Kerala Post Script

Sunset at Alleppey Beach

Eating sweet jalebi and mooching through Mullakkal market before heading to the beach for one last Keralan sunset was the perfect end to what has been a truly incredible Indian adventure. And I should have left it there. But Antonio Benson, the hero from my first night in Cochin, had told me about a drink called coconut toddy that he said I absolutely must try whilst here. I did a little research and found it was sap drawn from the palm tree by specialist tappers, who can only perform this task if granted a tapping licence. It is illegal to tap without a licence and it is also illegal to buy toddy from unlicensed tappers. The sap can only be drawn twice a day, early morning and then again in the evening, and it naturally ferments when it comes into contact with the air, producing an intoxicating beverage. God’s Own Alcohol, I guess. But if it is quickly contained and sealed at source, it is said to have extraordinary medicinal qualities and only a minuscule alcoholic content.

I felt as if I was involved in some sort of shady drug deal as I tagged along on the back of Ratheesh’s moped in search of a tapper. And even more so when a man I’d never seen before arrived just before supper and placed a water bottle full of white liquid on the table in front of me. Drink! he said, and threw up his hands. So I did. Coconut toddy is undoubtably the single most revolting thing I have ever tasted in my entire life. I mean it. It tastes like rotten, fermented, liquidised eggs. And I really couldn’t help but make it known. Everyone laughed but no-one could really understand the problem. I thought it might be off. Perhaps the tree was too old? Or too young? But one by one the men drank some to demonstrate how good it was. Pouring it into cupped hands and drinking it that way or tipping it out of the bottle straight into their mouths. You see?! Delicious! I promise you, it’s not.

Raju is coming to get me at 3:30pm this afternoon to take me to the airport. It’s only 60km away but he’s worried the traffic will be bad. He’s promised me that we’ll stop for fresh coconut water on the way.

Stop Press: I need to add a Post Script to my Post Script. Banu has just arrived with a fresh coconut for me! Now that is delicious. He really is one of a kind.