TRAVANCORE COURT HOTEL, A FINE BUSINESS HOTEL IN THE COMMERCIAL CITY OF ERNAKULUM IN KERALA

After saying Good bye to the pleasant manager of the Tower House Hotel in Fort Cochin, it was time to go to Ernakulum.

Mr Rajesh Rajan, manager of the Travancore Court had sent a car and it was nice to look at the passing scenery of this pleasant place which I have seen so many times. And once again paying a tribute to Sir Robert Bristow and the bridge he built across the bay nearly one hundred years ago 

Travancore Court Hotel is centrally located and within short distance to main road arteries of this busy city.

After being shown to the room, it was time for lunch which I shared with Mr Rajesh, the manager of the property.

we were well attended by Karthik.

I like the lemon drink in which freshly squeezed lime juice in a tall glass with sparkling water (soda water) and sugar added to taste.It truly quenches the thirst

Kerala Parotta is a favourite of mine and I do think that it originated in Morocco arrived here via Tunisia Egypt and Yemen about 500 years ago. It would be nice to know it is true ! In Morocco they are called Mesmen

Kerala food is not generally available once you are out of Malaysia/Singapore and the Gulf countries. The "Indian" food most foreigners are used to are North Indian variety of an imagined food of the British. I am fond of Kerala food, enjoyed it very much at each meal and in fact I over ate during my stay and still have not gotten over it one week after my departure ..

Karthik did a good pour of an Indian wine, a sauvignon blanc? Remember we are in India..people drink beer and spirits here ..

From the roof top there are gorgeous views of the bay with Cochin in the distance. The boat plying to Laccadives is seen moored in the bay.

I had to get my antigen test for Covid 19 done and the Laboratory was just a short distance away. Uber arrived quickly.

It was time for breakfast, and I knew that once I am out of Cochin, my next Masala dosai might not arrive until I go to Rue Chapelle near Gare du Nord in Paris where there is a colony of Tamouls from Pondicherry and Sri Lanka.

I enjoyed my short stay at Travancore Court. While there I had my teeth attended to, X ray first and then the filling corrected, visit to friends who took me to Hotel Paragon for a Kerala Dinner and also buy medications to take back to friends in the USA. Medications such as Nevobilol which cost One dollar a pill in the USA are only 25 cents US here in India.

there are lots of things to look and enjoy in the hotel, from antiques and modern art as well as copies of old paintings by one of the Cochin Kings . Was it Ravi Varma?

The above water colours by a modern artist depict the Jew Street as well as the Synagogue in Mattancherry a short boat ride away from Ernakulum.

The green roofed building is the Lotus Club built in defiance to the British ruling class. Sir Robert Bristow the illustrious Brit associated with Cochin Harbour and Willingdon island was married to an Anglo-Indian who was refused entry to the Only White Cochin Club so they decided to assemble a Club which is open to all who wish to join. The club as a class phenomenon is very much alive in Cochin. I have visited Cochin Club (now open to all), the Yacht Club as well as the Lotus Club.

Kerala food is delicious, while it lacks the Persian influences as on the Northern Indian food, the influences from the Middle East can be felt and tasted. The similarity between Kerala cuisine and Sri Lankan cuisine is noted and appreciated by the tourists.

after a quick visit to the Dental Clinic of my friend Dr Seby, it was time to say good bye to my friend Rajesh, the manager of Travancore Court Hotel in Ernakulum

I left the hotel at 6 pm on a Monday and reached Miami at around noon on Wednesday which would correspond to about 9 pm in Cochin.. the journey took 51 hours including the currently longest flight on Singapore Airlines from Singapore to New York JFK Airport timed at 18 h 12 minutes.

I will be returning to Cochin soon enough...