I am in Kerala. The better known Cochin is across the bay but I chose to stay here because my hotel here was good and cheap, there was no hassle finding a bar, and Cochin fort didn't seem that attractive. In Cochin there was one pretty street that was full of hotel and cafes but the rest of the area, although not unattractive, was fairly average. There was a basilica there but by now I'm pretty blase about churches and temples. The worst thing about Cochin is the constant hassle from the rickshaw drivers, they just won't leave you alone for a minute. I had one rickshaw driver who told me that we must speak which translated meant "I'm going to bore you to death and then hassle you".
In an Ernakulam bar I met an old Indian guy that had lived in London years ago and we shared a few beers and had a laugh. The bloke returned home some time ago and he now teaches photography. The Indian guy guessed that I was of Irish stock and he liked the Irish, he said that he had been to Limerick and he had a wonderful time. He invited me back to his house but by that time we were both a bit merry and it was still during the day and very hot and I was sure that it would have resulted in a pretty severe session and so I declined. I regret declining his invitation but it was for the best, he was one of those types that are determined to show you hospitality and that would mean a lot of alcohol.
Ernakulam and fort Cochin are the only places I have been in Kerala and I haven't seen any children begging. In fact, all the beggars I have seen here seem to be pretty genuine. I asked a guy in a cafe and he told me that Kerala has a high standard of education and they just don't have child beggars. I was happy to hear that and I liked Ernakulam even more!
