April 25, Kochi, India. I'm not the first person willing to travel great distances for a good meal. Marco Polo, Vasco da Gama, and a countless parade of trader/explorers have come to Kochi (formerly Cochin) since ancient times to get spices and other items that were just not available back home. This city claims the distinction of being ground-zero for the ancient spice trade with Europe and China. Today they are upgrading their port facilities to compete with the likes of Singapore and Manila. They claim their state, Kerala, is the wealthiest in India.
On our tour we notice it is much cleaner than the previous Indian city we visited - Chennai. Not as much trash here, and slightly more upscale - even the cows have a bit more pep in their step. Like most of India however, they do have serious water pollution problems. The iconic Chinese fishing nets lining the waterfront have been reduced to tourist attractions. The locals apologize that these ancient nets no longer catch fish - too polluted they say.
It's a low-rise city, very spread out with a large harbor. We visit the St. Francis CSI Church, the oldest European church in India, built in 1503. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama died here and was buried in this church. One hundred and fifty years later, the Dutch Protestants came to India to fight against the Catholics, or as the Europeans at the time called it, 'an away game.' The Dutch won and this church became Protestant for a while, until the British ousted them and made it an Anglican church. Today it's just a place for Indian peddlers and beggars to ply their trade, hoping to ensnare the tourists that stop here to glimpse some history. War games still exist here, as India remains alert against their neighboring enemy, Pakistan. However today most of the enthusiasm for military battle has been replaced by a devotion to sporting events. India recently won the world cup of cricket - a cause for celebration and pride for fans in this nation. Sri Lanka won it a few years ago, and in both countries we've seen youths playing sandlot cricket.
Historically Kochi provided refuge to many non-Hindus, so today it is one of very few Indian cities without a Hindu majority. Today it has substantial populations of Christians, Muslims, Jews and other non-Hindus. There is a huge synagogue here, though we don't see it. While we hear about some of the history, culture and modern economy here, we don't actually see it. Our interactions are mostly limited to street peddlers and tour guides, plus of course the ubiquitous Rubber Stamp People. We bargain with a few peddlers, who once again we find very friendly. Knowing their core niceness makes us more accepting of their remarkable persistence. Otherwise we would interpret such persistence as annoying.
After a number of hours on tour buses, we concoct an alternate theory at to why so many Indian people walk rather than ride in motorized vehicles. The roads are mostly horrible - an endless series of potholes interrupted occasionally with patches of pavement. Not good for back muscles. Much smarter to simply walk. On the plus side, tour buses have air conditioning, which provides some relief from the oppressive heat and humidity.
Our tour in Kochi comes to an end. We board our ship to continue sailing up the west coast of India, along the Arabian Sea, headed to the huge metropolis of Mumbai, formerly Bombay.
For photos, see Brigit's blog at http://anchorsawaygrandworldcruise.blogspot.com/
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