Day 111 Wednesday 4/4/2018 Cochin, India

111  Wednesday 4/4/2018 Cochin, India  7:00-6:00  

Internet is still annoying.  My email is making me crazy. I still do not have control over the order of the pictures in my posts which is also annoying.  I hope these posts make some kind of sense to you.   

Cochin is known as “the Queen of the Arabian Sea”.  It has been a bustling port for more than 1,000 years.  In late medieval days, this city of cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, and countless other spices put India on the maps of European traders.  Since then Cochin has never stopped exporting these plants for culinary and medicinal uses.  Today, it is regarded as the world’s leading producer of pepper.  Modern-day Cochin reflects the varied people who have settled here seeking their own spice fortune.  Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Chinese have all influenced the cityscape, culture and cuisine.  The Mattancherry Palace is a fascinating example of this melding as European exteriors belie the Hindu temple art within.  Fort Cochin area has many monuments.  

This beautifully dressed woman was sweeping the walkway and picking up the debris.  Notice her broom, they have been used in most of the countries we have visited in Asia.

Our neighbor for the day, a Princess ship that had 4000 passengers versus our close to 900 passengers.   The day's travels were crowded with two ships in port.

Arriving in Cochin, shortly after sunrise.  

St. Francis Church

St. Francis Church.  Notice what looks like a beam hanging from the ceiling.  It is a frame with cloth attached.  The strings were pulled causing the air to move and "fan" the people.  

St. Francis

Crafts market outside the church.  

Steps to the Mattancherry Palace

Large and graceful cantilevered Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi. Julia and I worked with the fishermen to raise the nets.  This was a photo op and the fishermen expected a tip.  There are nets in other locations that are still used today to catch fish. In this picture, the net is up.

Julia and I.

The weights we are going to pull down to raise the net full of  fish.  

I chose this picture showing Julia and I helping to raise the net because I wanted to impress you with my muscle.

Market near the fishing nets.

Market near the fishing net.  

Cochin and the Mattancherry Palace Included tour 9:30-1:30 4 hours Visited the oldest European Church, St. Francis in India. Vasco Da Gama was entombed here at one time.  Then saw large and graceful cantilevered Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi. Julia and I worked with the fishermen to raise the nets.  This was a photo op and the fishermen expected a tip.  There are nets in other locations that are still used today to catch fish.  Explored the culture and history of Cochin and its Portuguese Palace, Mattancherry Palace.  Built by the Portuguese as a gift to the king in 1555, it was later enhanced by the occupying Dutch and by later maharajahs.  It is also known as the Dutch Palace.  Mythical paintings were murals on the walls in two areas where photos were not allowed. We saw its collection of ancient maps, the coronation robes worn by past rajas, Hindu art and more.  We returned to Cochin, a bustling port for more than 1,000 years.  It remains the "pepper" capital.  Walked the streets of the old Jewish Quarter and smelled the aromas of the city’s spices in the market stalls.  The Synogogue of Cochin was a short walk away and a photo op.  We could not enter as it was a Jewish holiday.

Today we saw parts of the port area and the homes of the wealthy.  We did not see the downtown area, nor did we see the poor areas of this city.  

We saw many very nice homes in the neighborhoods we were passing through today.

Mattancherry Palace

Hindu Temple Art is decorative and religious.  Made using tempera technique , there were also mythological murals.  

View from Mattancherry Palace which was built by the Portuguese in 1555 and gifted to the king of Cochin.  

A local merchant that sold me organic peppercorns.

Walked the streets of the old Jewish Quarter and smelled the aromas of the city’s spices in the market stalls.  The Synogogue of Cochin, which is at the end of the alley in this picture, was a few minutes walk away.  We could not enter as it was a Jewish holiday.

Gateway next to the Jewish Synogogue

Another street near Jew Street, the street leading to the Jewish synagogue.  

Catholic Cemetery

FACEBOOK We toured St. Frances Church (1503), the oldest European church in India and Mattancherry Palace (1555), a gift from the Portuguese to the King. Vasco Da Gama was entombed at St. Frances for fourteen years. We passed through nice neighborhoods and shopped in Jew Street Shops and craft markets. I saw many “jingle trucks”. Truck art is a popular form of regional decoration and included , vibrant colors, elaborate floral patterns and calligraphy. A unique and interesting part of my day was helping to operate the large and graceful cantilivered Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi. 

Chinese fishing nets were introduced by Chinese explorers in the 14th century. It is a fixed land installation, a stationary shore operated lift net. The frames hold out horizontal nets of twenty meters or more across and at least ten meters high. The net is lowered by four to six fishermen into the water for a short time and then cantilivered up with large stones on ropes as counterweights.

At the end of the day, our ship’s departure was delayed for two hours because a crew member jumped ship. The Indian officals held us in port while they investigated. There is a lot of bureaucracy in India. Each port that we visited was a first for Viking. The ship’s hostess, Lara - the captain’s wife, exchanged plaques with dignataries. India had the largest contingencies during these exchanges. 

Wikipedia photo by Gaius Cornelius at English Wikipedia.