Got a train from Allepey to Ernakulum to get to our next destination of Fort Cochin. On arriving at Ernakulum station we went out into the car park to find a rickshaw to take us to Fort Cochin island itself. Although a number of rickshaw drivers were jostling for our business, a rather bullish man pushed his way to the front and after a bit of haggling over price we got in his rickshaw.

As he drove past the other drivers there was much self-satisfied gesturing and cat-calling from him to them – he was probably boasting about the price he'd managed to secure for the journey from the whiteys.

And then we were out of the car park and shot off into the traffic. And he drove like a man possessed. I can't say we were actually scared because he seemed to be a very capable driver but we were soon convinced he was trying to set a new personal record. He weaved in and out of traffic, steaming into gaps that only seemed to appear at the last minute, and at one point overtook a queue of traffic waiting at a police barrier. He seemed unwilling to stop or even slow down for anyone or anything. It was as if we were all in "Speed 3: Rickshaw Rush Hour", and if the rickshaw should ever drop below 50 kilometres per hour we'd all explode.

When we stopped outside our guesthouse in Fort Cochin, having surely set a new Ernakulum to Fort Cochin record, we fortunately did not explode. Not even a little bit.

So if you ever need a reliable wheel man in the Ernakulum area (and Jason Statham is not available) let me know and I'll do my best to hook you up with Mukul Schumacher...