私にとって初めてのインド旅行。
スパイス魔女の修行の一環として計画されました。
The Tree Flying Witches のメンバーは奈良にてインド・スリランカの家庭料理店 vanam を一人で切り盛りしているAco、管理栄養士であり、スパイス料理教室やメヘンディ・アート、スパイス関連のイベントも積極的に行っているAyami。そして私Gingerの3名。
向かったのは南インドはケララ州コーチン。
The Tree Flying Witches のメンバーは奈良にてインド・スリランカの家庭料理店 vanam を一人で切り盛りしているAco、管理栄養士であり、スパイス料理教室やメヘンディ・アート、スパイス関連のイベントも積極的に行っているAyami。そして私Gingerの3名。
向かったのは南インドはケララ州コーチン。
ステイ先はコーチンにてB&Bを営むとあるご家庭。
さて、我々魔女3人のお供は同じく魔法修行中のお面をつけた猫、おめんちゃん。
おめんちゃんは、無言の行に入っていますので喋りません。
おめんちゃんというのは私Gingerの産んだキャラクターです。
4年前にプラハにて木彫りの立体として現れました。
機内から、スパイスの旅は始まっていました。
3人ともそれぞれ機内食を別々になるように頼んでおいたのです。
Acoは普通の機内食、Ayamiはムスリム教徒向けのハラル調理法のモスレム・ミール。ラム肉、鶏肉、魚、果物、卵、乳製品を含みます。豚肉やハラルミート以外のものは含まれないというもの。Gignerは肉、魚、卵を含まないベジタリアン・ミールにしてみました。
どんなメニューになっているのかな？と興味深々。
まずは旅の成功を祈ってワインで乾杯。
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| Salty peanuts makes me feel I'm on board! |
それぞれの機内食を食べ、映画を観たり眠ったりしながら、香港を経由してデリーに到着。
夜の9時ごろでした。早朝5時の国内線でコーチンに飛ぶまでの間を、狭いロビーのベンチで過ごしました。いくら3人いるからと言って、女ばかりだし大丈夫かな？と心配していましたが、大丈夫でした。固いベンチで仮眠を取りながら、何とか数時間を乗り切り翌朝コーチンに向けて出発。
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| Big elephants! |
パラタはインドのパンの一種で、アタ（全粒粉）とギーと塩で作り、パイのように何層にも生地を折りたたんで丸く広げたものをギーで焼きます。パニールとは、インドの水牛のチーズです。
直径にして30㎝はあろうかという焼き立てのパラタは、フードコートのものと侮るなかれ。とってもおいしかったです。ブレーンヨーグルトと、野菜のピクルス、トマトケチャップを添えてくれたのがフードコート感があって、これもまた良かったのです。
1枚をシェアしたかったのですが、2枚からしか焼かないというルールがあるようで、それも面白かったです。
その後乗った国内線の朝食も、ベジタリアン・ミールの私のお皿には青菜入りのパラタが乗っており、パニールムグライ（パニールと野菜の炒め物）らしきものと一緒に出てきたのでかなりしっかりした量に感じました。
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| Mmmm..... yum! |
長い長い時間を掛けて、やっとコーチンにたどり着いて、ホッとしたものの、空港からB&Bまではバスで1時間ほど掛かりました。
番地の無い住所ですから、地元の人に聞きまわって、最後はリキシャ―で連れて行ってもらい、あたたかく迎えてくれたホストのアフザルとジェズナの笑顔に安心。
ああ、やっと始まった。そんな気持ちで肩から荷物を下ろしました。
つづく。
As I reported around early April, I was in India for a while.
For me, it was the very first time to go to India.
This trip was planned as a part of a spice witch training.
Aco who runs vanam, a Indian/Sri Lankan homely meal restaurant in Nara, by herself, and Ayami who is a nutritionist and holds spice cooking classes and joins many events related to spice or mehndi art. And I, Ginger are The Three Flying Witches. We three headed to Kochi in Kerara, India.
Our host was a family who runs a B&B in Kochi.
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| They don't have chai, but black tea on board. |
We had a small companion. It was Omen-chan, a mask kitty also learning some magic.
He has been doing an ascetic practice of silence, so he doesn't speak at all.
Omen-chan is a character I created.
He appeared in this world as a wooden doll four years ago in Prague.
As soon as we were on board, our trip of spice has started.
Each of us pre-ordered different meals.
Aco was having normal meals which the airline has prepared. Ayami ordered Moslem meal which is suitable for Muslims and prepared in accordance with Halal method. It contains lamb, chicken, fish, eggs, fruits and dairy products. It doesn't contain any pork or non-halal prepared meats. I ordered Vegetarian meal which doesn't contain any meat, fish or eggs.
We were very curious about what are those dishes like.
We made a toast with wine to a success of our trip.
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| Moslem Meal |
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| Vege Meal |
As soon as we were on board, our trip of spice has started.
Each of us pre-ordered different meals.
Aco was having normal meals which the airline has prepared. Ayami ordered Moslem meal which is suitable for Muslims and prepared in accordance with Halal method. It contains lamb, chicken, fish, eggs, fruits and dairy products. It doesn't contain any pork or non-halal prepared meats. I ordered Vegetarian meal which doesn't contain any meat, fish or eggs.
We were very curious about what are those dishes like.
We made a toast with wine to a success of our trip.
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| We all slept like this. |
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| This one was a better chair. We took turns every 90 minutes. |
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| "They are biiiiiiiiiiigg!!" |
We enjoyed each of our meal, watched films, and slept a little. Through Hong Kong, we arrived in Delhi airport.
It was around 9 in the evening. We spent long hours on a bench in a small waiting area until our next domestic flight to Kochi departing around 5 a.m.We were worrying about this moment because even though we were three, but we are females. But everything was fine after all.
We had naps on hard benches and managed to deal with this long hours and finally headed to Kochi in the morning.
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| He is making paratha. |
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| This is paratha! |
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| "It's biiiiiiiiiiiiigg!!" |
Paratha is a sort of Indian bread. It's made with atta (Indian whole wheat), ghee and salt and layer dough several times as you make a pie. Spread the dough in a round shape and bake on a thick pan. Panir is Indian cheese made from milk of a water buffalo.
Though the freshly baked, steaming hot paratha, which looked like it has 30cm in diameter, were from food court, but you shouldn't underestimate the quality of them. They were very good. Those paratha came with a small pack of plain yogurt, vegetable pickles, and a tube of tomato ketchup. Those little details made me feel like we are eating at a food court and that made me kind of jolly.
We wanted to share a piece, but there were a certain rule of they can't bake just one but two. That was interesting.
On a domestic flight after this breakfast, my vegetable meal breakfast were paratha with greens and something looked like panir mughlai. I felt those were too much for me.
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| "I'm full..." |
There was no street numbers on the address we were given, so we asked around local people where the B&B was and we grabbed a rickshaw in the end. Afzal and Jezna welcomed us with warm smile and that made us feel safe.
Ah, finally it began. I thought by myself as I was sliding my backpack down from my shoulders.
To be continued...
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| On the rickshaw |
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| Our B&B |
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