Kochi Kronicles:)

It was raining in the morning when I left Thrissur. I took a bus to Ernakulam. The journey took about 2 and a half hours. I had breakfast at Arya Bhavan and took a bus to Chottannikkara. I reached the temple at 11:30. There was a small crowd of devotees, waiting patiently for their darshan of Goddess Bhagavathy. I completed the darshan in the Melkaavu at 12:00 P.M. Then I proceeded to the Keezhkaavu, completed the darshan there and boarded a bus to Ernakulam at 12:45 P.M.

The bus was caught in traffic and by the time I got down at the Menaka busstop it was almost 2 P.M. It had begun to rain and the intensity of the downpour increased as I jostled for space on the crowded pavement. Finally I reached Bimbi's and proceeded to their A/C restaurant on the first floor. I was famished and ate a well deserved sumptuous North Indian combo meal. The rain and the travel had made me ravenously hungry and I really enjoyed my lunch.

I left the hotel premises at about 3:30 P.M. and crossed the road to enter the Baypride Mall. The mall never ceases to amaze me. It is artistically constructed and the view of the sea from the glass windows is awesome. Window-shopped for a while and then walked to the GCDA Shopping Complex on Marine Drive. The used mobile phone business here is extremely popular, evident from the college crowd checking out the fancy sets available in a row of small shops. I bought some music CDs and proceeded to walk along Marine Drive. The rain started pouring once again and my hopes of getting some pictures of Marine Drive were dashed.

It was beginning to pour heavily and I decided to leave, I took a bus to Kodungallur and from there took a bus to Thrissur. I reached Thrissur at about 7 P.M.

So that is the Kochi Kronicle:) from my Kerala Trip Diary.