood on the menu. Besides, we had already eaten. But the location, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by water, was also unique.
After our drinks, we walked back to the rickshaw. A bit drowsy, due to the day out in the sun combined with the alcoholic refreshment, we were driven back to St Albert's.
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