Incredible India is still the chaotic, colourful, disorganised wonderful mess we remember and love from our many prior trips (the last of which was 10+ years ago).
Cochin/ Kochin has grown significantly since our trip in 2003. Yet, that nutty charm remains.
Here we first took a traditional large rice boat, called a Kettuvallam, for a boat ride passing Gundu Vallarpadem and Bolghatty Islands. The big difference from our prior visit was seeing the number of mid-rise apartment buildings across from the old town.
On docking we stepped over the crumbling dock then walked into St. Francis Church (I really love the old manually pulled “punkah-wallah” fans that adorn the ceiling though now they have been supplemented by electric ceiling fans).
Later we walked to the Chinese Fishing Nets. While these appeared the same to us, we remembered the area to be a beach without much around. Now there is a promenade with shops and other distractions that creep right up to the nets. Our guide noted that these Chinese fishing nets are on a pulley system brought here by the Chinese, and just across the harbour is a new container port with a modern crane system brought to India by the Chinese. He remarked that some things change but yet much remains the same.
Then we went to the Mattancherry Quarter where we walked by the Dutch Palace and then down Jewish Street to the Paradesi Synagogue. This was built in 1568 and still is in use today although there are apparently only 6 Jewish people that live here now. Unfortunately, as it was Friday, we were unable to enter. I pulled up the photo of us from 2003…. Maybe more change with us than with the Chinese cranes.
The city was ruled by the Portuguese, then the Dutch and finally by the English. Today over 2.1 million people live in the area. The literacy rate is almost 98%, with 44% practicing Hinduism and 38% Christians. Interestingly, each state we visited has their own language in use. Here Malayalam is the primary official language spoken in Kochi, the commercial hub of Kerala, India. Most also speak English and Hindi.
The next day we were in Mangalore, which now goes by Mangaluru. This is in the state of Karnataka. The official language here is Tulu. There are about 750,000 people who live here with the average literacy rate at around 95%.
In 1498, Portuguese explore, Vasco da Gama landed here and the Portuguese acquired many interests. At first there was a friendly relationship with the ruler of the area but not surprising that didn’t last. (The day prior we saw where VdG had initially been buried in Kochi at the St. Francis Church, but he was subsequently moved to Portugal).
Our experience wasn’t as we expected as we thought we would see a local Mangalorean family and their home. But it turns out we visited Belmont House which is a very large home built by an entrepreneurial family several generations ago. It was immaculate and it was interesting but we were sure it did not properly represent the life of the average citizen of Mangalore.
We then went to Hampankatta, the commercial center of the city and spent time in the market. To say there was were sights to be seen is an understatement. First we saw a bus driver annoyed by a car driving in wrong place so he came careening around the corner honking for the car to move. David describes it as a Marigold Hotel moment. We all imagined he was going to lose control and come careening into us. Fortunately this did not happen and we now have an amusing story to tell.
Within the market we observed all sorts of fresh (though freshly dead) fish as well as dried fish. You guessed it, fish is the primary food in the local diet. I took a lot of interesting pictures in the market as well as of the crazy traffic out front. Very fascinating.
The following day was Goa. Goa is India’s smallest state. It was a Portuguese colony for 451 years until it became part of India in 1961. It is divided into North Goa (more crowded and parties) and South Goa (known for being quieter and with cleaner beaches). It has a population of 1.5 million and Konkani is the official language. It has the second highest GDP per capital among all of India’s 28 states, and more than twice the national average GDP per capita with tourism its largest industry.
This could be a place to come and explore further due to its unique cultural diversity. We first drove about 1.5 hours over dubious roads to Old Goa. We were supposed to visit inside the Basilica of Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral (which is one of Asia's largest and most significant17th-century churches. Built between 1562–1619 to honor a 1510 military victory, it features Portuguese-Gothic architecture, a famed "Golden Bell," and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site). But it was Sunday so we viewed the brick Basilica from a distance and took photos outside of the Cathedral.
We were able to go inside St. Catherine’s Chapel which is located next door. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built in 1510. As it isn’t functional we were able to visit. It has beautiful paintings on teak wood and also on the walls & ceiling so was enjoyable to visit.
We walked three minutes to see the Church of St. Cajetan, also known as the Church of Divine Providence. The church was built by Italian Monks and was completed in 1661, therefore the design is Italian. It too is a Catholic church, but again it is not in use so we were able to view the interior.
These are all huge building built right next to each other. I wonder if there might have been better uses for all the funds needed to create these beautiful structures.
Next we went to the Shantadurga Temple which is a Hindu temple about 30 minutes further drive. I had expected a very colorful temple but instead it was built more in the style of a Portuguese church. It is painted in maroon-peach and white, with the color of Safran apparently the Hindu color. The original temple was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1566. The current temple was finished in 1738. In front of the temple is a Deep Jyoti Stambh which is a unique piece of Hindu architecture. The words translate into oil lamp, light and column. These are lit on special occasions. This one reminded of the leaning tower of Pisa. Very pretty.
A short while later we were at the Spice Village Farm- Gaonkars Nandanvan. We visited the farm and had lunch, but the property also includes a water park and other activities.
First we walked through the demonstration part of the farm where we observed the Beetle Nut Palm, Cardamom bushes, Cashew trees, Turmeric trees, Nutmeg bushes, Vanilla vines, and pepper vines.
One of the most interesting points we learned was that green, red, black and white peppers are all from the same pods. The treatment after picking the berries determines how they taste & appear (Black- picking unripe and green, boiling, which turns them dark brown, and then drying, usually in the sun. White is created by removing the skin by submerging the corn in water which separates the skin. Green are taken off the vine and put in a brine which keeps the green color. Red peppercorns usually consist of riper peppercorns preserved in brine and vinegar.)
We always find India delightful. There were so many ‘this is India” moments you can’t help but smile. One example was immigration. You must secure a visa in advance. This is a more complex visa to secure than any other country we visited on this trip. Then they had about 8 or so immigration officers from India on board the ship that sailed with us for at least 5 days and we were required to do an on-board face-to-face immigration check. They appear to have been onboard mainly to secure a free cruise. This impression was further confirmed when we had to do second face-to-face meeting with an Immigration Officer with our passport, where we then received a landing card at our first port on arrival in the country. Subsequently each time we entered and left at each port we had to go to an immigration officer with our landing card who would do a computer scan before we could proceed. And then at least one more guard would check our landing card before we exited the building. David said they had perfected bureaucracy way beyond that the British first installed. Me, well I think it is a full employment ploy. None-the-less these shenanigans gave us a smile.