COCHIN,
INDIA
After four days at sea we
looked forward to a walk on terra firma.
As the Captain brought our ship into port and expertly guided it into
dock we were ready and waiting for clearance to explore the life and culture of
India. Clearance granted and with our
preapproved visitors permit in hand, Bill, Diane, Ken and I were off the ship.
We were soon approached by a taxi driver ready and willing to negotiate a
reasonable price to show us the city.
Time and price agreed upon, we were off, in a matter of speaking.
We climbed into a mini
suv and our educational process went into high gear starting with the crazy
driving habits of the natives. A bit of the English eccentricity is explicit
with the steering wheel located on the right side of the car and cars driving
on the left – which is the premise. In
fact, cars, trucks, tuk tuks and motorcycles vie for any open space on the road
passing each other going and coming with only inches to spare. Bill suggested that we might be candidates
for hood ornaments and I had a better understanding of a comment about Indian
drivers made by our driver in Muscat, Oman. We were learning a lesson first
hand and it was not how to relax.
We drove through crowded
streets bordered on either side with garbage piled in between open stalls
occupied by waiting merchants seeking willing buyers for a variety of
merchandise. Our driver’s English was lacking in clarity and I wondered whether
I might have talked to him during one of my many computer related problem
solving calls. We wanted to cross over the bridge into the city proper but our
driver said the traffic was too heavy and suggested that was better planned for
the next day. We were driven by several points of interest including the Church
of St Francis, (built in 1503 by Portuguese friars); Mattancherry Palace
Museum, beach, Dutch cemetery, and sights but I was, frankly, too busy holding
on, amazed that no one had been killed so far that day. Actually, there were no
emergency vehicles, police sirens or downed pedestrians during our entire
trip. In Rome, sirens and emergency
vehicles reflected the predominant “sounds of the city”. We drove by an area that
our driver described as predominately Jewish.
(Our on board brochure referred
to a “bustling Jew Town” but I am not sure it referred to the same area and if
it was, I deemed the choice of words “politically incorrect”). 
Further, our shipboard
brochure of available tours and excursions offered from the ship urged us to
“pack an open mind and patience to better appreciate Cochin’s unique
third-world experience”. That was an
understatement and certainly reflected wise and “politically correct” advice. The streets were not unlike those found in any
Mexican or South American village of limited resources and too many people
except perhaps, there were more cars and more people. After three hours “out
among ‘em” we returned to the ship, had lunch and regrouped.
Diane had found a “hop on
hop off” boat mentioned doing her on line research of available modes of
travel. Ken thought that he could see
ferry boats that might offer such a service not too far from our ship. After
lunch Ken and Diane scurried out to explore the possibilities for a scenic boat
ride through the backwater area. The walk was expected to be lengthy thus,
neither Bill nor I were ready to commit to an adventure that sounded as if it
could be like pursuing a “pig in a poke”. Ken had ensnared Diane into his ever present
curiosity and desire to “see it all” and by now his need to explore up close
and personal the odd fishing nets hanging from weird poles on shore had become an
obsession.
Our two explorers sat out
with the blessings of their respective and I would suggest saner spouses. As they exited the main gate they were
approached by a “tuk tuk” driver who offered to take them the roughly two miles
to the station where Ken had seen the ferry boats. It turned out that they were
regular ferries that transported the locals to and from specific locales and
not the Backwater tour they were seeking.
The tuk tuk driver offered to take them to an independent establishment that
offered a boat ride through the backwater area for a firsthand view of the
lifestyle and gainful pursuits along the canal shores. Such a deal and off they
went. When they arrived and saw what was offered they were excited and decided
to wait until the next day so that Bill and I could share the adventure. They
made reservations for the four of us the next day, returned to the ship to
share with Bill and I their plans for our next adventure.
The next morning Bill
decided to forego the early morning departure, tuk tuk experience and boat ride
so Diane, Ken and I struck out just as raindrops began to fall. After a brief wait for the rain to let up we met
our drivers and climbed into our tuk tuk for the trip across town. The traffic
was even more exciting and daunting from the little tuk tuk than it was from
the back seat of the suv. Our ride took us by fish nets, fish farms and through
a tropical jungle to a private road leading into what appeared to be a private
home on a canal where a boat awaited our boarding.
As soon as we were aboard, we pushed off and slowly glided down the waterway past small cottages, fishing nets and a glimpse into the lifestyle and culture of the backwaters of Alappuzha. Our narrator was the owner of the property and it sounded like the property had been owned by his family for several years. He had taught school in South Africa for twenty years and returned to India where we were told he now owns several enterprises and, according to our guide, is a wealthy business man. He seemed very politically aware and conversant with the issues confronting his sphere of personal interest as well as the problems affecting India in general and the ecology of the water which is a stable in the lifestyle of the area.
The fishing nets that had
absorbed Ken’s interest are believed to be from the court of Kublai Khan,
founder of Chinas Yuan Dynasty. Ken wanted
to see the fishing nets used but they are used only for night fishing. As a result we were subjected to his theory
on how the nets worked which may or may not have a relationship to the actual
process. He believes that the big arms
hold the outer ends of the net so that when they drop the net down it sinks to
the bottom. A light is dropped down
close to the surface of the water and attracts the fish. When the net contains
enough fish, the arms are brought back up and because of the unique design of
the net the fish slide off into the tub or bucket below. 
After our one hour boat
ride we returned to shore for a lovely and delicious lunch prepared by the proprietor’s wife which
consisted of chicken, prawns, fish, rice and curry sauce topped off with a
beautiful slice of fresh sweet pineapple.
We had experienced the sights, sounds and food of India and our two day
introduction into the lifestyle and culture of India was complete. We did not see the tourist version and we
visited no museums. We met real life people – our taxi and tuk tuk drivers and
people just trying to make a living. We
had peered into the real world of poverty, bare existence and the pursuit of
commercial enterprise and I was left longing for a more in depth exploration though
I doubt that the opportunity will ever arise. Would I recommend it to everyone? No. But for
those with a curiosity, interest and sense of adventure it may offer a new
enlightenment.
According to the WWW
(World Wide Web) “Kochi (Cochin) also known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea,
was an important spice trading center on the West coast of India from the 14th
century. Occupied by the Portuguese Empire in 1503, Kochi was the first of the
European colonies in colonial India. It remained the main seat of Portuguese
India until 1530 when Goa was chosen instead. The city was later occupied by
the Dutch and the British. Cochin has been ranked the sixth best tourist
destination in India according to the Nielsen Company who conducted a survey on
behalf of the Outlook Traveller Magazine.
According to a study done by McKinsey Global Institute, Cochin was one
of 28 Indian cities among 440 global cities that will contribute 50% of the
world’s GDP by the year 2025.”
On a personal note, Cochin
does not have the Taj Mahal and thus, I concluded that their “hype” was a bit over
“the top”. Nevertheless, I would like to
see more of the countryside and know the people better. However, I am not ready
to migrate!
A goodbye from the citizens
