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Fort Cochin

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    • TravelerIndia - a journey to me
      34
      Day 12

      Fort Kochi

      January 17 in India ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

      A challenging but fun morning sketching down by the sea watching the fishermen cleaning their nets and the fish vendors gutting and cleaning them to sell. A feast for the birds. The hooded crows were the only ones brave and cheeky enough to venture up close. Almost too close at times pooping generously on those within firing range. Really quite chuffed with my first drawing. Juicy colours in the second but more variation needed.

      We are quite the spectacle wherever we sit and draw. People are curious to see what we are doing. Not sure if it’s the sketching or the colour of our skin - well maybe not so much mine. There’s a curiosity on both sides.

      Tasty but somewhat hurried lunch at Fusion. Seemed strange listening to Bob Marley whilst sitting in a small eatery in Fort Kochi. Well, why not. Music has no boundaries.

      Goats in the road, men in dhotis - (think that’s what they’re called) and Tuk tuks aplenty.

      Can’t believe tomorrow is our last day with Zainab and Suhita. It’s been a blast. The crunch will come when I head off to Rajastahn on my own.      Read more

    • TravelerIndia - a journey to me
      2
      Day 14

      New day new adventures

      January 19 in India ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

      Next time I’m going to bring nothing but knickers and my credit card. Well maybe just one pair of trousers and a shirt otherwise I might get arrested for indecency!

      Sad to say goodbye to people as they slowly peel away from the group. There’s an intimacy to sketching and drawing together. You sit quietly, observing life as it noisily unfurls around you. It’s strangely comforting.

      Shopping, sketching, coffee and beer punctuated by good company and laughter. Lots of it. With friends. With strangers. It’s uplifting. It’s life.

      Good fun banter with the fruit seller - we commandeered a chair for Judith and he posed for us. Chatted to school kids, had our photo taken a gazillion times. An entertaining morning sketching followed by
      lunch in the leafy splendour of the harbour hotel. Later, time alone with Little My down by the pool listening to the general hubbub of life, amused by the crows chattering as they drank from the pool.; the odd one regurgitating the contents of whatever oddity it had consumed. Charming. I’m goong to have to get used to my own company on the final leg of this trip.

      Heading off with Joannie tomorrow on part two of our adventures. Pondicherry, Chettinad and Madurai. No shopping till Jaipur she says as a pig flys past the window.      Read more

    • 2024 Adventure
      1
      Day 3

      The first 24 hours

      February 6 in India ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

      After getting to our homestay, which is lovely and simple, we napped for a few hours then went to explore Fort Kochi, while trying to get out cash, which is proving challenging for us Mastercard holders. After watching the red sun set and finally getting cash out at on our fourth attempt, we then enjoyed a delicious first meal of fish mango curry and chicken coconut curry with chapattis. And then went to bed at a reasonable time.
      Our jet lag got us up at 4 am. 5 hours later we were eating a delicious omelette, with toast and fresh pineapple sitting on the roof terrace and watching the huge birds of prey swoop around us in the trees.
      After breakfast we strolled along the sea front, sipping from a fresh coconut and then wandered to the main port and got a ferry to Ernakulam, a suburb of Kochi. We killed time in a cafe drinking chia and a delicious spiced milk drink and played cards, waiting for local park to open at 3 pm.
      We then wandered around the municipal park which would put Kew gardens to shame with the amount of exotic trees, hedges and flowers laid out, before heading back to Fork Kochi for a later afternoon rest before dinner. Don't forget we got our first auto-rickshaw ride 😆🫣      Read more

    • TravelerIndia - a journey to me
      13
      Day 13

      Last day with the group

      January 18 in India ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

      How time flies when you’re having fun. And it has been fun. The odd hiccup - arrival and crap room here in Fort Kochi but that’s minor.

      We went to the Jewish sector yesterday, aptly called Jew Town. Not very PC and quite uncomfortable being in the synagogue in the light of the current situation in Gaza.

      The Synagogue is the oldest surviving working synagogue in the Commonwealth and was built in 1568. It’s known as the Pardesi Synagogue as it was built by the Portuguese speaking Sephardic Jews. Pardesi means foreigner - in Malalayam. I think. Fort Cochin was the first European settlement in India. The Portuguese arrived first, followed by the Dutch and then the British.

      We had a great guide. Entertaining and enlightening. Oh my goodness she spoke fast and gave us the full history in 45 minutes! She also had a brilliant sense of humour. There are more than communities, speaking 16 different languages co existing peacefully in Kerala. It has a unique character due mainly to the fact those here had more contact with the Arab world and Europe due to the natural deep harbour on one side and the high mountains giving little or scant access on the other.

      Sketching, Italian coffee (I kid you not) and colourful quaint streets. I can’t believe that today is the last day of the Mumbai / Kochi sketch tour. Suhita and Zainab are fun, crazy, talented, warm individuals. They complete opposites but work so well together. Passionate about art, Mumbai, India and her culture. It’s been a real privilege.

      It’s been challenging, exhilarating and fun. Noisy, overwhelming, vibrant, hot, dusty. Inspiring, harrowing, crowded.

      People are insanely curious and kind. They stop and chat and take photos. They also hassle big time. There is a real divide between rich and poor. It’s heartbreaking and one needs a hardened heart. Apparently it is ok for Indian people to give to beggars but not foreigners. The best way to help is to support NGO’s, buy locally from artisans and women’s cooperatives.

      Now for the next stage of the journey.      Read more

    • TravelerIndia 2022-23
      1
      Day 3

      Kochi

      December 22, 2022 in India ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

      Despite being woken up before dawn by the Muezzin calling people to prayer I slept well and late!

      After breakfast in the hotel..a mixed bag(!), we headed out to explore. We walked back to the coast near Fort Kochi, across the very smelly canal, and through the residential areas to the ferry landing. We bought a ticket for the ferry to take us across the busy straight to Vypin. The ferry was relatively modern but very chaotic but for 3 rupees (3p) we were about to travel with other pedestrians, mopeds, cars and lorries across the water. The journey itself took about 10 minutes!

      Once in the other side we disembarked and walked along the coast past some more fishermen using elaborate nets. This time we saw them in operation and could see that they were counterweighted with rocks held on with rope.

      We reached as far as we could go and do turned around and headed back to the ferry for the return trip.

      Once on the other side it was almost 12 and so with the sun almost past the yardarm we agreed that it was time for a beer in a nearby bar.

      Refreshed we negotiated an auto rickshaw ride to Matta cherry palace, an old Dutch palace with impressive murals. Having spent some time looking around it was by now very warm and so we wandered through the Jewish area (with lots of persistent shop keepers) before finding another sanctuary of a bar by the water for some refreshments.

      Sated, we did a bit more sightseeing in the Jewish area, including seeing the outside of the oldest synagogue in the commonwealth although we didn't go in. After this we decided that it was time to head back for a rest so we hailed an auto rickshaw to take us back to the hotel.

      After a break we had a beer in the hotel and a snack... Some spiced chicken. Later, we walked back to the port area for another drink and some food. This time we ate at the Brunton Boatyard, a smart hotel near the water. The good tasted good, although it was a little bony (!) And we also had a lovely bottle of Indian red wine, at least it was lovely once it has warmed up from fridge temperature.

      By now it was almost 10pm and so we tried to hail an auto rickshaw, without success. So we ended up walking the mile or so back to our hotel... Through residential alleyways... Despite the darkness, it didn't feel at all unsafe (unless you count having to continually avoid mopeds weaving through the narrow alleyways.

      Back at the hotel, it was definitely time to call it a day.... Tomorrow we meet our fellow travellers on the tour!      Read more

    • TravelerIndia 2022-23
      11
      Day 4

      Kochi

      December 23, 2022 in India ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

      Another late start: think I'm catching up with missed sleep. After breakfast we packed and checked out, although we left our bags in the hotel while we went to explore.

      We walked back towards the fort area and we're looking for the biennial arts festival that was opening today. It was based in the Aspinwall building and we timed our arrival for 11:00 a.m.. After a shortish queue we purchased our tickets and headed on in.

      It's fair to say that I probably don't appreciate art that much, but there were some interesting exhibits and the setting was what made it special. In typical Indian style the exhibition was late opening by a few days and yet when we went in, the things were not finished and there was still work going on! Nevertheless, it was good to see. There were also some great views out over the bay from the back of the building.

      After having our fill we decided to take a break and had a beer and a snack. We then walked back to our hotel and collected our bags before getting an auto rickshaw to the hotel, Hotel Abad, (https://www.abadhotels.com/m/fort-chullicakal-k…) where we would be starting our tour about 3km South.

      We checked in and then had another wander back up to the hotel Ginger where we'd had a drink the previous day. By now it was time to get an auto rickshaw back to the hotel for a shower before the welcome meeting at 6!

      After meeting 5 of the other 6 travellers on our tour, asking with the tour leader, Pooja, most of us went out for a meal. The journey was made in two tuk-tuks and was back up near the Chinese fishing nets. Not a cheap meal by Indian standards but the food was excellent and I ended up with a seafood platter.

      It was then a tuk-tuk ride back to our hotel to settle in for the night .. An earlier start awaits tomorrow!      Read more

    • TravelerIndia 2022-23
      Day 5

      Kochi (Christmas Eve!)

      December 24, 2022 in India ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

      There is something slightly incongruous about being somewhere with Christmas trees (artificial), Christmas lights and 30 degrees heat. Can't work out yet whether it's a good thing it not although I'm definitely enjoying the break.

      We had an earlier start today with breakfast at 8 and then a guided tour which started at 9am. We went by tuk-tuk to the Dutch palace where we walked around the upper floor (yes we'd been here before) and had an explanation of some of the 300+ year old murals on the wall.

      Next we walked along the Jewish shopping street to the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth. We couldn't go on because it's Saturday.

      Walking back down the shopping street we then had tuk-tuks to the Fort Cochin area and walked around seeing the old Catholic church and also the oldest church in Kerala, originally built in the 16th century. The Catholic church was decked out in Christmas lights (which we saw later all lit up). The oldest church, At Francis, used to be the burial place of the Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gama. (his body was moved soon after back to Lisbon for re-burial) Finally, for the walking tour, we went back to the Chinese fishing nets.

      Tour complete, we all headed to a local coffee shop where I had a fish burger and pineapple Lassi. It was now early afternoon and the group went their separate ways with Ed and me going for a refreshing beer! After a couple of drinks we caught an auto rickshaw back to her hotel for a shower and change grit the evenings activities.

      We met the group, including our final member, at 5.15 for a quick summary of tomorrow (Christmas day) before getting yet another tuk-tuk to a Kathacali performance. When we arrived the actors were having their make-up done on stage. Once complete the narrator gave an explanation of what we would see and the fact that the acting would all be by gesture and facial expression.

      The performance was impressive (if not a little too long) with two drummers and a narrator who sang! The whole thing took about 1.5 hours!

      From here we walked to a restaurant for dinner. (Kerala roast chicken for me) before a ride back home to the hotel for 10 pm. (Don't think Father Christmas is coming here, but you never know!) 😉🎅🌲      Read more

    • TravelerIndien
      Day 16

      Kochi

      March 20, 2023 in India ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

      Heute Morgen haben wir Kochi entdeckt 😃 wir haben die Kirche besucht, in der Vasco Dagama begraben wurde, bevor seine Gebeine 14 Jahre später nach Portugal zurück gebracht wurde. Anschliessend waren wir am Strand und haben den Fischern dabei zugesehen, wie sie die Netze ins Wasser liessen und wieder rausholten. Die Technik haben sie anscheinend von den Chinesen.
      Danach waren wir in einer traditionellen Wäscherei und an einem Gewürzmarkt. Nach dem Besuch einer Synagoge & eines Museums sind wir mit Cocktail & Buch am Pool. Es ist wunderschönes Wetter und fast 33 grad warm 😍      Read more

      See translation
    • 2024 Adventure
      Day 2

      Arrived in Kochi

      February 5 in India ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

      Initial sleep deprived thoughts: So green, so many flowers, roads are insane, feeling overwhelmed with joy that we're here. Literally had a little cry on landing and in the taxi. Might also be the lack of sleep is helping add to that. HahaRead more

    • Borboas trip
      Day 134

      Cochin

      February 11 in India ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

      Am Morge simer no ufem Huusbot verwachet, hend z Morge gesse und sind den los richtig Cochin.

      In Cochin ah cho hemer no imne Strasselädeli in Chai gschlüürft bis mer hend chöne i checke.

      Am Namittag simer den zum Cochin Forth mit de Fähre, wo mer no Delfine gseh hend 🐬Jeannine het det es Healthy Caffi entdeckt - und mir hend nach dene 2 Täg mäste ufem Boot mal wieder öpis gsunds gesse. Aschlüssend hemer eus mitere Ayuverda massage richtig i Öle lah. Mir sind aschlüssend wie Pancakes gsi, wo mit Ahornsirup übergosse gsi sind.... aber d Massage isch super agnehm gsi☺

      All chli müed simer zrugg is Hotel und hend eus zum Film luege mal wieder mini Pizzas bstellt well, mer eifach kei Indisch meh hend chöne gseh... 😄      Read more

      See translation

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin

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