Around the World in 106 Days with Ray & Claire!! Part 14 - Cochin

1. Around the World in 106 Days with Ray & Claire!! Part 14 - Cochin

2. Kochi was formed in 1967 with the merger of islands and peninsulas and growth in trade and commercialisation has led to the rise of Kochi as one of the major cities on the west coast of India, with a population of around 564,000

3. When the Portuguese (and later the British) arrived in this area, the name Cochin was used, but the city reverted to its name, Kochi, in 1996. (It is, however still widely referred to as Cochin today)

4. Since the beginning, Arabian and Chinese traders sourced spices, especially pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and sandal wood from the Kochi region and the cultivation and trade of these valuable goods shaped the history of the region

5. Cochin gained significant influence in world trading routes and the City began to grow and soon developed into a major trading point, dealing in pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves

6. ....so much so, that Cochin is now the commercial and industrial capital of the Kerala state and the centre for spice export. It is the second most important city on the west coast, after Mumbai

7. Willingdon (on the left hand side of this map) is a man-made island and where the Port is located. The island was created in 1933 by sand dredged while deepening the backwaters for the Cochin Port - under the direction of Sir Robert Bristow a British Harbour Engineer

8. A few years ago, the Airport and Railway Terminus used to be on this island. Today, these have moved elsewhere and now, as well as the being the main Port for the import of timber it is also the headquarters of the Southern Naval Command

9. Cochin imports huge quantities of timber for building projects and other works

10. The main street for shopping is the Mahatma Ghandi (or MG) Road where you will find many shops selling everything from cheap designer fakes to antiques - although what we know as Antiques and what they call antiques may be two very different things

11. ...so now it must be time for a short shopping stopover for you know who in Jews Street so named because it leads to the Synagogue)!

12. “I hope you brought your credit card with you Raymond?”

13. “No problem – I recognised the need before we left the ship”

16. The Pardesi Synagogue (Pardesi actually means ‘foreigner’ as it was used by a mixture of people) The most visible part of the Synagogue is the 18th century clock tower, which along with other parts of the four-building complex underwent repair work back in the late 1990s

17. The first migration of Jews to Kerala is thought to have taken place around the 6th century BC and the Synagogue was originally built in 1568 but partially destroyed by the Portuguese in 1662 It was rebuilt two years later when the Dutch took Cochin, and inside you will find an ornate gold pulpit and Belgian chandeliers, as well as giant scrolls of the Old Testament and a floor paved with 1,100 hand painted blue and white Chinese tiles, each one different to the other

18. The Palace (similar to the Synagogue) built by the Portuguese in the mid 16th century. In 1663, it was taken over by the Dutch who carried out some renovations and changed the name to the Dutch Palace

19. The Pepper Exchange is surrounded by old shops that have housed spice and textile traders continually for centuries and is still where all trading is completed in the global trade of black pepper

20. Kochi was originally a fishing village in the Kingdom of Kochi before colonial times. This area was granted to the Portuguese in 1503 by the Rajah of Kochi who gave them permission to build a fort near the waterfront to protect their commercial interests

21. Historic Fort Cochin is at the very northern tip of the Mattan-Cherry Peninsula and has streets lined with merchant houses, warehouses and open courtyards, built by the Portuguese, Dutch and British

22. The 282-year-old Dutch Cemetery in Fort Kochi is the oldest European Cemetery in India. It was consecrated in 1724 and has over 100 tombs

23. The Parade Ground is where both the British and the Dutch used to perform their military parades – today it doubles as a splendid cricket pitch

24. Facing the ground is the VOC gate. It’s a large wooden gate dating from 1740 with the Dutch East India Company logo on it

25. St Francis Church (which is believed to be India’s oldest European Church) dates back to 1503 and was built by Portuguese Franciscan Friars

26. Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese Explorer and he was the commander of the first ships to sail from Europe to India. He contracted Malaria not long after arriving in Goa for his third time in to India and died in Cochin on Christmas Eve in 1524. He was said to live in Rose Street (close to Tower Road)and today, the 500 year old house is now heritage bed and breakfast accommodation

27. Hill Bungalow (Kunal) A fine piece of colonial architecture which was home to the Managers of the National Bank of India during British rule, but today it belongs to Thakur& Company, who trade in the tea business David Hall is another one, built in 1695 by the Dutch East India Company and named after David Koder who later lived there

28. For getting around Cochin, there is a choice of either taxis or TukTuks. - and of course you don’t actually pay them until the end of the trip!! With the TukTuks it is always best you haggle a price before getting into one

29. Or you could use another form of local transport of course Such as joining Roy on the coach

31. Clever camera work getting the elephant’s head onto the other side of the picture don't you think?! ...or perhaps one of the four –footed variety

32. You can catch a ferry to Vpyeen Island where you will find CheraiBeach said to be one of Cochin’s best kept secrets with a stretch of white sand lined with coconut groves and paddy fields

34. Mattan-Cherry Palace was built by the Portuguese in 1555 and later renovated by the Dutch

35. Inside are well preserved Hindu Murals which depict scenes from the Ramay-ana, Mahab-harata and Puranic legends in intricate detail There is also a portrait gallery of maharajas from 1864, an impressive collection of hand carried carriages (Palanquins), bejewelled outfits and beautifully carved ceilings in every room

36. Lining the shore of Fort Cochin are the large Chinese fishing nets which are operated by a system of weights and levers They are believed to have been introduced by traders from the Chinese court of the Ruler Kublai Khan and is how local fishermen earn their living, through fishing with these massive nets

37. These pre-colonial Chinese fishing nets on the waterfront stretch along the coast by Fort Cochin and Vypeen Island and are distinctly unique to Cochin.

41. ...like a new hat for the Memsahib ..and of course, there are more shopping opportunities - especially for essential item's!!

42. We made a short stop at Brunton’s Boatyard for refreshments, before we boarded a boat for a journey into Cochin Harbour “I wonder what this rope is for?”

43. “You will never make a proper “Punka-Wallah Raymond”!!

46. .....and now time to “Buckle up and enjoy the ride” once more