Day 21: Kochi

I met the rest of the tour group at breakfast. There were 8 of us including me - Lex from Sydney, Stine from Denmark, Christine from Australia, Dan and Maria - a couple from Bournemouth, Karen and Holly - mother and daughter from Georgia, USA.

First stop was the Chinese fishing nets, massive nets controlled by a pulley system from the shore. The fishermen thus did not have to risk their lives going to sea. Each fishing net was owned by a few families. The technology was old and left by the Chinese. The catch of the day was auctioned off in a small market. Across the river was a newly built harbour for container ships.

Chinese fishing nets

We walked on to the St Francis church, an old church where Vasco Da Gama's body was once buried. The church was still in use for services every week. 27% of the population in Kerala are Christians, higher than the national average.

St Francis Church

We then took auto rickshaws to the Dutch Palace. Inside were mural paintings with scenes from the Ramayana. There was also an exhibition about the Kerala royal families and history. They practised some sort of matriarchal system and so they had some pretty well educated princesses. Many people including women were proficient in the kalarippayat martial arts and they often acted as bodyguards to the royals. The British banned it because it can be deadly. We also learned that women traditionally wore a length of material like a sarong and leave their tops uncovered. The small blouse worn nowadays with sarees was a European influence.

We walked on to visit the Jewish Synagogue. There are total of 5 Jewish families with 9 family members living in Kochi.

Jewish Synagogue

It wasn't as hot as Delhi but humidity was high and sweat kept dripping into my eyes. I bought a fan for Rs50 from a market stall near the ferry terminal. There was also a well-stocked bookshop in the market called Idiom Bookseller.

Ravi took us on the ferry to Ernakulam, the big city. We went to a hotel for a Vegetarian Thali meal and fresh lime soda. The thali meal was served on a banana leaf,was tasty and surprisingly filling.

First of my many veggie thali meals in South India. The small bananas were a highlight.

After a short rest in the hotel, 5 of us went to watch the Kathakali dance performance in the evening. The performers wore bright make up and elaborate costumes, and they conveyed their emotions through exaggerated facial expressions and ritualistic hand gestures. It was interesting for a while. Not for the first time, I managed to fall asleep in a noisy, crowded theatre and almost missed the crucial plot line of the girl actually turning out to be a monster who was then chased off by the god.

Kathakali dance performance

I quite like Fort Kochi, a slow paced little town with tourist-friendly cafes and shops.
A note about no photos in most blog posts so far. I take most of my photos with my camera, a separate device from the phone I update the blog with. Photos will be uploaded end of the trip.