-- From Amritapuri to Ernakulam

The 26/02 I arrived in Allepey in the late morning. I settled at YMCA like my predecessors of the Silk Route association. Alas the cost of the carpark is equal to the price of a room. I took one for two nights. After having lunched and obtained information in Tourist Office, I strolled by bicycle in the city. It claims to be Venice of South India. Admittedly there are two parallel channels from east to west, one in north and the other in south. A perpendicular channel makes the connection between them in the west at approximately a hundred meters from the beach. The banks of these channels are well carried out however they should be cleared out. Moreover roads on both sides are like in India in bad condition and are strewn with refuse. The installation of the esplanade of the beach remains to become about it for the future years. The accesses between the hotels and the beach can be used as wild campsite for one night.

Alleppey Beach 
le 26/02/2007 

The 27/02 at the end in the morning, I took a water notch from Alleppey to Kottayam which crosses Vembanad Lake. Actually in fact rectilinear channels are cut to right angle and delimit rice plantations. The trip time is two hours and forty minutes stop included in the backwaters to deposit local passengers. The landscape is very varies with dams, plantations, dwellings and faunas of birds. After having lunch tardily in Kottayam I took a bus to return to Alleppey. It was a true race of chariots at the time of Ben Hur. As driver, I underwent traffic of buses and their pressing horn. Seen from the bus inside, it was very impressive. It was a permanent fight of the bus driver to overtaken any vehicle which slows down him in his progression to hold the timetable.

The 28/02 at the end of the morning, I took again the road to go to Fort Kochi where I arrived at the beginning of the afternoon. I should look for a place for two nights because the carpark of the Seagull Hotel is too exiguous for my truck. I found a parking in Church Road close to St Francis Church opposite of a football field, Parade Ground, on one of the four places planned for buses.
At the end of the day I strolled on the Jetty to see the “Chinese fishing nets”.

The 01/03 morning I was interviewed by a journalist of The Hindu for an article in the newspaper. Then I visited Dutch Palace built in 1550 by the Portuguese, the first arrived at Fort Cochin, before being ousted by the Dutchmen who were it by the English. I went to the Synagogue whose entry is prohibited to the visitors wearing shorts. The afternoon was devoted to stroll by bicycle in the old streets of Fort Cochin which kept a colonial aspect in spite of shops for tourists.

The 02/03 I left Fort Cochin as early dawn to go to Munnar, the highest tea plantation. Alas at 53 km from Fort Cochin and 11 km before Kothamangalam around 9 a.m. I have a serious accident. A car overtook me in a curve without visibility by crossing the continuous white line. A vehicle came in opposite direction and then the car was folded back brutally in front of me. I could not avoid a frontal shock, I pushed it on several meters and I finish my race on a slope. Motorists of passage released the driver and his woman, they were led to the hospital. The police intervened quickly. A police officer dealt with me during all the procedure and very quickly he accepted the elements of the investigation of his colleagues. He informed me that my responsibility was released. A crane transferred my vehicle on a quay level. As usually in India the crowd of idlers was very big.
I was led to the police station of Kothamangalam to establish the report where I remained until the arrival of two mechanics around 5 p.m. coming from Fort Cochin. Out the damage of the cabin and accessories, the most important damage which immobilized the vehicle was a leak at the radiator, an oil leak and the compressor of air conditioning out of use. Work started on the spot and finished the following day around 7 p.m. Not to spend a second night in nature, the police not wishing it, I was led to the Maria Hotel where I took a room. During the the work a crowd of a hundred people stationed permanently under the indifferent view as well of the police as the mechanics. During the night that I spend in the truck it was a ceaseless visitor ballet chattering, looking in the cabin, etc Moreover the oil gauge was stolen!
Sunday 04/03, I decided to go to Munnar with the two mechanics to test the truck. The 156 km of the outward journey and the return to the hotel made it possible to show normal operation of the vehicle with regard to repairs carried out.
However the other damage compromised the continuation of my journey, air conditioning, electricity generator and various accessories such as headlights etc. I should take a decision which I deferred to Monday 05/03 on my return to Fort Cochin, Ernakulam, where I had an appointment at the FORCE garage.

Kothamangalam 
the 02/03/2007 

Kothamangalam 
the 02/03/2007 

The 05/03 I arrived at the garage of the commercial vehicle maker FORCE. I was taken in hand by the manager of Sales and Service and the person in charge for workshop. Then I met the director of the concession of Ernakulam who ensured me to deal with all renovation works with the help of the German engineers of the MAN-Force factory. Indeed in 2006 a joint-venture was created between MAN and FORCE to build MAN trucks in the factory of PUNE. The first vehicles left in at the beginning of 2007. The stock of spare parts is located at the factory.
Repairs of my truck should be finished on March 14. During the work I lodged in Cochin Suburban Club at approximately one kilometre from the garage.