Kochi: A Day Made for All the Senses...
Our train had a bit of catching up to do so this morning was a “morning of leisure” - which again just means finding something constructive to do with our time until we reach the next stop. Over breakfast, PJ announced that he would like to try a massage. I almost spit out my coffee. Talk about leaning into it. My goodness. Not only has PJ never gotten a massage - he’s never even mentioned having any desire for one. I mean, what can you say to a request like that? It had to be done. Then I decided that l should probably get one for myself too….you know…since I had to go to the trouble of booking one for PJ. That seems logical, right?
After breakfast, my Dad opted to sit in the Lounge and do his crossword puzzle and just relax. I took PJ for his…um….massage and then spent a little bit of time on the treadmill. Once we were all gathered back together and grabbed some lunch, we were off for yet another adventure - this time to to City of Kochi.
Set on a massive estuary, Kochi (formerly Cochin) has long been referred to as the “Queen of the Arabian Sea”. It served as a very important spice trading port on India’s southwest coast beginning in the 14th Century following the Great Floods of the Periya River in 1341. Since its inception, Kochi has been attracting traders, explorers, colonial conquerers and curious travelers to its beautiful shores. It is a very vibrant and diverse City, due in large part to its historical trading partners. With the advent of colonisation, Cochin (as it was originally known) became one of the first major battle grounds for European powers both for its location….and likely its charm. Merchants from Cochin had long been trading in spices with the Arabs, Dutch, Phoenicians, Portuguese and Chinese - though Portugal was the first to lay claim to this gateway to India. The Dutch and British followed closely behind.
The struggle for “ownership” of this unique and very international City have long passed, with India claiming independence in 1947 and forming Kerala State in 1956. The ‘Corporation of Kochi’ was then formed in 1967 by merging the towns of Fort Kochi, Mattanchery, Ernakalum and many other much smaller nearby villages. This - along with a rapid growth in trade and commercialization - has led to the rise of Kochi as the most important city in Kerala and one of the most well respected cities on the west coast of India. In the last 25 years, Kochi has seen a total revitalization in its economy, with a specific focus on tourism and technology…along with their very important and quite impressive fishing industry.
Our first stop in Kochi was a visit to one of their many houses of worship. It’s honestly difficult to tell who is “in charge” here religiously, as the City is saturated with Temples, Catholic Churches, Mosques and Synagogues. We visited one of each…and the lesson to be learned here is that nobody is actually “in charge”. Religions of all shapes and sizes are welcome here. As we approached one of the many temples of Kochi, we were introduced to the beautiful art of rice powder painting. All of the actual artists seemed to be much older women, with the younger women standing over them with umbrellas, protecting them from the sun. All of the symbols they were laying out - in addition to thousands of tiny tea lamps scattered throughout the grounds - were being prepared for a very large religious festival that evening. Elaborate designs were everywhere…and were truly a beautiful thing to watch.
And…if you’re wondering how they keep thousands of tea lights all lit at the same time….it’s a fair question. The “lamps” are actually soaked in oil for weeks and when they are ready to light, a very small wick is lit and dropped in. The lamps can stay lit for hours without any concerns of extinguishing. It would have been really cool to be able to see this in action - but we had more adventures ahead.
Which brings me to perhaps the second most fascinating experience we have had on this trip: The Chinese Fishing Nets. I realize - as a general rule - fishing nets really aren’t all that impressive or exciting. Kind of like a laundromat. But these Chinese Fishing Nets are different. Much different.
The process used with the Chinese Fishing Nets is the oldest tradition in Kochi and I am told it is THE only place in the world you will see fishing happen in this way - including China. These massively large spider-like cantilevered nets are attached to large wooden beams which are then attached to ropes anchored with giant boulders. By pulling the ropes, the fishermen slowly lift the gigantic fishing nets out of the water and into the platform. The process repeats itself several times a day and - though I know I’ve been using the word “fascinating” a lot - that is exactly what it was to watch this unfold. We had a chance to step on to one of the platforms and the fishermen gave PJ and a few others a shot at lifting the net. He loved every minute of it…and I loved seeing the smile from ear to ear. Such a great memory for…well…all of us.
Our next stop took us through the Jew Town Markets. These markets were almost the exact opposite of the markets in Mumbai. The large, cobblestone streets were lined on each side with beautiful textile, spice and clothing markets whose owners were incredibly warm and friendly. It is obvious that they take their business here very seriously, but also seem very aware of the fact that many who pass through are visitors and they certainly made us feel very welcome.
This truly is a place that satisfies all the senses: the smells of the spices, the bright vibrant colors and the music in the streets. It is obvious the markets are a lifeblood here and trade is critical to this City being who it is and what it is. We had the good fortune of ducking into a textile shop just in time to watch an older Indian woman at work. I had no idea what the process was behind so many of the beautiful and colorful pashminas and scarves that you see throughout the streets. Now, I have a much better idea of how intricate this process really is…
After the Markets, we were taken to the dock where we would board a boat for a sunset cruise on the Arabian Sea. We were told that this would be “perhaps the most gorgeous and breathtaking sunset our eyes will ever see”. I have to say - as much as I adore a good sunset - I wasn’t completely sold. Our surroundings when we first boarded felt very industrial and not exactly prime for a sunset. What I didn’t know, and wasn’t able to see, was what was waiting just around the corner. As we slowly made our way around the bay, I could tell the sun was beginning to set and I started to feel like I shouldn’t have been so cynical. I know I have used a lot of platitudes in the past few days - most fascinating, most incredible, and others - but I have to tell you: what I ended up experiencing was easily the most gorgeous sunset I have seen, perhaps ever. I’m not sure I have ever seen the sun so big…and so red as it was at that moment. The fact that the sun was setting almost exactly over a row of very picturesque Chinese Fishing Nets made it even that more awesome. It was almost as if the sun set right into the net.
Our boat then took us to the last stop of the evening: a dinner and performance at the Taj Malabar Resort. Our dinner was set beautifully outside and the property was incredible. What was perhaps even more incredible - though a bit odd - was the performance that proceeded the dinner. I’m certainly not trying to be disrespectful to the purpose of the performance or its meaning, but the majority of it was centered around the art of facial yoga. Specific movement of the eyes and cheeks. I had never seen anything like it. The second part of the performance was centered around storytelling without the spoken word - just through body movements. Kind of like a really elaborate game of charades.
All in all - this was the busiest day of our trip….but by far one of my favorites. I had some idea in my mind of what India would feel like…the sights, the smells, the sounds…and today felt like we were fully immersed in all of it. A good day for sure.
And with that….I will throw it over to PJ for his thoughts…
Hi, PJ here. Cochin was a very memorable city, but let’s not waste time here, so let’s jump right into the list:
1) The Markets. We went to a couple churches beforehand, but I’m gonna be honest, I don’t remember those that well. However, the thing we did next was the markets, and that was very memorable. The people were nice, the smells were nice, even the things in the store were nice. Shame they gave us no time to shop. We came across a spice store, where there were loads of baskets with towering heaps of vibrant, colored spices. If only they gave us time to shop, the economy would have been thriving by the time Mom, Poppy, and I alone were done.
2) Sunset Cruise. Wow. Just... wow. On that cruise, I saw the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen. I took loads of pictures, one of which became my screensaver. I don’t have much to say about this because it was so breathtaking in person.
3) Taj Dinner and Performance. After the cruise, we went to a Taj hotel to eat dinner and watch a performance. The food was very good, and the performance was interesting. Mom will probably leave a couple clips of it above. It was cool to see how someone else practiced their religion, but after a couple minutes, I was good.
That’s all I have to say! Goodbye for now, but you all will hear from me in later posts to come.
