17th March Cochin

On a hot, muggy morning, we made our approach towards the pilot station.  There had been a shift change in the port and as a consequence he was running late; Port Control advised us to ‘keep coming’ and they would meet us in the channel.

Overview of the approach

Overview of the approach

The harbour

The harbour, our track in orange to the berth. An alternative berth on the east side, is the solid red line, however we didn’t use it.

A muggy sunrise

A muggy sunrise

Cochin is another port I visited long ago and unsurprisingly, it has changed.  The approach though is wonderful, passing the ‘old town’ of Mattancheri on our starboard side as we did so.

Coming down the channel

Coming down the channel

The old town and foreshore

The old town and foreshore

'Chinese' fishing nets

‘Chinese’ fishing nets

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Fishermen hauling nets in preparation for another day's fishing

Fishermen hauling nets in preparation for another day’s fishing

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Into the final channel, Mattancheri’s east side

 

A vehicular ferry

A vehicular ferry

Approaching the dock

Approaching the dock

Having docked, we all then had to go through India’s Immigration procedure, face-to-face with passports, visas and heaven knows what; a ‘shore pass’ and a copy of the passport were then given to guests and crew alike.  It’s not quite over though, when going ashore, all passes are checked at the gangway and similarly, when coming back, checked again, phew……………

That having been accomplished, time to get those photos for you.  Whilst a number of guests chose tours or taxis and tuk-tuk, we chose to get a ferry across to Mattancheri, the terminal being some 200 yards from the bow.  A (very) hot walk and, when we were a short distance away, the sight of the ferry leaving, darn it.  We stood in the shade as we pondered waiting 20 minutes for it to return when a gentleman suggested that a passing ferry, not assigned to the route, might take us if we were willing to ‘wave’ some rupees at him.  That did the trick  😉  and off we set, heading for the Boat Station in Mattancheri’s Jews Town, as it is called.  An opportunity for photos as we crossed.

On the dock

On the dock

Another view

Another view

Our 'missed' ferry

Our ‘missed’ ferry

A passing fisherman

A passing fisherman

Lovely children waiting for the ferry

Lovely children waiting for the ferry

Big children, :-),  on the ferry

Big children, :-), on the ferry

Approaching the dock, (climbing across 3 boats to reach land)

Approaching the dock, (climbing across 3 boats to reach land)

Jew’s Town is a maze of shops and bazaars, the ladies browsing and me photographing.

Decorations galore

Decorations galore

Magnificent carvings

Magnificent carvings

And colours

And colours

Ladies tidying their shop

Ladies tidying their shop

Colourful carvings

Colourful carvings

And vast statues

And vast statues

The street

The street

A spice shop

A spice shop

Buses have 'no glass' air-conditioning

Buses have ‘no glass’ air-conditioning

Bags of spice

Bags of spice

All forms of transport

All forms of transport

Advice as one alights at the Boat Station

Advice as one alights at the Boat Station

Then, off to the north end of the island, this time though we took our lives in our hands and went by tuk-tuk.  Weaving through the streets was a life and death experience, horns sounding, avoiding anything on wheels and on legs, goats to be precise, scores of them.  One had to ensure that our drivers, (they were 3 of us in 2 tuk-tuks), did not stop at ‘nephews, uncles, brothers shops on the way.  🙂

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 To the Forthouse hotel for lunch; on the north shore, with lovely views, what else but curry?

The entrance

The entrance

The view

The view

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Patiently waiting for curry

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Chicken

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And mine, prawn. (There is a big bowl of it, out of shot and yes, I ate it all…delicious!

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Replete with lunch, another hair-raising ride, this time to the area where the Chinese fishing nets are.  The inevitable stalls, however a photographers delight.

Meals-on-wheels, one of many food carts

Meals-on-wheels, one of many food carts

The nets, they lower them into the water

The nets, they lower them into the water

Going it alaone

Going it alaone

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3 thoughts on “17th March Cochin”

  1. We enjoy deciphering your charts! Great photos.
    Everyone looks HOT! but what an experience. Glad to see you get some R&R!

    Thanks for continuing to provide the best of HAL’s WC!!

    Patricia

  2. I can just imagine your hair-raising ride in the tuk-tuks after recently seeing the movie Second Best Marigold Hotel.

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