Tropical India

Old dutch church in Cochin
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Before this trip started we knew we wanted to visit two major destinations in and around India. Rajasthan was one, and at the beginning of the trip we were pretty sure Nepal was the other. However the cold nights in Rajasthan made us reconsider our plan to head into the snowy mountains and sleep in hotels with no heating.

Instead we were intrigued by the south. After debating between the states of Goa and Kerala we decided on Kerala, as it sounded more interesting and varied to us than Goa which is synonymous with beaches and partying. Kerala is in the very south of India on the Atlantic side. It has been famous for its tropical climate and its spices for centuries. This is the best place in the world to grow many of the spices associated with India, including black pepper. It is also known for its rich culture and lavish festivals. The population is half hindu, and the other half is muslim or christian.

Colonial architecture
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It has elected a communist party as its state government since the 1950's, and has some of the best social programs and highest literacy rate in all of India.

After getting off the plane in seaside Cochin we knew we were in a different planet within the same country. There was intense heat and humidity, cows on the menu instead of the street, churches lining the streets, palm trees and lush greenery everywhere and the laid back feel that seems to inhabit the tropics everywhere.

Kerala also felt a lot richer than Rajasthan, as there are many more private homes and cars.

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Cochin is port city, and was controlled by the Portugese, Dutch or English for hundreds of years. The heart of the city, on an island, is full of colonial architecture and home to many temples, churches, mosques and even synygogues. It contained a palace with some amazing hindu frescoes, some of them putting the kama sutra to shame. Also the tip of the island was covered with chinese fishing nets, giant contraptions that take 6 men to operate and haul in the catch of the day. At night we caught a Kathakali performance, where the actors dress up like hindu gods and pantomime stories from ancient hindu epics. Since they don't speak the actors place special emphasis on facial movements. They have to exercise their face muscles every day to perform movements that wouldn't be possible without the rigorous training.

Boats and Chinese fishing nets line the seashore
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Cochin was quite nice but one day there was more than enough to see the old city and its sites.