Dear Fort Kochi, thanks for making me feel the way you did

As I turned a year older, I decided to be in a place that attracted me the most ever since I discovered it. And when I eventually decided to pack my bags and go, the universe conspired to make sure the entire trip was as good as I imagined it to be. The only regret I had was cutting my trip to half of what was initially planned. And as I leave from the first solo trip of my life, I sit to write an open letter to Fort Kochi - the wonderland on a faraway island in God's Own Country!

Dear Fort Kochi

You were everything I hoped for, and so much more. From your wonderful history and heritage to your welcoming nature and warm hospitality, everything shall be missed as I head back. I wish I would never have to say good bye. You my love, are a perfect blend of parallel roads and narrow streets, art cafes and arty restaurants, world cuisine and authentic flavours, vast stretches of green and historic architecture, art galleries and museums, beaches and colonial bungalows... And all of it while retaining a bit of the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British, beautifully complimented with bits and pieces of Kerala. With such rich history linked with the Jewish Synagouge to the Dutch Palace to the Indo-Portuguese Museum to the Kathakali centre, you are nothing short of a wonderland. As I joyously devoured your wonderful Syrian Catholic food and sat sipping tea by the windowsides of your beautiful cafes, all I could wonder was, how could something be so wonderfully beautiful! You dear Fort Kochi, has blown my mind. And I leave a piece of my heart here as I leave... Leave with a regret - a regret of not staying longer, a regret of underestimating you! You were truly fabulous. You liberated my mind and my soul in ways I didn't think possible. I shall be back to walk the alleyways another time, to hop ferries some more, to venture on to a bumpy rickshaw ride hunting for a toddy shop, to enjoy local food by the river side, to walk some more, to watch the sun go down by the Tibetan fishing nets, to inhale some more culture, to be awestruck by everything that you are...to be consumed by you as if I'm your own. Until we meet again, stay awesome. 

Love from Goa
Flexcia