From Trivandrum I went north to Cochin (Kochi) for two days. Train journeys in Kerala are especially enjoyable because the scenery is so beautiful, and I always take photos out of the train. These fuzzy snapshots preserve some of my favourite impressions of this tropical paradise. In Ernakulam, I took a tip from Rough Guide and used local public transport to see something of life on the Kerala backwaters. From the first grunt of the ferry's engine to the final thud of the hull against the wharf, my thoroughly enjoyable 2-hour journey was a more authentic experience than the typical tourist cruise. Next day I reluctantly boarded a train to Mumbai to fly home.