Wake up a little tired and sore from the car crash last night, breakfast in the hotel a good mix of continental and Indian buffet – but terrible coffee

Checkout, grab Uber to the world’s first solar powered airport – Cochin International

Drive past St George Forane church – looking mighty fancy – worth a visit on a return trip

Road follows the very high up metro line nearly all the way (but metro doesn’t seem to connect to the airport yet)

Make it to the airport without any more crashes, thankfully

Through security quickly, usual problems with the Switch and belt buckles

Cappuccino and a Vanilla bean cappuccino in the Curry Tree – good coffee ????

Quickly to the plane and just a short 1 hour flight

Uber to hotel, even though it’s basically across the road, the Hotel Southern Comfort has a confusing reception as we have to go through the restaurant ????

Unfortunately, greeted by a rude receptionist who didn’t care and to the room finally, through the mouldy corridors and holes in the ceiling!

Shower and Uber to Fort St George – on the way seeing many high rises, military training centres, messes, enclaves and headquarters

The victory war memorial was basically a roundabout!

Everyone driving like a maniac, our driver speeds and weaves through, and thankfully another successful journey without death – thankfully since the cab had no seat belts!!

First stop is Fort St George – basically the early beginnings of the British empire – specifically the British East India Company (EIC) setup here in 1642 as a trading outpost

But it’s not easy to get in: many entrances to get in, there’s a Secretariat building that’s heavily guarded and the rest is not easily accessible – no signs, it’s a mess!

Finally in and look around the museum – a small entrance fee and we’re in to look at the 3 floors of history

Bottom floor has weapons, war medals and a model of the fort made in 1890

The area was named after being opened the same day as the English St George’s Day

Here, we learn about how the fort was a place for the English to hide from French attack, and it was eventually captured by the French for a couple decades

This was when the English were “taught a lesson” and they made the Madras Army (Chennai’s former name) – they were used as England’s muscle for many hundreds of years

The top floor has a national flag gallery and explains the history of flags raised to show India

The middle floor has a gallery of oil paintings of Viceroys and important white figures of the time

Now to head to St Mary’s Church – the First British structure in India – but what an arse to get to aswell!

They have a Xmas service on but we just pop in to see and don’t interfere with this

To Marina Beach in a tuktuk

Sadly, it’s rather polluted and crowded but massive and another photo op for people to enjoy pictures with us ????

Getting hungry, we head in another tuktuk to Bay 146 for drinks – it’s inside the Savers Hotel and a little break from the hustle and bustle of the streets

Cheeky boot pint glasses!

Just down the road, we go to Copper Chimney for food – Chicken Tikka masala, prawn curry and garlic naan and a salad

The food was a little slow as they had a large table order before us so we’re very tired after – time to get an Uber

Seems there’s a massive rush elsewhere as there’s difficulty to get anyone to take us!

After 45 mins, we get an Uber and we are finally on our way back!!

Bed for an early-ish morning of travels