Love for travel and adventure is a good thing; it is the passion that holds a traveler through tough times. Love for nature is a good thing; we respect and do our best to protect the environment. Love is good, so long as the object of your love is good!
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| how I spent 4 days in Kochi (a blog) |
Thrissur to Ernakulam Jn
08:30 | THRISSUR 09:40 | ERNAKULAM JN. 2S 85 rs AC chair car 300 rs
Ernakulam is impressive !
It's an upcoming city with great roads and infrastructure, neither polluted nor over-populated like other major cities; while still affording a decent standard of living.
I checked in at Ceylon bake house, Ernakulam. They have a warm welcoming ambience, cheery rooms and 3 restaurants. I stepped down at lunch time, to find a fragrant aroma at their in-house restaurant which was buzzing with people enjoying their meal. The restaurant is popular for its non-veg moghlai cuisine, but I ordered a veg biryani instead and pepsi which was delicious- I thoroughly enjoyed the meal.
The rest of the day, I decided to just sit by- do some laundry, watch a movie and basically just chill in my comfy room. I was almost halfway through ‘The spy who loved me’ when there was a knock on the door, it was the hotel staff distributing mosquito coil repellents. Ernakulam and Kochi fall in the low lying area and the temperature makes it perfect for breeding mosquitoes.
An evening at LuLu mall, Ernakulam
This is one of India’s top luxury malls spread over a large area. Stepping into its high-end hypermarket immediately makes you feel like you are in the gulf. Arabs who I hadn’t seen until now were all here !
It has practically everything one can possibly need. I dragged a trolley and picked a few things like branded cheese, chocolates, and fresh fruits. A variety of dates were on display- I finally selected the soft seedless type and some more assorted snacks and food stuff.
Tip : LuLu hypermarket is a great place to pick up your food and necessities for onward journeys.
It was time to take a breather, and the food court had the right ambience. I preferred to try out local pancakes and caramelized pudding- all very reasonably priced surprisingly (quite unlike other malls I’ve been too).
< Day 2 >
Kochi an ancient port city !
Kochi has been on the trade route since ancient times. Due to its being one of the finest natural harbors of the world, seafaring explorers, travelers and merchants from Arabia, China, Greece, Rome and the rest of Europe have been dropping anchor here since the 14th century. It was a prosperous city then, as the center of spice trade.
There are 2 ways to get from Ernakulam to Kochi :
waterways - From Ernakulam jetty there are ferry services to different places (depending on where you wish to go). I wasn’t aware and thought Kochi was just 1 place to head to. But it is made of a group of islands namely- Vypin, Fort Kochi, Willington island and Mattancherry. The ferry ticket is dirt cheap (less than 10 rs), and although services are frequent try and avoid peak hours. As a first-timer I found the waterways quite exciting with a view of some big ship anchored at the harbor.
roadways- city buses and autos are available to Fort Kochi and reasonably priced too.
Tip : I have found cab services and Ola/ Uber to be very expensive in Kochi, try to avoid them if you can.
As you draw into Fort Kochi, the sight of fishermen busy at their Chinese fishing nets will certainly catch your eye.
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| Chinese fishing net- Kochi, Kerala |
Where to stay at Fort Kochi
It’s easy to find a wide range of accommodations at Fort Kochi- from luxury hotels to affordable yet classy backpacker hostels and also private rooms. What I found interesting are some colonial homes that are now converted into resorts.
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| a guesthouse at Kochi, Kerala |
Things to do in Fort Kochi
#1 Leisurely walking tour
Fort Kochi is antiquity at its best- walking down the streets gives you an essence of a time that passed by, I took the leisure of splitting my Fort Kochi exploration over 3 days.
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| St. Francis Church- Fort Kochi, Kerala |
My first stop for today was the Santa Cruz basilica and St Francis church, both in the same area. St. Francis Church was built in 1503, but it certainly isn’t the oldest. The credit for the oldest church in India goes to St. Thomas church at Palayoor, 52 AD which is also located in Kerala.
St. Francis' church however holds immense historical significance. It was during his third voyage to India that Vasco da Gama, soon after arriving in Kochi fell ill and succumbed to his illness on Dec. 24, 1524. He was buried at this very church; it was only later that his remains were taken back to Portugal in 1538.
Santa Cruz basilica is also a beautiful heritage structure in typical Gothic style. Observe the rich gothic interiors and the historical paintings on the wall.
Next is Fort Emmanuel (1503) another bastion from the Portuguese era. After spending some time at Fort Kochi view point, and later the tiny Fort Kochi beach. I finally ended my tour with the Dutch Cemetery.
< Day 3 >
#2 Museum watch
Fort Kochi has 2 remarkable museums; The Indo Portuguese museum located inside Bishop House ground which is primarily focused on the Portuguese influence in Kerala, and is a treasure house of invaluable artefacts. The other is the Indian Naval maritime museum- located within the INS Dronacharya ( a beautiful piece of artifact by itself).
By evening I visited Vasco House, an old Portuguese building said to be Vasco da gama’s residence during his stay in Kochi, then to Vasco da gama ground, spent some time taking photos and watching the Chinese fishing nets and finally loafed around Loafer’s Corner.
#3 Trip on good food
Fort Kochi has a number of great restaurants and cafes. Some mid-range restaurants are Kashi Art Cafe, Dal Roti, Fusion Bay. There are several budget restaurants, bakeries and also Thattukada, which is typical Kerala street food.
< Day 4 >
#4 Explore Jew Town
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| shopping for antiques in Fort Kochi |
Jew Town was once a thriving Jewish settlement; in fact a 12th CE Jewish traveler mentions them in his records. Over the course of time and after the formation of the state of modern day Israel, most of Jews have migrated to Israel and other Commonwealth countries. Important sites to visit in this area are Pardesi synagogue (1568) and Mattancherry palace (1555). This is a nice place to hang out if you love shopping for collectibles, antiques and spices.
That was a great 4 day tour of Fort Kochi. I got a call from a friend, and we plan to visit Marari beach and Alleppey backwaters. Do Subscribe & watch this space for more exciting places. Ciao!
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