To Cochin

Jan 1st 2008
We did manage to wake up at 5 am (11.30pm body time), to get our taxi to the airport. Ahmedabad traffic at this time of the morning was easier to cope with there being none, with the almost sole exception of a young man on a scooter with a cricket bat strapped on his back – a Freddy Flintoff style dedication.

We arrived without problem at Cochin to be garlanded with flowers by our rep from Distant Frontiers and to be introduced to Sunil who was to be our driver during our stay. We were deposited at our hotel on one of the islands in the inland sea on which Cochin is situated.

In the evening we had a walking tour of another island (or part of it) called Fort Cochin where the old trading settlements were positioned – Jews, Portuguese, Dutch and English. Being New Years Day it was a holiday and Fort Cochin had a carnival so the narrow roads were thronged with happy (but not drunk as the first of every month is a dry day in Kerala). We passed the Dutch cemetery, the Church of St. Francis (see photo of us) where Vasco da Gama the Portuguese navigator was initially interred, and the Chinese Fishing Nets (see photo) – a productive method of fishing (shore based) built by Chinese traders who came to Cochin.

On leaving the walk we were dropped at Cottage Industries – a national enterprise for craft work sales. We were regaled with green tea with cardamom, smooth sales talk and beautiful Kashmir carpets before escaping to look at some jewellery (more tea, more super sales patter) before we finally made an empty-handed and slightly guilty exit.


In all this, we had received an excellent potted history of Cochin from Susan, our guide for the walk, which we were able to add to the knowledge gained from our stay in Ahmedabad, and the reading of Edward Luce’s book – ‘In Spite of the Gods’.

Although it was a dry day we found a bottle of Kingfisher beer in the fridge in our room, which served as an appetizer before sampling the sea food restaurant where we selected our main course (a pearl spot fish from the local waters which are neither salt or fresh) some massive prawns (plain and tiger) and crisp-fried anchovies as an appetizer.

Jan 2nd
We returned to the old part of Cochin with Mr. Joyce as our guide (he seemed to know many people and his mother still lived there) and commenced with the Jewish quarter. First we looked through the gate at the cemetery and then walked down the main street full of shops just opening before arriving at the Jewish Synagogue, a small hall paved with Chinese floor tiles and lit by many chandeliers of Belgian origin. An anteroom displayed a painted sequence of the length of Jewish involvement in Cochin – supposedly back to the time BCE of King Solomon and ultimately to a grant of authority to dwell in Cochin – there was a thriving community until the new state of Israel was created when almost all emigrated to it (because India for all its tolerance of different religions did not accommodate aspects of the Jewish one - observing the Sabbath for instance).

Next was the Dutch Palace built by them for the local ruler – quite small, with an elaborately carved roof, and murals of Hindu mythology (naughty). Finally, to an Anglican church built originally by the Portuguese, rebuilt by Dutch Protestants, and the first resting place of the navigator Vasco da Gama. After another look at the Chinese fishing nets we stopped again at a different cottage industry outlet to wife’s benefit and a hole in my credit card.

Afternoon spent by the pool (by me, wife was in the hotel shop doing more damage to my credit).
Then we went to see a Katakali dance demonstration preceded by watching the make-up being applied.