Days 53-55
It is our final day in India. Tonight we leave the great sub continent behind and fly to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. We fly from Kochi ( or Cochin as it used to be known) airport and have spent our final day meandering the quiet streets and absorbing the atmosphere of colonial Fort Kochi.
In truth it feels like we have already left India as Fort Kochi is a laid back little town in the midst of the busy port of Kochi and has the feel of a forgotten colonial port. Which is unsurprising considering the Portuguese, Dutch and British have all controlled it for significant periods. Unlike the rest of India, which has surged on relentlessly from the colonial era leaving it behind with barely a noticeable residue of influence, Fort Kochi seems to be firmly routed in the past. The burning of rubbish rather than tipping it in the street means less rubbish lying around and consequently the absence of scavenging street dogs and cows. In their place are mellow goats and cats, which along with friendly locals who allow relatively hassle free walks, all contribute to an easy going atmosphere. There are numerous Christian churches along with mosques and even a synagogue dotted around the town as well as the usual Hindu temples. At the head of the island there are operational Chinese fishing nets, and the colonial architecture can leave you wondering if you have been transported to the Cotwolds in England or to Delft in Holland.
Because of its port status Kochi has always been the cosmopolitan place that it remains today. A major flood in 1341 lead to the creation of a natural harbour on the Malabar coast and the locals wasted no time in creating a befitting port that was soon trading with the Middle East and China. In the 16th century the Portuguese discovered the harbour and began their imperialist routine of trade and religon. The Dutch came to Kochi in the mid 17th century at the request of the deposed Maharajah and they in turn lasted until the early 19th century when the British took control until Indian Independence in 1947
The numerous hotels and lack of tourists led to a "How low can you go" senario and we got a room for 400 rupees ($7.50/£4.70), our cheapest yet and surely our cheapest of our trip. However there was a gap at the top of the wall to provide air circulation that made me worry about mosquitos. However my tried and tested methods of mosquito bite evasion were working well so confidently I told myself I would have no problem here either. How wrong how I was proved. The next morning I awoke to find my feet itching like crazy, I pulled off my socks to find my feet covered in bites! I couldn't believe it. The mosquitoes had bit through my socks! A quick inspection of my socks revealed why, they were almost threadbare and any mosquito worth his salt could easily reach the tender skin on my feet for a fulfilling meal. Last night I pulled out my thick hiking socks and sprayed them in repellent before going to bed. This morning, success! No additional bites, although the existing ones still itch like crazy.
On Monday (15th) evening we attending the nightly performance of the traditional Keralan art form of Kathakali. Translating as "Story Play" Kathakali developed in the 17th century and takes place in the form of acting out a story from Hindu mythology via dance, mime and music. The costumes and make-up are some of the most extravagant parts of the performance which are a lavish and dramatic display of colour. There are nightly performances and the application of the make up is done on stage before hand and takes an hour. A short demonstration before the performance began displayed the style of acting, it is actually like another language with numerous hand and eye movements replacing the lines. The performance we attended was the story of the Killing of Dussasana form the Hindu epic, The Mahabharata featuring legendary Kings and the star of the show, Lord Krishna. The play was mimed out to the music which played a crucial part in the performance, much of the movement was done in time to the drums and symbols and it was all the time creating an ambiance suitable to the stage of the story. Although the miming itself was difficult to follow you could follow the story via a helpful narrator and it was very enjoyable, without a doubt one of the best prearranged performances we have seen in India.
On Tuesday (16th) we wandered into a few churches including the Church of St Francis, which held the remains of Vasco De Gama before he was moved to Bellem in Lisbon. Following this we crossed the island to the neighborhood of Mattancherry which contains an old Jew town with the 450 year old Paradesi Synagogue. Jews have existed in Kochi since the 1st century AD, but have been in terminal decline since the end of the colonial age and the foundation of the state of Israel where most Kerala's Jews immigrated in the middle of the last centruy, only 51 remain in Kochi today. The old Maharajah's palace which was refurbished by the Portugesse and Dutch isn't much in comparison to other palaces in India but at 5 rupess we couldn't complain. With that said the heat and fatigue from cultural tours made it a very fleeting visit.
After a quick bit of research I found that Hindus are actually not in the majority in Kochi, which has a significant population of Christians and a scattering of Muslims. We asked our Rastafarian waiter at our restaurant were the best place for a beer was and he pounced on the opportunity immediately. Soon enough we were plodding off with him and the restaurant owner to a poky little bar. The waiter as it turned out was actually a Muslim Rastafarian! But it didn't prevent him from downing a glass of rum and taking off leaving us with his boss, who was also a Muslim. We had a couple of beers and despite his limited English it didn't stop him from dominating the conversation which he seemed to be mainly having with my wife! He did seem like a genuine friendly chap though and having a beer with a Muslim is not an everyday occurrence so that's another life experience ticked off. But maybe its not that rare, after all I have also had a beer with Oliver Gibson who is a Free Presbyterian, another denomination that requires tee-totaling!
Since we acquired our Lonely Planet from our Australian friends it has been a godsend, with its advise and maps. The Eyewitness guide was practically useless for travelling with, but as my wife pointed out it was useful for getting an idea of what you want to see in India. We exchanged them this morning with a few extra rupees for a brand new "South East Asia on a Shoe String", which will be our new bible to live our lives through for the next six weeks.
Our last day in India should really form some sort of review. My main review will be at the end but I will also do a few more India Diaries posts in the coming weeks, which I have been working on throughout the trip. But I will try and give it a small review here. The marketing campaign for India has the slogan "Incredible India" and we would agree with that. My wife on a postcard wrote " We are having an Incredibly good and incredibly bad time in Incredible India" Which sums India up pretty well. Its a land of crazy contrasts, some spectacular things to see, but there are some things and places you never want to see or experience again. Ironically? As i finish this post, what blasts out over the radio in the internet cafe? Hotel California! Soon, but not yet! Our India odyssey is at an end, let the gallivant through the well beaten tourist path of South East Asia begin. Next stop. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
It is our final day in India. Tonight we leave the great sub continent behind and fly to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. We fly from Kochi ( or Cochin as it used to be known) airport and have spent our final day meandering the quiet streets and absorbing the atmosphere of colonial Fort Kochi.
In truth it feels like we have already left India as Fort Kochi is a laid back little town in the midst of the busy port of Kochi and has the feel of a forgotten colonial port. Which is unsurprising considering the Portuguese, Dutch and British have all controlled it for significant periods. Unlike the rest of India, which has surged on relentlessly from the colonial era leaving it behind with barely a noticeable residue of influence, Fort Kochi seems to be firmly routed in the past. The burning of rubbish rather than tipping it in the street means less rubbish lying around and consequently the absence of scavenging street dogs and cows. In their place are mellow goats and cats, which along with friendly locals who allow relatively hassle free walks, all contribute to an easy going atmosphere. There are numerous Christian churches along with mosques and even a synagogue dotted around the town as well as the usual Hindu temples. At the head of the island there are operational Chinese fishing nets, and the colonial architecture can leave you wondering if you have been transported to the Cotwolds in England or to Delft in Holland.
Because of its port status Kochi has always been the cosmopolitan place that it remains today. A major flood in 1341 lead to the creation of a natural harbour on the Malabar coast and the locals wasted no time in creating a befitting port that was soon trading with the Middle East and China. In the 16th century the Portuguese discovered the harbour and began their imperialist routine of trade and religon. The Dutch came to Kochi in the mid 17th century at the request of the deposed Maharajah and they in turn lasted until the early 19th century when the British took control until Indian Independence in 1947
The numerous hotels and lack of tourists led to a "How low can you go" senario and we got a room for 400 rupees ($7.50/£4.70), our cheapest yet and surely our cheapest of our trip. However there was a gap at the top of the wall to provide air circulation that made me worry about mosquitos. However my tried and tested methods of mosquito bite evasion were working well so confidently I told myself I would have no problem here either. How wrong how I was proved. The next morning I awoke to find my feet itching like crazy, I pulled off my socks to find my feet covered in bites! I couldn't believe it. The mosquitoes had bit through my socks! A quick inspection of my socks revealed why, they were almost threadbare and any mosquito worth his salt could easily reach the tender skin on my feet for a fulfilling meal. Last night I pulled out my thick hiking socks and sprayed them in repellent before going to bed. This morning, success! No additional bites, although the existing ones still itch like crazy.
On Monday (15th) evening we attending the nightly performance of the traditional Keralan art form of Kathakali. Translating as "Story Play" Kathakali developed in the 17th century and takes place in the form of acting out a story from Hindu mythology via dance, mime and music. The costumes and make-up are some of the most extravagant parts of the performance which are a lavish and dramatic display of colour. There are nightly performances and the application of the make up is done on stage before hand and takes an hour. A short demonstration before the performance began displayed the style of acting, it is actually like another language with numerous hand and eye movements replacing the lines. The performance we attended was the story of the Killing of Dussasana form the Hindu epic, The Mahabharata featuring legendary Kings and the star of the show, Lord Krishna. The play was mimed out to the music which played a crucial part in the performance, much of the movement was done in time to the drums and symbols and it was all the time creating an ambiance suitable to the stage of the story. Although the miming itself was difficult to follow you could follow the story via a helpful narrator and it was very enjoyable, without a doubt one of the best prearranged performances we have seen in India.
On Tuesday (16th) we wandered into a few churches including the Church of St Francis, which held the remains of Vasco De Gama before he was moved to Bellem in Lisbon. Following this we crossed the island to the neighborhood of Mattancherry which contains an old Jew town with the 450 year old Paradesi Synagogue. Jews have existed in Kochi since the 1st century AD, but have been in terminal decline since the end of the colonial age and the foundation of the state of Israel where most Kerala's Jews immigrated in the middle of the last centruy, only 51 remain in Kochi today. The old Maharajah's palace which was refurbished by the Portugesse and Dutch isn't much in comparison to other palaces in India but at 5 rupess we couldn't complain. With that said the heat and fatigue from cultural tours made it a very fleeting visit.
After a quick bit of research I found that Hindus are actually not in the majority in Kochi, which has a significant population of Christians and a scattering of Muslims. We asked our Rastafarian waiter at our restaurant were the best place for a beer was and he pounced on the opportunity immediately. Soon enough we were plodding off with him and the restaurant owner to a poky little bar. The waiter as it turned out was actually a Muslim Rastafarian! But it didn't prevent him from downing a glass of rum and taking off leaving us with his boss, who was also a Muslim. We had a couple of beers and despite his limited English it didn't stop him from dominating the conversation which he seemed to be mainly having with my wife! He did seem like a genuine friendly chap though and having a beer with a Muslim is not an everyday occurrence so that's another life experience ticked off. But maybe its not that rare, after all I have also had a beer with Oliver Gibson who is a Free Presbyterian, another denomination that requires tee-totaling!
Since we acquired our Lonely Planet from our Australian friends it has been a godsend, with its advise and maps. The Eyewitness guide was practically useless for travelling with, but as my wife pointed out it was useful for getting an idea of what you want to see in India. We exchanged them this morning with a few extra rupees for a brand new "South East Asia on a Shoe String", which will be our new bible to live our lives through for the next six weeks.
Our last day in India should really form some sort of review. My main review will be at the end but I will also do a few more India Diaries posts in the coming weeks, which I have been working on throughout the trip. But I will try and give it a small review here. The marketing campaign for India has the slogan "Incredible India" and we would agree with that. My wife on a postcard wrote " We are having an Incredibly good and incredibly bad time in Incredible India" Which sums India up pretty well. Its a land of crazy contrasts, some spectacular things to see, but there are some things and places you never want to see or experience again. Ironically? As i finish this post, what blasts out over the radio in the internet cafe? Hotel California! Soon, but not yet! Our India odyssey is at an end, let the gallivant through the well beaten tourist path of South East Asia begin. Next stop. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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