As I indicated above, we arrived in Cochin around noon on Saturday, and shortly after eating lunch and clearing immigration, we embarked on the “Highlights” excursion. Cochin is the capital of the southern Indian state, Kerala.

It has one of the finest natural harbors in the world, and for centuries was the center of the spice trade. Ancient mariners from the Middle East, China and Europe all left their mark on this beautiful island city, and its diverse past is reflected in its steep-roofed bungalows and colonial residences, its spice and antique shops, and its cathedral, palaces and synagogue.

At the beginning of the excursion, once we entered the old part of Cochin, we passed through the district of Mattancherry, noted for the medieval-style Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace). It is a large but modest-looking building with sloping roofs, the palace was built by the Portuguese in 1555 and given to the Raja of Kochi (Cochin). It is now a museum with exhibits recording the history, traditions and culture of the area. Unfortunately, photos could not be taken inside.

We also stopped in the ancient neighborhood known as Jew Town, once a thriving Jewish enclave in the late 1500s. The community has dwindled in numbers—our terrific guide, Ajita, said there were but 8 Jews remaining. We got a glimpse of the synagogue, built in 1568, but we did not have the opportunity to go inside. After strolling the narrow streets of Jew Town, passing an assortment of shops selling similar carvings, jewelry, fabrics, etc., we made a stop at a very fancy store selling fine jewels, furniture and rugs; several of us really liked a silk rug which was about 8 x 10 and only $24,000!

We also stopped at St. Francis church, the oldest European church in India, built in 1503 by Portuguese friars. Vasco da Gama was buried here in 1524 until 1538 when his remains were taken to Lisbon. His sepulcher can still be seen at the church. We also made a short stop at the Indo-Portuguese Museum, but our guide said that the gardens outside were much more interesting than the artifacts inside.

Finally, we drove back to the water to see the famous Chinese Fishing Nets, which we had viewed upon arriving at Cochin. These fixed and cantilevered fishing nets are the icon of Cochin sea trade, and cannot be found anywhere else in India. It is believed Chinese traders brought these huge fishing nets to Cochin from the court of Kublai Khan. We also saw (and smelled) the local fish market.
All in all, it was an excellent “Highlights” tour, especially because we had one of the best guides we’ve encountered on the cruise.

We had dinner with Ngaire, Ken, Peggy, and Jerry. The featured dish was sea bass, which was pretty good, though I enjoyed the mussel appetizer and the passion fruit sorbet even more.

After dinner, as I mentioned above, there was a performance with acrobatics and dancing. I think I was in fact able to take some interesting photos of the costumed dancers.

On Sunday, we had 22 people from Ngaire’s TAJ group on our “Tranquil Backwaters“ today. Our guide was not that good, but we enjoyed the tour, especially the cruise along the backwaters. I hope to provide more details later—though someone else might beat me to the punch.

Right now I need to get ready for the Indian dinner that is being arranged for some of us using a menu prepared by Ken Simpson.

----------------------

Eugene