COCHIN

After five uneventful days in Colombo, our India visas finally arrived and we fled to Cochin.  Cochin sits on a peninsula in Kerala province on India’s southwest coast, and it feels very small, old, and quaint.  The Portuguese and Dutch colonial influences are evident here in the architecture, as well as the ubiquitous Christian churches, basilicas, and statues of Jesus.  Cochin in April is also sweltering, muggy, and teaming with mosquitoes.  Travel tip: spring comes early in India, and April and May are actually the two hottest months.  Locals laugh hysterically when we tell them we thought it would be springtime here in April.

These giant Chinese fishing nets (above right) surround the northern edge of the peninsula, slowly dipping in and out of the water all day.  Although they only seem to catch puny fish, tourists love it.

St. Francis church (left) was built around 1500 by Franciscan friars from Portugal and is the first church built by Europeans in India.  It is also where Vasco De Gama’s body was buried before being removed to Lisbon.

Kathakali dance (below) is extremely popular here in Cochin.  It involves actors/dancers putting on colorful make-up, massive golden headdresses and bright skirts, and then blinking, bounding, and flapping expressively to tell their tale while others bang on drums and cymbals.

A day boat trip on Kerala’s backwaters.

This is Cochin’s nearest beach, which is frequented almost exclusively by locals.  The locals have interesting beach-going habits.  They wear street clothes and gather in one spot to stare at the ocean.  The braver ones wade into the water (in full street clothes, of course).

After three days in Cochin, we took an overnight train to Bangalore.  Although other travelers warned us that trains in India are invariably several hours late, we arrived at the train station promptly at 11pm.  The train showed up at 4am.  The unbearable heat, mosquitoes, and foul stench conspired to make the delay quite unpleasant.