Kozhikode

We pulled up to the Woodie’s Bleisure Hotel at around 6 pm on Friday the 13th after one long, harrowing day of driving. Business plus leisure equals “Bleisure”. Clever. The rooms and the hotel looked good online.

We checked in and asked where the bar was so we could enjoy a badly needed gin and tonic. “Oh, no bar, sir” said the concierge guy, smiling and wagging his head like only Indian people do when they are delivering bad news. “Okay, where is the restaurant so we can get a drink?” Joe asked.

Turns out the Bleisure hotel was a dry hotel. That made absolutely no sense to us. I mean, when you travel for business and need some leisure isn’t alcohol involved?

Anyways. Plan B ensued. We had a quick shower and asked the concierge for advice about where to get a gin and tonic and a meal. He recommended the Sea Queen Hotel near the beach. We arrived there thanks to a local rickshaw driver, whose driving Joe was commenting on the entire way, only to discover that due to the fact that the hotel manager’s son was getting married today, there was no alcohol available at the hotel. More smiles.

The concierge guy there recommended we walk to the Beach Hotel down the road, only 100 meters, he said. Okay okay. On we went. Joe was eyeing a huge Ferris wheel and local amusement park on the beach that had been set up for the holiday season, it seems. “I’m not riding on that tonight,” I said. He kept walking.

The Beach Hotel was a colonial relic that had been open since 1890. We had some food and drinks and performed our daily selfie responsibilities with various people there. One hammered guy in particular had fought in Afghanistan for an American squadron and regaled us with a few slurred speech stories about his Yankee commander.

Kozhikode is a very ancient town in India. It was the capital of an independent kingdom ruled by the samoothiris (Zamorins) in the Middle Ages. Arab merchants traded with the region as early as the 7th century, and Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landed at Kozhikode on the 20th of May 1498 and opened the first trade route between Europe and India. The city was dubbed the City of Spices for its role as the major trading point for Indian spices and was a pivotal player in how world trade evolved a thousand plus years ago.

As we finished dinner, Joe looked at me across the table and said “I’d like to ride the Ferris wheel before we head back to the hotel.” I stared at him in stunned disbelief. We had literally driven eight hours that day in a tin can with wheels along a treacherous highway filled with crazy Indian drivers.

“Why on earth do you want to do that?” I asked patiently. “Because it will be fun, and we’re in India. How bad could it be?” he responded. “I don’t think that will be good for me,” I suggested gently. “Oh honey, it will be fun,” he prodded.

So on we went to the amusement park. I don’t know how to describe an Indian carnival worker exactly. They were all very tired looking, except for the Ferris wheel guy. He was very engaged. And quite interested in why we were in India, and why we wanted to ride the Ferris wheel. I made Joe answer all those questions.

We bought our tickets and stood in the line of the throngs of other eager Ferris wheel riders. Next to us was a pirate ship swinging back and forth. On the other side was a clown train going around in a circle. There was garbage everywhere and many children screaming happily, just like any amusement park anywhere I suppose.

The Ferris wheel was propelled by three large wheels and what looked like a huge bicycle chain. I was worried it would all topple over while we were at the top.

The carny guy tried to get us to ride with two other people but I refused so we got our own tiny little metal bucket to sit in. The door latch was a piece of yarn tied around the metal frame. One by one they loaded the new people into the bins as they let other people off. Then we took off. Up up up we went, creaking all the way. Then down down down and around and back up again.

I’m not sure what happened to me, but on the second loop around I started laughing hysterically. I felt an extremely intense feeling of joy and relief and elation. Because here we were. Riding a Ferris wheel. In one of the ancient spice capitals of the world.Read more