March 7th & 8th Cochin, 9th
Wednesday, March 7th. We received confirmation of our hotel booking at 9.00am and excitedly commenced packing our over-night bag. We watched our arrival into the Port of Kochi and were surprised to see such a flat lush green landscape of palm trees extending into the distance. Cochin is the principal sea port in the State of Kerala. 
We were welcomed by a group of musicians with two decorated elephants, and beautiful girls who marked us all with red dots on our foreheads, which made our arrival all the more ‘Indian.' We were met at the port by a hotel chauffer who stood holding our name high above the heads of the waiting crowd. It was a delight to get into the car and be given a bottle of water and cold wet towels to wipe our perspiration away; after only ten minutes in the sun we were melting! Maxwell, the concierge travel manager, was awaiting our arrival on the steps of the Taj Malabar Hotel and greeted us like royalty
(it was only a mile from the ship.) We were the only ones from the QM2 to stay overnight and they obviously thought we must be very important people. We were given a pierced coconut to sip from whilst being asked what type of bed we wanted, twin or double? We said it didn’t matter about the bed but we would like a room with the best view. This was indeed a superior corner suite on the 5th floor overlooking the ocean and the QM2 on the one side and from the other side we had views across the bay to the modern city of Cochin in the district of Ernakulam. We returned to meet Maxwell who had organised a hotel car to take us wherever we chose. He asked if we would like him to escort us, so off we all went, Maxwell, Verghase (the chauffeur, wearing his official uniform and hat,) Alan and me.
First we went to the old town of Cochin where we stopped to photograph elephants on the road along our way, and then we slowed down to allow the wandering ‘holy cows’ that roam freely everywhere, to cross ahead of us. Narrow twisting roads with much tooting of horns and small three wheeler open sided ‘taxis’ called ‘ducducs’ (because they look like mobile rickshaws) swerved regularly to avoid collision. Along the roads were a mix of very poor homes and very wealthy homes because everyone tried to live in this busy area (the land was expensive, but the house building was not.) First we stopped at St. Francis Church where Vasco De Gama (who commissioned it) had been buried, his tomb is still there but his body was returned to Portugal in 1538. Then we went to see the Chinese fishing nets along the Fort Kochi 
promontory; these are operated with a system of pulleys and weights on a cantilever action, which is incredible to watch. Next was their oldest church, which happened to be Dutch! All along the roadside were stalls filled with bric-a-brac and clothes. We asked to be taken to some shops where I could look at saris and Verghase took us a further mile to Jew Town, the oldest part of Cochin where ‘black Jews’ arrived in the 6th century. Here were small narrow lanes so we had to leave the car 
and walk a few yards down the very busy road where every shopkeeper invited us, and all the other tourists in! Maxwell suggested which shop we should enter (some looked a bit dodgy) and I was encouraged to try on a sari! I was shown numerous patterns and designs of silk until I chose one that the shopkeeper dutifully wrapped and tucked me into as Alan and Maxwell sat and watched in amazement. I decided against this purchase and then we had silk shawls and jackets produced at such great speed until I was totally confused, but we did cross his palm with dollars in the end!! Moving on quickly we walked a few yards down the road to look inside the synagogue, but first we had to take off our shoes (although Alan was allowed to keep his on.) The floor is finished with imported handmade Cantonese tiles and antique Belgium chandeliers hung elegantly. Maxwell suggested we hurry or the palace would be closed and he wanted to show us it. En route I spotted another shop displaying silk kaftans and stepped inside for a few moments, but managed to find something else for Alan to barter over before we were hurried along our way. Mattancherrry Palace was built by 16th century Portuguese merchants as a gift to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi in exchange for exclusive building rights. I went inside and looked around at the many wall paintings, not dissimilar to tomb paintings, some furniture and robes. The Varma Raja’s had lived there most of the time and had reigned from 1502 to 1964; it was indeed worth a visit. When I came out the men were all sitting in the car waiting for me and by then, it was 5.30pm and we were ready to return to the hotel. I know 
Alan enjoyed the bartering experience because he got them much lower than I would have settled for. The challenge was starting in rupees, converting to dollars (used for the purchase) and converting to sterling to see if it was a good buy all at the same time! When we returned to the Taj we both had a swim in the infinity pool that was most welcoming with an unaided temperature of 28 degrees. This was followed by a lazy G&T on the pool terrace as we relaxed and watched the sun set across the bay. Darkness was falling so we decided to shower and dress for the evening because we had booked to dine in the Rice Boat restaurant, which was situated hanging over the backwaters. Our meal was truly Indian because we chose our fish from the fresh catch of the day, and we had Barova, an Indian wine that has an imported Australian shiraz blended with their own Indian grapes. We started with shrimps (one big gambas) cooked in spices that were to die for. Alan’s ‘back water’ fish and my ‘crocker’ fish were served with one fillet grilled and the other served in a banana wrap having b
een cooked in a mix of fragrant herbs and spices and served with basmati rice. Our Indian desserts were interesting and very sweet. Entertainment for QM2 visitors had been set on the lawns with a traditional South Indian buffet for anyone interested. This 
included traditional 
activity counters like cane weaving, pottery, astrology and artifact shops. Dancing such as Kathakali, Mohiniattam and Kalaripayattu were performed throughout the evening. (Male dance
rs and their make up takes 2 hours to apply.) We browsed the hotel jewellery shop and saw some magnificent traditional designs as well as amazing gems. It was very hot and humid and we were pleased to sleep with both ceiling fan and air conditioning!
We were welcomed by a group of musicians with two decorated elephants, and beautiful girls who marked us all with red dots on our foreheads, which made our arrival all the more ‘Indian.' We were met at the port by a hotel chauffer who stood holding our name high above the heads of the waiting crowd. It was a delight to get into the car and be given a bottle of water and cold wet towels to wipe our perspiration away; after only ten minutes in the sun we were melting! Maxwell, the concierge travel manager, was awaiting our arrival on the steps of the Taj Malabar Hotel and greeted us like royalty
(it was only a mile from the ship.) We were the only ones from the QM2 to stay overnight and they obviously thought we must be very important people. We were given a pierced coconut to sip from whilst being asked what type of bed we wanted, twin or double? We said it didn’t matter about the bed but we would like a room with the best view. This was indeed a superior corner suite on the 5th floor overlooking the ocean and the QM2 on the one side and from the other side we had views across the bay to the modern city of Cochin in the district of Ernakulam. We returned to meet Maxwell who had organised a hotel car to take us wherever we chose. He asked if we would like him to escort us, so off we all went, Maxwell, Verghase (the chauffeur, wearing his official uniform and hat,) Alan and me.
First we went to the old town of Cochin where we stopped to photograph elephants on the road along our way, and then we slowed down to allow the wandering ‘holy cows’ that roam freely everywhere, to cross ahead of us. Narrow twisting roads with much tooting of horns and small three wheeler open sided ‘taxis’ called ‘ducducs’ (because they look like mobile rickshaws) swerved regularly to avoid collision. Along the roads were a mix of very poor homes and very wealthy homes because everyone tried to live in this busy area (the land was expensive, but the house building was not.) First we stopped at St. Francis Church where Vasco De Gama (who commissioned it) had been buried, his tomb is still there but his body was returned to Portugal in 1538. Then we went to see the Chinese fishing nets along the Fort Kochi 
promontory; these are operated with a system of pulleys and weights on a cantilever action, which is incredible to watch. Next was their oldest church, which happened to be Dutch! All along the roadside were stalls filled with bric-a-brac and clothes. We asked to be taken to some shops where I could look at saris and Verghase took us a further mile to Jew Town, the oldest part of Cochin where ‘black Jews’ arrived in the 6th century. Here were small narrow lanes so we had to leave the car 
and walk a few yards down the very busy road where every shopkeeper invited us, and all the other tourists in! Maxwell suggested which shop we should enter (some looked a bit dodgy) and I was encouraged to try on a sari! I was shown numerous patterns and designs of silk until I chose one that the shopkeeper dutifully wrapped and tucked me into as Alan and Maxwell sat and watched in amazement. I decided against this purchase and then we had silk shawls and jackets produced at such great speed until I was totally confused, but we did cross his palm with dollars in the end!! Moving on quickly we walked a few yards down the road to look inside the synagogue, but first we had to take off our shoes (although Alan was allowed to keep his on.) The floor is finished with imported handmade Cantonese tiles and antique Belgium chandeliers hung elegantly. Maxwell suggested we hurry or the palace would be closed and he wanted to show us it. En route I spotted another shop displaying silk kaftans and stepped inside for a few moments, but managed to find something else for Alan to barter over before we were hurried along our way. Mattancherrry Palace was built by 16th century Portuguese merchants as a gift to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi in exchange for exclusive building rights. I went inside and looked around at the many wall paintings, not dissimilar to tomb paintings, some furniture and robes. The Varma Raja’s had lived there most of the time and had reigned from 1502 to 1964; it was indeed worth a visit. When I came out the men were all sitting in the car waiting for me and by then, it was 5.30pm and we were ready to return to the hotel. I know 
Alan enjoyed the bartering experience because he got them much lower than I would have settled for. The challenge was starting in rupees, converting to dollars (used for the purchase) and converting to sterling to see if it was a good buy all at the same time! When we returned to the Taj we both had a swim in the infinity pool that was most welcoming with an unaided temperature of 28 degrees. This was followed by a lazy G&T on the pool terrace as we relaxed and watched the sun set across the bay. Darkness was falling so we decided to shower and dress for the evening because we had booked to dine in the Rice Boat restaurant, which was situated hanging over the backwaters. Our meal was truly Indian because we chose our fish from the fresh catch of the day, and we had Barova, an Indian wine that has an imported Australian shiraz blended with their own Indian grapes. We started with shrimps (one big gambas) cooked in spices that were to die for. Alan’s ‘back water’ fish and my ‘crocker’ fish were served with one fillet grilled and the other served in a banana wrap having b
een cooked in a mix of fragrant herbs and spices and served with basmati rice. Our Indian desserts were interesting and very sweet. Entertainment for QM2 visitors had been set on the lawns with a traditional South Indian buffet for anyone interested. This 
included traditional 
activity counters like cane weaving, pottery, astrology and artifact shops. Dancing such as Kathakali, Mohiniattam and Kalaripayattu were performed throughout the evening. (Male dance
rs and their make up takes 2 hours to apply.) We browsed the hotel jewellery shop and saw some magnificent traditional designs as well as amazing gems. It was very hot and humid and we were pleased to sleep with both ceiling fan and air conditioning!Thursday, March 8th. Alan got up very early and had another swim before I joined him for breakfast, which was a traditional three course Indian meal! Our morning was at leisure around the hotel before returning to the ship. The bill was unbelievable, including all the personal attention, transport, meals and tips it was less than one of my new dresses!! We sailed 2 hours late from Cochin but were pleased to see so many local people lining the shores and having boat trips out to see the QM2 before we left. By evening we were well on our way through the Arabian Sea en route to Dubai, a distance of 1613 n miles. We were pleased to be back on board and heading for a new destination, but we have such fond memories of Cochin that we would like to return to India if possible. After a cocktail party and dinner, our evening entertainment was the Theatre Company performing songs by Elton John. We put back our watches by a further half an hour so now we are just 5 hours ahead of the UK.
Friday March 9th was as expected, a lazy day at sea. I went to a new class during the morning, which was beading, so I have to keep going to finish the necklace I have started! Alan rested because it was ‘Friday medication,’ he wins some and loses some, but today was not good. The afternoon was uneventful navigationally as we continued on our course north west towards the Gulf of Oman. I went to the gym but I know I am losing the battle! Tonight is the Masked Ball so we are about to get ready.
Friday March 9th was as expected, a lazy day at sea. I went to a new class during the morning, which was beading, so I have to keep going to finish the necklace I have started! Alan rested because it was ‘Friday medication,’ he wins some and loses some, but today was not good. The afternoon was uneventful navigationally as we continued on our course north west towards the Gulf of Oman. I went to the gym but I know I am losing the battle! Tonight is the Masked Ball so we are about to get ready.
posted by Alan & Marion @ 12:29 PM
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