Day 57, Calicut [Tuesday 29th January 2008]
Previous day: Day 56, Kannur, Kerala [Monday 28th January 2008]
Next day: Day 58, Calicut, Kerala [Wednesday 30th January]
We leave KK Heritage today. I get up extra early and go for a walk along the beach, where the soft sunlight shines through the haze. After breakfast we say our goodbyes and get a rickshaw into Kannur, which Ranji has to help push up the steep hill.
We get a local train to Calicut (also known as Kozighode). It's crowded, hot and sweaty. A Muslim man, back from working in the Gulf, describes in faltering English how Kate's uncovered head and shoulders are arousing him. I ask him, loudly, to stop being a pervert, and how would he like it if I stared at his wife's breasts the same way he was staring at Kate's. Several younger men on the train speak to him, and tell us to 'not speak to anyone like that'.
We check into the Beach Heritage Hotel, a hotel with a rich historic tradition. It has apparently hosted Jawaharlal Nehru, amongst others. We have a barnlike room, 7 or 8 metres high with dark polished floorboards, filled with dark wood furniture and wicker chairs. We have a large conservatory-style room facing the beach and overlooking the front lawn. At Rs. 1500 it's a little expensive, but a fine room anyway.
We walk down S.M. Street (Sweet Market Street) and look through some of the silk shops. Historically an important trading area for spices since medieval times, it is still an extremely mercantile city. Silk Street, Metal Street and other trade-based streets are testament to the city's importance as a marketplace. A local tells us there is a joke about Calicut that if Vasco de Gama, who first landed in India in 1498 just 25km away, ever came back he would still be able to find his way around.
We get a rickshaw to the Kuttichira area. This is a network of lanes surrounding a big tank, and where you can find 3 well preserved mosques dating from the 12th century. They don't share the well known Mecca style of design, of minarets and domed roofs. Instead they are built mainly from wood, and have something of a Chinese look about them, something pagoda like. Each floor and angled roof is progressively smaller than the one below it.
We ask some people near the door if we can go in. I'm not allowed to, because of security issues. The imam isn't here to ask his permission, so I must come back later. Kate just isn't allowed, full stop. But the people we speak to are friendly. They offer us tea and ask about England.
There's a large Muslim population in Kerala, much higher than in the rest of the country. It's the most pluralist state in India, as there is a large Christian population too, as well as Hindu. It also has a Communist government, the first freely elected one in the world. A fact which may or may not be linked to all of these things is that Kerala also has the highest literary rate in the nation - above 90%. It's also relatively clean, and has good public transport.
Back near the hotel we have an ice cream on the promenade next to the sea. Then we have a beer overlooking the sea from our veranda.
We go to local favourite Zains for dinner and sit outside on the veranda. Unfortunately they're out of most dishes, even though it's only 8pm. We get prawn biryani and chicken masala, both if which are ok.
Update: Calico, the textile, originally came from Calicut.
Next day: Day 58, Calicut, Kerala [Wednesday 30th January]
Previous day: Day 56, Kannur, Kerala [Monday 28th January 2008]