The Zoo, Coffee Shop & Shoes

Cause I've been feeling like a caged animal

Feb 06, 2025

My daughter woke up again feverish and I immediately knew by the touch of her skin she would be spending another day in bed. I couldn’t stand the thought of being home with cranky, clingy kids when the glorious, vast city beckoned from beyond the gate. We considered our options and landed on the local zoo. Our two littles needed an activity and Sebastian and I needed to move. We jumped in a rickshaw with the double stroller wedged between the four of us smushed together for the short ride through morning traffic. I immediately noticed the driver’s dashboard: a picture of the sacred heart of Jesus next to a statue of Ganesh with a hanging Hanuman from the ceiling arranged next to a golden crucifix and for good measure a stuffed animal holding a heart. In a glimpse, it captured the complex, diverse and rich spiritual landscape of India. It reminds me of my in-law’s home where Buddha stands next to Mary who sits across from Shiva. Everyone is welcome, we can all co-exist.

Isn’t it such a fascinating, beautiful and powerful thing to consider there are many pathways to the Divine?

The zoo doesn’t feel touristy but rather a local hangout. I am more drawn to the trees than the docile wild animals. I am one of the only white people and catch the eye of almost everyone. I do my little head wiggle and smile as they try to figure out what I am doing in Kerala with an Indian man who looks and dresses American but can speak the native language. They glance at our children with warmth and shake their heads back at me. We make eye contact and smile. It feels like mutual fascination and for me, a welcomed acceptance.

One of the things I always notice when I am here is the vibrancy of women’s clothing. Despite the high temperature, most of the women at the zoo are wearing Shalwar kameezs, a traditional outfit of loose trousers that narrow at the ankle under a long tunic with sleeves to the elbows. A scarf or shawl usually accompanies and compliments the look. What I am most drawn to are all of the colors, textures and styles. Nothing is bland or boring. One outfit is magenta, turquoise and gold. Another is shades of yellow. I see one with white and green stripes and then another, black with fuchsia flowers. No two are alike and each has its own appeal. There are paisley patterns, ornate beading, embroidery designs and shimmering circles that look like mirrors with thick stitching around each one. I’m wearing my signature red skirt and black t-shirt but I can’t help feel I lack the pizazz so common here. Everywhere I look I see embellishment and color, a rich tapestry of fashion worn even for such a low key thing as visiting the zoo. Makes me reconsider my black legging collection.

In the late afternoon, Sebastian and I decide to venture out again. Baby is refusing sleep and we are trying to keep our four year old awake until bedtime. Oh the challenge of parenting children of different needs and ages. I search Tripadvisor for the best coffee shop in town and we take the 8 minute rickshaw ride to the cafe. We both share of love of good coffee and always enjoy scoping out the best places whenever we travel. We pull up and it’s love at first sight. A little shop tucked a bit back from the main bustling road with a small store full of trinkets, statues, jewelry and incense. I felt it immediately - my kind of place. I want everything. The the massive rings, silver beaded earrings, a golden rose bowl and a statue of Lakshmi that would have put my luggage well beyond the fifty pound weight limit. We head to the back where the outdoor cafe is a hidden oasis, with chill vibes, a three tier fountain and lots of greenery. Couches, chairs and colorful pillows create cozy spaces for intimate conversations. We are a little out of place but I’m desperate for some caffeine and do my best to tame my curious kids.

They are playing instrumental Christmas music which I find strange but endearing and hum along to familiar tunes I wasn’t expecting to hear for another year. I order an iced latte and he gets a coconut coffee plus a smoothie bowl for the children. We wait patiently and cheers when it arrives. With the fist sip both let out a groan of pleasure. It hits the spot. Nothing like finding the perfect coffee at 4pm when the jet lag is starting to make my eyelids heavy and the pull to my pillow is impossible to ignore. We do a puzzle and chase the baby, use a package of wipes to clean up the puddles of smoothie, try to shop with a tantrumming toddler while laughing at the chaos and yet still trying to find small pockets of connection reminiscent of our life before kids.

Our last stop is to the art store for watercolor paper and on the way out a sales clerk of a little shop invites us into his shoe store. It’s small and narrow but packed floor to ceiling with rows of shoes for everyone. My husband wants to get our boy flip flops, “chappals” for our upcoming trip to the beach. He tries on a pair, gives them a little spin, loves matching his Papa. We head over to pay. 85 rupees. Barely the equivalent to one US dollar. Gotta love India for those kind of prices!