Our plans for the transfer from Munnar to Kochi included a visit to Kodanad, an elephant rescue and training centre. However, we were dissuaded by our hosts as being better to visit from Kochi, bring 50 kms distant, and would have involved a very early start to get there in time for the 8am elephant washing. This was a good decision, as we discovered that the centre had closed and moved to a new location where activities were not yet being published.
We used the Rose Garden's homestay's taxi for the transfer to Walton's Homestay, on Princess St in Kochi, an ideal location for exploring the town.
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| Spice picker |
It was a long, slow journey. We were surprised at how built up were the extensive suburbs, so it was a relief to arrive in the picturesque area of Fort Kochi.
Kochi always has always been a vibrant port by the Arabian sea, gaining importance after the Dutch, Portuguese and British came to trade and occupy. Earlier, the city was frequented by Roman, Chinese and Arab traders. They all had one thing in common. They came for the wealth of spices and precious woods and in turn left indelible marks on the history and cuisine of the city. Kochi developed into a major trading port dealing in pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and other goods. Till today Kerala is world wide famous for great quality spices.
Kochi was frequented by many great travellers, scholars and traders like Fa Hien and Vasco da Gama, whose home can still be seen, among others. Their tales and reports contributed significantly to the growth of the city and made Kochi the most important trading points in India.
Few urban pockets in any city would offer such an engaging mix of history, culture, culinary treats, as the historical area of Fort Kochi, located right on the busy harbour mouth with ships and fishing vessels moving in and out. There are museums, art galleries, cafes, the famed fishing nets and shopping on Princess Street. You can see some of the last remnants of Dutch Colonial style houses, with their steeply angled roofs and tall windows.
The streets in the immediate vicinity are splendid to stroll about and if you like to move a bit further then its best to take a cycle and move towards the vast godowns of the spice market and finally into Jew town with the first synagogue in India. A must see is the Dutch Palace with its amazing murals and wooden ceilings. Must see it may be, but our tuk tuk driver had his own ideas, and it closed before we reached it. Fort Kochi’s pride however are the massive rain trees lining the streets, each a miracle of nature.
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| Walton's Homestay |
Walton's Homestay is a lovely place to stay. The room was immaculate and comfortable. It is a handy location for shops and restaurants.
The breakfasts were great and advice on where to eat locally was very useful.
If we had been doing our holiday in reverse, then this would have been a good place to start as Mr Walton and his daughter Charlotte went out of their way to help without being pushy, providing maps and suggestions. This would have been even more useful if I had not lost the map and information sheet early on!
It was our last stop before returning home, and help with printing boarding cards and arranging airport transfer provided.
Walkabout
We had arrived in Kochi at lunchtime, and set out to find somewhere to eat. First stop was the nearby Art Cafe, which offered European snacks. Not what we came for, but still a good meal in a nice location.
And then it was down to the fishermen, who were casting their nets and landing their catches. The dirty beaches were a disappointment, though we were informed that there was a voluntary clean up on Sundays, it did not seem to be making much difference. We had hoped for a good sunset, as in the much used brochure picture of the Chinese fishing nets, but the sky did not oblige. More on fishing in Kochi later! The streets nearby have markets selling, mostly tourist things. Ok if that is what you want.
We ended our evening in Mary's Kitchen, an upstairs balcony restaurant on KB Jacob Rd, where we were well looked after. Apparently, they run cooking classes - something to do next time. This is close to the floodlit St Mary's Church - and two ATMs.
We returned to our comfortable room at Walton's Homestay.
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