What do beer and teapots have in common??

I showed up at the bus station at 6:45 this morning knowing full well that I had a long day of travel ahead of me. Well, 12 hours and 3 buses later I finally arrived in Cochin on India's south-west coast. On the last leg of the journey I met Mark who saved me from a near horrible situation when the bus began pulling away while I was grabbing a snack and my backpack was saving my seat on the bus. I looked up from the snack vendor to see the bus driving away and Mark yelling out the window. Thankfully all of Mark's commotion caught the attention of the driver and he waited for me as I ran, samosa and chai in hand, and jumped (literally) onto the bus. So of course, Mark and I got to talking and became friends. Once we arrived in Cochin we had to catch a ferryt out to Fort Cochin, a small island that offers postcard perfect charm; it's colonial, cosmopolitan India with the sparkling Arabian sea as its backdrop. After dropping off out bags, we both agreed that after such a long day of travel an icy cold beer was definetly warranted. Beer in India can be very hard to come by.

Many states have only recently lifted prohibition, so there is a stigma attached to alcohol consumption, and even now alcohol sales are left to the discression of local officals. Needless to say alcohol licenses can be hard to come by. But of course, there is always a way around the system. We ordered beers from the hotel's restaurant and a few minutes later the waiter returns with 2 teapots and mugs. Under the disguide of tea, we sipped two perfectly chilled beers. Very clever!