KOCHIN, BRIEFLY

I return to Fort Kochin for 18 short hours and in that time run into several friends made on previous visits, and I am reminded that this is such a comfortable town. It is unlike any other place I have been to in India (which is saying very little about the extent of my travels); the pace of life in Fort Kochin is so relaxed - there is little to no hustle and bustle that is common, and sometimes overwhelming, elsewhere.

The market town of Mattancherry is decidedly more lively, as it is still an important trading area where the focus is on the spice trade upon which the town was founded. Here you will find the air is redolent with ginger, which emanates from the many colonial warehouses still in use today. Near the center of this district you will find Jew Town (actual name), a colonial enclave that dates back to 1524.

Keralans have a reputation throughout India for being progressive and tolerant. Indeed, one can find a Hindu temple, an Islamic mosque, a Christian church, and a Jewish synagogue in close, and peaceful, proximity to one another.
Photo credit: John Carolin