Kochi, India

New city for us so we booked an Oceania excursion to take us to St. Francis Church, Chinese fishing nets, the Indo-Portuguese Museum, Mattancherry Palace and “Jew Town.” As we drove off from the port it was soon evident that between the bus’s squeaky suspension and malfunctioning microphone it was going to be an interesting tour. Our guide did his best to ensure we heard his commentary.

Kochi is yet another place that was first colonized by the Portuguese and then the British. Most of the remaining historical sites are British, including an Anglican Church called St. Francis that dates back to 1779 and the palace that the British built as a gift for the region’s king.

Interestingly, there was a Jewish community in Kochi and though the community has pretty much evaporated, its legacy in Kochi is distinct. You can read more here: https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7apxn/how-one-…

Our skepticism about the condition of our bus ended up having merit when we returned from seeing the Chinese fishing nets to find our driver trying to start the bus with no success. The battery had died. 😂. Brad chuckled because he had seen three buses parked where we’d boarded in the port with signs in their windows reading “spare buses.” We’re guessing this wasn’t an unusual occurrence. A new bus with no squeaks and a better PA system was there in 15 minutes and we were back on our way.Read more