We took a long, but uneventful, overnight train ride from our paradise in South Goa to the next state of Kerala. The girls thought it was great way to travel – we were just like Harry Potter on his way to Hogwarts as we rode in our own sleeping compartment.
Once we arrived in the port city of Fort Cochin, we were ready to go and explore. It was a girls day out as Oliver decided to stay in the apartment and rest. Off we went to see the city streets lined with coconut and palm trees.
We learned that Cochi/Kochin has been an integrated and cosmopolitan city for a long time. In addition to the Indian people, Dutch, Portuguese, British and Jewish immigrants have all settled in the area over the years and have added their cultures and special touches.
Our first stop was a section of town called “Jew Town”.
According to Cochin history, the first Jewish settlers arrived from present day Israel in almost 600BC. There is also another record of a second wave of immigration after the destruction of the second temple in 60 AD. The Jewish settlers were spice and silk traders and built synagogues and homes around the area. After Israel received nation status in the mid 1900s, the majority of the Cochin Jewish community returned to their original homeland.
Now, the shops have been converted to antique, spice and souvenir stores and the synagogues are tourist attractions. It was interesting to see the references to the Jewish faith and reminded us of our great time in Israel.
Next we saw the Dutch Palace, which was a gift from the Portuguese to the Rajas during their rule. When the Dutch took over in the 1600s, they restored it, so now it is known as the Dutch Palace. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the palace, but there are beautiful murals of Hindu artwork throughout and clothing and furniture from the time of the Rajas.
As we wandered the streets, we happened upon another Jain temple, but were not able to enter, so we just viewed it from the outside.
We continued our walk, and peeked into a girls school where the children were playing and laughing during their lunch break.
This school was right by the the SantaCruz Basilica which is still in use as a Catholic church. Originally, the church was built by the Portuguese back in the 1500s, and taken over by the Dutch and British. It was finally elevated to Basilica in 1984 by Pope John Paul II.
From SantaCruz, we headed for one of the most famous churches in India – Saint Francis Church, which is known to be India’s first European church. Although initially Catholic and built by the Portuguese, it was converted to a Dutch Reform Church in the 1600s and finally converted to an Anglican one in the 1800s. The famous Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama, (the first Portuguese explorer to sail directly to India), was buried there, but his remains were returned to Lisbon in the 1500s.
From Saint Francis, we ventured to the beautiful waterfront in Vasco Da Gama Square to see the famous Chinese fishing nets. The nets are used by a team of around 4-6 fishermen and operate as a cantilever with rocks being used as a balance. These nets are only used in Cochin and are thought to have been introduced to the area by Chinese sailors – but that story is not confirmed.
We were there at the perfect time as we were able to watch the fishermen drop their nets into the water. It was a quite a sight to see!
When they pulled up the nets, there were large fresh fish and crustaceans that were immediately brought to the fish market and sold according to weight. You can even buy the fish on the spot and it will be cooked up for you.
As we were walking along, we met up with a school group who were anxious to practice their English and have their photos taken. The girls are getting used to their celebrity status while in India….I wonder how they will feel when they are not being sought out for pics as they walk.:)
Our afternoon wandering finished up in the park where the kids had a chance to play at the playground as well as climb trees and check out some of the local art installations.
Overall, a beautiful start to our time in tropical Kerala. We are looking forward to seeing and experiencing more adventures in the area.
Comments
10 responses to “Cruising Through Cochin”
Fascinating! Enjoying your posts.
HI Maria,
Glad you’re enjoying the adventures – we’re having a great time and love sharing it with the people at home!
Cheers,
Kat:)
Hi, Katina, I had to go to our Atlas to see were Cochin is located, since an 11 hour train ride is a long time. It looks like the girls had a lot of fun and I can just hear the giggles and whispering – just one long sleep over party? It was so interesting to see the different cultures portrait in your posting. It is an ever changing country, and I am glad to get so much new and different historic and cultural information through your travels. I am glad we can “tag” along. I especially liked the photos and posting about the Chinese fishing nets and of course the photos with the school children and Mikhaila and Zoe right in the middle, lovely to see. Hugs and lots of love
Hi Oma,
We were totally surprised to see the diversity of Cochin too – we had no idea about the different influences to the area. We have learned so many new things while in India – it has been such a great learning experience for all of us!
Cheers,
Kat:)
Such a wide variety of things seen in an afternoon! Oliver must have been jealous! But then there must have been such an animated conversation at dinner! I had no idea that there was such a diversity of cultures in India. Sadly each one tried to take advantage at some point…I still maintain that every high school grad in the western world should have to do a gap year in a third world or developing world country in a charitable capacity…might change a lot of things…..
Hi Herta,
You are so right – it’s incredibly important for our young people to know the people around the globe and how they live. I know I have learned so much from our visit here – my head continues to spin and my mouth keeps hanging open by what we see and experience on a daily basis.
Cheers,
Kat:)
Hi Katina, Loved the commentary and the great photos!!! Those Chinese fishing nets are really neat! Love Mom
Hi Mom,
The nets were really neat – they looked like hammocks! But when you see them in action – they are brilliant! They lower into the water slowly and the counter balance of the rocks makes them stable in the water. Then when they raise them up again – it’s full of of fish! It was really cool to see…especially in the late afternoon with the setting sun…
hi Katina
I was surprised to see the English signs in your photos. Catering to tourists or are you seeing a shift to English?
I have been amazed by the diversity in India – and the ingenuity!! They also seem to really know how to celebrate!!!
Hi Gail,
India is an incredibly diverse country with each state having their own language and distinct culture. Hindi and English are the official languages of the country – so English is everywhere! It sure made it easier for us as travellers! And you are right – they are always celebrating something with a festival or holiday….I wish we could have more holidays back at home…it’s fun when you see everyone out together and enjoying themselves!
Cheers,
Kat:)