Backpacking India: Queen of the Arabian Sea (Cochin, Kerala)
The Incredible India 5-years before Covid-19 (Part 1)
Cochin (Kochi or Fort Kochi) is a major port city on the southwest coast of India that fronts the Arabian Sea.
This city has been the center of the Indian spice trade for many centuries, thus hailed as the Arab Sea Queen!
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Even some leaves at the street-sides were aromatic!
Everyone knows that Hinduism is the major religion in India. So, it was quite surprising to encounter some Catholic churches right on our very first day!
St. Francis Church built in 1503, is the first and oldest European church in India.
Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica is one of the finest and most impressive churches in India! It also serves as the Cathedral church of the Diocese of Cochin.
Apparently, nearly 40% of the population in Cochin follows Christianity, which makes it one of the largest Christian communities in India!
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It made some more sense that this town has a huge Christian community when we saw the Dutch Cemetery.
The Dutch colonized Cochin in 1663 and ruled for over 100 years, and before that, the Portuguese captured this city in the 1500s and built the churches.
As a person who loves essential oils, this town was heaven!
You don’t need to splurge to afford luxurious natural oils, perfumes, and aromatic incenses. A 100ml bottle of pure rose oil only costs ₹500 ($6.80)!
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We were also told that a performance was scheduled in the afternoon at the Kerala Kathakali Center. It’s a 300-year old classical dance form of Kerala, called Kathakali.
It portrays a “story play” genre of art where the character’s dialogue is expressed through hand gestures, while emotions and moods are expressed through facial and eye movements.
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Third Image Source: www.hotelno18.com
We’re really grateful for this auto-rickshaw driver who approached us on a street and offered us our early experience of India right there in Cochin!
Oh, and another thing, rickshaw drivers would drive you to a lot of shops which would give them a petrol discount coupon (they won’t tell you that at first!) when you stay in the shop for about 10-15 minutes.
The shops were quite interesting though as you’ll see a lot of antique-looking figurines, jewelry, perfume oils, high-quality textiles, and silks.
Lastly, one of the most memorable parts of Cochin was this huge community laundry called Dhobi Khana, which literally means “washing house”.
It’s a public laundry where the community chooses to do their washing by hands. Although there is a large washing machine which is only used when some people are sick and unable to work.
About 40 cubicles are containing a concrete washbasin and a slab to slap the fabric, and across is a field of clotheslines.
What I also found amazing was how they hang their clothes without using any hangers or pins!
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As you enter, you’ll be greeted by some locals ironing clothes using the traditional charcoal iron!
Some washermen here offer laundry services to houses, hospitals, hotels, and some government firms.
They dip the white fabrics into this indigo-colored water, called Neel in Bengali, to brighten and whiten fabrics!
While writing this blog, I asked my friend Pat from Kolkata, about the name of this type of bleach. He told me the Bengali term and what people usually call it today as Ujala, a famous brand name.
He also shared about the Indigo Revolt which happened back in the summer of 1859 in Bengal when thousands of peasants refused to grow indigo for the European owners of land and indigo factories. What a brave history!
Where we stayed
I’d want to give a shout-out to our very first accommodation in India for their family’s warm hospitality, Allan’s Inn!
The hotel’s location is convenient to most of the places of interest in Cochin. A night only costs ₹450-₹500 ($6.15-$6.80)
How to get to Cochin
By Train
Take a train to Ernakulam Junction railway station (Station code: ERS).
Then take a ferry at the Ernakulam Jetty. Ferries are available every 15-30 minutes, the ferry terminal is open from 6:00 am-9:00 pm. It costs only ₹4 ($0.05).
Check the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation’s official website for train schedules and online ticket booking
Or you can download the IXIGO app, IRCTC’s official booking partner right on your mobile phone for a more convenient train booking!
By Air
Cochin International Airport is about 38km from Cochin city. Take a prepaid taxi from the airport to your hotel. Prepaid Taxi costs about ₹1200 ($16.40)
Now, let’s go a little down South of Kerala, to the famous cliff by the Arabian Sea
Disclaimer:
We’re not sure if the hotels and restaurants in the blog are still open due to Covid-19.
Please help us know by writing in the comment box.
Nevertheless, we encourage everyone to support them if ever you visit India as we enjoyed their warm hospitality!
