March 29 – 31, 2023 – Days 98 – 100
We sailed into Cochin, India as the sun rose on what promised to be a hot & steamy day. It exceeded our expectations! A heavy haze hung in the air; it’s scent not easily identifiable. ‘Chinese’ fishing nets lined both sides of the inlet. These nets, named after the fishermen to first use the technology, are an unmechanized system of poles, pullies, counterweights and nets that are lowered into the water, without bait, into the current, then raised after a time, to scoop out fish trapped in the nets.
The birds would like their share of the catch being raised.
While it is always interesting to see what the local markets are selling, I cannot imagine eating the fish being sold here. It was well over 90 degrees this day, the humidity at least as high, it’s late afternoon and nary an ice cube (except for a few in the tray on the top left) or refrigeration unit to be found! Be thankful that no one has figured out how to imbed odors in digital photos… it was pungent! My delicate Westen immune system would be taken to its knees… no street food for this Yankee. For that matter, no local restaurant fish for me either… I know where they were shopping!
This building was in the middle of the harbor, it seems to be a harbor control ‘tower’.
Cochin (Kochi in the local dialect), known as the “Queen of the Arabian Sea”, is on the south-western coast of India. It has been a trading port on the ‘spice route’ since the 14th century. Cochin was/is rich in cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric and many other spices desired by the world. Even today it is the world’s leading producer of pepper. Because of its trade importance, Cochin has been under the rule of many foreign cultures over the centuries. Contingents of Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British have all ruled here. They have each left their mark on modern day Cochin.
Although the Jewish population has all but left modern Cochin, there is still an active synagogue here. The Paradesi synagogue is the oldest in India. One of the families still living here recently lost their matriarch, Sarah Cohen. She was renowned for her handmade lace. Her son remains to keep her memory alive.
Many unique chandeliers, gifts from around the world, surround the Bema/Bima in the synagogue.
Many of the buses and delivery trucks in Cochin are brightly decorated or have statements of faith prominently displayed on them. I didn’t get a shot of the wildest trucks, but they seemed to try to outdo one another!
Cochin has a very different cultural mix than the much of India. In Cochin, 44% of the population practices Hinduism, 38% Christianity and 18% Islam. While it varies from state to state, the norm for India is 80% Hindu, 14% Islam, 2% Christian, with smaller percentages of Buddhism, Janism and others. Although a small minority of the population by percentage, in pure numbers, India has the second largest Muslim population in the world; Indonesia holding the number one spot. India has a total population of over 1.4 billion people.
After our day in Cochin, we sailed further north across the Arabian Sea. On this day at sea, we attended lectures on ‘The Decolonization of India and Ceylon’, ‘China, India, Ceylon & Britan: The story of Tea’, and ‘The Legacy of Portugal in India’.
There may or may not have been a nap between lectures (or during) – we wanted to arrive in our next port well rested!!
A warrior king, whose name I missed, welcomed us to our next port of Goa. Goa, as you’ll see in the map below, is further up the Westen coast of India. This area of India was the center of Portuguese rule for 450 years. It was the first region in India colonized by Europe and the last to get its freedom. The city has lots of cathedrals and monasteries among the many Hindu temples.
For our day in Goa we chose to go crocodile hunting and visit a spice plantation.
My Crocodile Hunter and I had to first cross a river on a ferry equipped to transport a couple of cars, motorcycles &/or humans. It was a very short trip but given what we were planning to see in that same river, we hoped the ferry was going to remain afloat! You would think that was a given, but let’s just say it wasn’t!
Looking OK as it crossed the river to us.
Maintenance might have been deferred a few times …
Our tour company ‘Jake the Snake’… hmmmm
This is the dock to the boat… the ultimate in building with reclaimed materials! This was a ‘one person at a time’ crossing.
Off we go to look for crocodiles!
After about 30 minutes we spotted a croc in the mangroves! Come out, come out, wherever you are!
Hi Mr. Crocodile!
Opps… just kidding! Maybe we shouldn’t be this close. This guy is huge! The saltwater crocodile is the largest reptile in the world. He seemed to be well over half the length of our boat… no need to tell us to keep our hands and arms in the boat!!!
Once in the water, he was barely visible from our boat. He was so cool to see, but we turned around and let him glide silently in the other direction.
We saw lots and lots of bird life and a couple more crocodiles at a distance. For any birders out there, here are a few of the birds we saw.
A Kingfisher
Brahminy Kite on its nest.
An Indian Cormorant or Shag
It was a fun trip, but it was marred by the amount of trash along the banks of the river. It was so dense, it made spotting the birds and animals along the shore difficult. India has a severe trash problem. They are making efforts to stop creating more trash through recycling programs and banning the use of plastic bags and not allowing import of plastic water bottles, but they have a really long way to go.
After our river adventure, we went to an organic spice farm and got to tour their exhibition garden and see some of what they grow.
Welcoming our group to the Spice Farm, being showered with marigold peddles.
Our guide is holding a cashew fruit/flower. The nut is at the bottom of the bell pepper looking fruit. In the picture you’ll also see a clay pot. This is a still that is used to make a liquor out of the cashew fruit that is very potent!
A banana tree in bloom. These short little bananas are so very tasty!!
After our tour we were treated to an Indian buffet lunch that had the option of ‘regular’ Indian dishes (where local families were choosing their food), or the other section that had the same dishes prepared with less spice. Well, I learned my lesson in Sri Lanka… ‘regular’ spice will blow your head off, and ‘less spicy’ will burn your taste buds off. We exercised caution and were able to survive the meal without injury!
We’ve enjoyed our gentle introduction to India. Cochin and Goa are two cities in Indian states with relatively healthy economies. Cochin is the capital of the wealthiest state of India. Both Cochin and Goa attract tourists from other Indian states as well as international tourists like us. They still have plenty of problems, as all cities do. In the picture below you’ll see a slum built atop a trash mound piled to the seashore. All the while, the high-rise buildings soar above the squalor. India is making strides. They have lifted 431 million people out of poverty since 1985 with a target of 530 million by 2030. There is a long way to go.
The air pollution made for a spectacular sunset as we bid farewell to Goa. Tomorrow, we arrive in Mumbai.
