COCHIN/KOCHI INDIA (day 89)

COCHIN is one of the West Coasts oldest and largest ports. COCHIN is  situated on the major crossroads of the INDIAN OCEAN, traders have been coming to KERELA (the state that the city  COCHIN is in) in search of spices, sandalwood and ivory. There are 35 million people in the state, 600,000 people live in COCHIN. The children are taught 3 languages, HINDI (the national language), ENGLISH, & PORTUGUESE, in elementary school. The literacy rate is almost 100%. There are 22 languages spoken in INDIA.
Today COCHIN has a Synagogue, several Mosques, Portuguese & Catholic Churches & Hindu Temples.

TRUCKERS DO A GREAT DEAL OF BUSINESS AT THE PORT AND MANY OF THE TRUCKS OWNERS HAVE THEM DECORATED BY LOCAL ARTISTS

THE STREETS AND THE LOCAL MARKETS ARE BUSY PLACES

MARKETS AIMED AT TOURISTS CLOG THE STREETS   

THE PEDDLERS ARE CONSTANTLY IN YOUR FACE

THEY LAY IN WAIT & THEN FOLLOW YOU 

CATHOLIC CHURCH

HEARDS OF GOATS GRAZE IN THE STREETS

CHINESE FISHING NETS DATE BACK TO THE 14TH CENTURY

THE NETS ARE A SYSTEM OF PULLYS AND LEVERS

WHEN THE TIDE IS HIGH THE FIHERMEN CATCH FISH & WHEN THE TIDE IS LOW THEY CATCH TOURISTS

IT TAKES 4 MEN TO WORK THESE NETS

WATCHING THE MEN WORK THE NETS WAS MORE MY THING

THE MATTANCHERRY DISTRICT IS WHERE THE CITY'S DWINDLING JEWISH COMMUNITY LIVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS CALLED JEW TOWN

PARADISE SYNAGOGUE BUILT IN 1588, DESTROYED IN 1662 & REBUILT IN 1664

WOODY LEARNING TO WEAVE SILK

PORTUGUESE  CHURCH ST. SEBASTIAN

COCHIN is INDIA lite, in that it is the calmest & most beautiful city in INDIA. We needed to remember to appreciate it for what "it" is. I guess what I mean by is that the city is designed to make "it's " own people comfortable and that it is that it is a part of ...

INCREADABLE INDIA