Cochin (Kochi), India

Today we are in Cochin (KOH-chin) also known as Kochi, India. It is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India in the state of Kerala. It borders the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is also the most densely populated city in Kerala. 

Cochin is called the “Queen of the Arabian Sea.” For any history buffs reading this, according to our Currents sheet “Cochin/Kochi was an important spice trading center on the west coast of India from the 14^th century onward, and maintained a trade network with Arab merchants from the pre-Islamic era. In 15-5, the Portuguese established trading ports in Cochin. The Kingdom of Cochin allied with the Ming Dynasty, Portuguese and Dutch and became a princely state of the British. It ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourist arrivals in Kerala. It also ranked the 6^th best tourist destination in India according to a survey by the Nielsen Company on behalf of the Outlook Traveler magazine.  In 2019, it ranked 7^th in Lonely Plant’s list of top 10 cities in the world to visit in 2020. It was one of the 28 Indian cities among the emerging 440 global cities that will contribute 50% of the world BDP by 2025, in a 2011 study done by the McKinsey Global Institute.”

It was another day of rest for me and I so hated to miss this one! But like yesterday, Ronnie took lots of photos for me on our chosen tour called “Tranquil Backwaters.” The tour explored the backwaters of Kerala, which are often the only link between isolated villages and larger towns. The backwaters of the Kerala area include dozens of rivers, lagoons and lakes that stretch over more than 900 miles, so they are extremely important to the local lifestyle and culture.

The tour began by cruising the waters from Alleppey, the so-called “Venice of the East”. Along the way, they passed coconut-frond thatched huts, colonial warehouses and tiny villages, where locals were going about their daily lives. It was a glimpse into a world that most visitors to Cochin don’t see.

After being served an outdoor lunch at a waterfront resort, they took a scenic return route past Fort Cochin and the unusual cantilevered Chinese fishing nets along the shoreline. I’ve selected some of my favorites from his photos to post. I was able to put captions to them with his help. Hope you enjoy this photographic peak into the backwaters of Cochin as much as I did!

 

 

these are the tour boats

 

passenger boat

smaller passenger boat

leading tour boat

most all boats were motorized

gas station

house boat

drink delivery

house boat

large B&B boat

bathing in the canal

 

water "7-11"

passenger tour boat

resting break on dike between canal and open water

workers hauling dirt

"bus" stop

resort house on canal

living on the water

waiting to enter lock

barge serves as a bridge and a lock

another "bus" stop

jungle reclaims abandoned buildings

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate Church

outside CMI church

CMI church - Kainakary, Kerala

Bible - Brahmic scripts, also known as Indic scripts

water tower

local climber with machete for chopping down coconuts, chocolate

cocoa beans from cacao tree

going after a coconut

welcome drinks - Pamadala Resort

guests receive cold drinks and fresh leis

AC's with generators on B&B boats

going under footbridge over the canal

a busy canal