May 10 and 11 - Cochin and New Mangalore

May 10 – Cochin, India

We had a day at sea to prepare ourselves for four busy days in India.

After the immigration process which actually went very smoothly, we were off the ship not long after 8.30am which was good. Our tour operator was there waiting with a lovely air conditioned bus and our driver.

We visited so many sights in this very ancient southern Indian town. Known as the Venice of the East because of its extensive waterways, we tstarted our tour with a very pleasant boat ride around the various islands in the immediate vicinity of the city. This boat tour finished at Fort Cochin, the old town which is where the history really started to shine.

Firstly, we walked from the wharf through the local throngs to the area where the fishermen bring in their catch using ancient Chinese fishing methods of cantilevered nets. These are the largest of their kind in the world. A fascinating process to watch. We passed what is left of the old Portuguese fort (which the British all but destroyed) but which is undergoing restoration to be turned into a museum. Further on we passed the fish markets and the merchants were happy to display their catch and talk about the variety of fish they had for sale.

We visited the Dutch Reformed Church where the great explorer Vasco da Gama has a tombstone. His remains have long since been removed to Lisbon. But he died in Cochin in 1524 and is remembered with a tombstone in this church. By the time we had finished this visit we were tired and in need of some sustenance. So it was off to lunch.

We were taken to a restaurant which served local food and we nearly all had a fish dish of some kind. It was so fresh and tasty. We all thoroughly enjoyed it.

Following lunch, we made an impromptu visit to the local public laundry (Dhobi Khana, the one in Mumbai is called Dhobi Ghat). This is one of only two such laundries remaining in India, the other being in Mumbai. Hotels as well as private individuals send their laundry here. Workers spend 8 hours each day washing, drying and ironing the clothes which are absolutely beautifully pressed. Today is Sunday and outside children of the workers were playing cricket. This was something we saw all over town, cricket being played in open spaces.

Finally, we visited the archaelogical museum where we learned more about the royal families of Cochin, followed by a visit to the Spice Market and the Jewish quarter including the synagogue. Altogether a wonderful day.

Playing the national game

Our ship from our tour boat

Typical houseboat

Modern Cochin

Lots of party boats out on the water for the weekend

More colourful tour boats. There was a strike on so we were lucky to have the waterway to ourselves

Bringing up fishing pots Cochin style

Could do with some upgrade works, but this 'resort' was operational

Preparations for a garden wedding at the back of the resort 

But just across the way, the rubbish lies idle while the people look on

A local ferry pulls up

Colourful fishing boats

On our cruise boat which we had to ourselves!

The famous Chinese fishing nets still in operation in Cochin

Look carefully at the second of the two distance signs!

The catch is flipped from the huge nets into this small netted bucket

Men haul ropes which are weighted on the other end to operate the cantilevered nets

One way to display your wares - remember it was around 38 Deg C!!

In an attempt to beautify the area, the tree trunk is painted!

A former Governor's residence

Clearly a Dutch Reform Church - this one famous for the Vasco da Gama tombstone

Image of Vasco da Gama

Lunch was delicious

The hanging space where each item is secured on twisted twine everyone knows which articles are where!

Happy in his work

More cricket

A loom in action

Goats roaming freely in the street

May 11 – New Mangalore

An easier process to disembark today. Our guide and 'bus' were there to meet us on the dock and we discussed the plan for the day. In New Mangalore the 'sights' are limited. I knew that the 1000 pillar Jain temple was the main sight in the region however there is a significant Hindu temple in the city which we decided to visit first before the bigger crowds arrived.

Unfortunately, our guide was inexperienced, and his English was difficult to understand, but we got the gist of what he was explaining about what we were seeing at the temple. It is interesting to learn about different cultures though.

The drive out to the Jain temple was at a distance from the city along a narrow winding road. The traffic was as bad as was expected in India, but somehow we all survived.

The drive was well worth it, however, the temple was astonishingly beautiful. Built in the 15^th century each pillar is carved from one single piece of stone. In the depths of the temple there is a huge gold statue.. It was worth the drive.

We are looking forward to our day in Goa to see what else of interest India can show us.

The ritual of bathing to cleanse the spirit

Entering the temple of Jain

Elephants are an important feature in many temples

One of the beautifully carved stone pillars in the Temple of Jain

Even the ceilings are carved

An extraordinary timber door

This statue is solid gold, we were probably 20 metres away and allowed no closer to this sacred area of the temple

The family of these girls asked to take a photo with me too!

Beautifully tiled floor

Waiting for the bus

The premier high school in New Mangalore where our guide was educated

Our 'bus', a little the worse for wear

Traffic, modern buildings, ancient monuments - all come together in India

Another temple we were scheduled to visit, but a wedding was in progress, so we had to be happy with a drive past

As in all of India cows roam freely

And the storms rolled in again in the afternoon

This is the view of the port from our balcony

An unusual site, a cruise ship, so people came to take a look

The storm was rolling in and it was blowing a gale, but undeterred

The flag of Bermuda flying proudly at the back of the ship

One of our favourite waiters spotted us

Introducing the aerial show

This is pretty cool, but then I love gymnastics and can appreciate the skill involved

Singers and dancers complement what is happening in the air

Snazzy shoes