Kerala
We flew from Goa down to Cochin in Kerala. We stayed in Fort Kochi and spent the mornings sightseeing, before the heat got the better of us.
The town is known for its history and architecture, a blend of Portuguese, Dutch and British influences.
St. Francis Church is considered the oldest European church in India and was the burial place of Vasco da Gama for 14 years before his remains were returned to Portugal.
Santa Cruz Basilica
A beautiful example of Gothic architecture. The original cathedral was built by the Portuguese in1505, spared by the Dutch in the 1600's then destroyed by the British in 1795 when they expelled the Dutch. It was then rebuilt 90 years later. All the frescos and paintings were crafted by Italian painter Fr. Antonio Moschen.
The Dutch Palace (Mattancherry Palace).
The palace was built and gifted by the Portuguese as a present to the king of Cochin, around 1545. It was built to appease the king after they plundered a temple nearby. It was extended later by the Dutch.
No photos were allowed of the inside however there are murals depicting portraits and exhibits of the Rajas of Kochi.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)
Chinese fishing nets
It was great to see these in action. The nets are made of wood and bamboo poles and are about 10m high fixed on the beach. Each one has a cantilever with an attached net spread over an area of approx 20m. Counterweights, usually large stones, are tied to the ropes. It was fun watching the fisherman chasing the birds away before they got the catch instead
After a few days we headed 60kms down the coast to Alappuzha, also known as as Alleppey. The area is often called the 'Venice of the East,' as there is an enormous network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes, and inlets, stretching over 900 kilometers. We opted for our own houseboat so we could explore the tranquil backwaters in peace.
All was going well until the captain pulled into a spot in a boatyard, where he started to moor up for the night. Rubbish, flies, flying ants and the sound of work on the neighbouring boat with no access to anywhere else was not where we wanted to spend the night. After a quick call to our host in Fort Kochi (who had booked the boat for us), we were on the move again to find a more tranquil spot. This time the boat moored up and we could get off, stretch our legs and go looking for a local village, but we didn't find one. The downside was we were in-between two other boats, so still had no view of the lake, but at least we weren't in a boatyard. The next morning was a very early start, 5.30-6am with breakfast on the move at 7am. It was very peaceful as not many other boats were heading back to the start/end docking point. In hindsight, we would have been better off doing a day cruise instead. Maybe our expectations of spending a night under the stars on a tranquil lake was too high.
Now we're back at the beach for the last few days by the Indian Ocean before we head inland and start our journey north.
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