Cochin to Delhi

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4.04.2007 Cochin, India

This morning I attended a lecture, Political Islam: Pakistan at the Crossroads” by Dr. Stephen Dachi. Very informative. As were having lunch, the ship started to enter the harbor of Cochin. It is a long entry past fishing villages, shipbuilding facilities and the normal shipping facilities making for interesting scenery prior to our docking at 1 PM which is later than our usual early morning arrivals. In 1341 nature carved out this harbor with a massive flood creating an ideal gateway. As a result Cochin became the first port for Arabs, Chinese and finally European sea merchants who sailed for barter into what came to be known as the “Queen of the Arabian Sea”. Lured by the promise of pepper, the Portuguese under Vasco da Gamma arrived in 1500, and the Franciscan Friars who accompanied the explorer established a church and set about converting the locals. By 1553, the Maharaja of Cochin had granted permission for the construction of the first European fort in India, and what had been an obscure fishing hamlet became India’s first European settlement. In 1663, Cochin fell to the Dutch and then to the British in 1795. Each of these foreign influences left a mark, resulting in a distinctly Indo-European culture, most evident in the architecture.

Fishing Village
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Upon arrival we disembarked with nine other passengers and our escort, Carola Giardini, from the ship and boarded a bus for the airport to commence our five day four night tour of The Royal Cities of Rajasthan also known as The Golden Triangle. The West’s had opted for a three night trip that include The Taj Mahal in the city of Agra. After hearing the pros and cons of each alternative we chose to forgo the Taj Mahal for the Royal Cities and we weren’t disappointed by the choice we made. Traveling with us was a most attractive and knowledgeable Indian tour guide, “Hem”. We were able to see a little of Cochin and hear about the city during our 1 ½ hour ride to the airport. After an hour’s delay in departing we then flew for 3 ½ hrs to Delhi where we were transferred to the first of three great hotels we were to stay in. Upon arrival at The Taj Mahal Hotel we encountered lots of security as the Prime Minister of Pakistan and several other representatives from surrounding countries here for a conference. Since it was late Sallie decided not to join the rest of us for dinner. In addition it was an election day in that providence and no alcohol except the offering of the mini bar was available. The hotel was lovely with a beautiful garden and pool below our window but we were checked out the next morning after breakfast to start our brief tour of Delhi before flying on to Jaipur.

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Delhi is the second largest metropolis in Indiic a with a population of 13 million. Located in northern India on the banks of the River Yamuna, Delhi has the political status of a federally-administered territory known as the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Capital to several empires in ancient India, Delhi was a major city in the old trade routes from northwest India to the Ganget Pghal Empire for a long period. . The Mughals built a section of the city(now known as Old City) that served as the capital of the Mughal Empire for a long period. During the British Raj, New Delhi was built as an administrative quarter of the city. New Delhi was declared the capital of India after India gained independence from British rule in 1947. Our tour took us past Parliament House, the India Gate(Monument), the gardens and residences to house government officials, all laid out and built by the British and now used by Indian government officials. Delhi, like every major city in India, is over crowded and has severe traffic problems. Getting to the airport can be very trying. A former administration decided to build a non stop no traffic lights overhead highway to the airport. Two years ago, when a new administration was elected they stopped work on it for fear credit would go to their predecessors. Finally after 2 yrs work has resumed. We goy the flavor of the city but weren’t there long enough to see a lot. We then boarded a plane for an hou’s flight south to Jaipur.