By the time we had docked there were many local stalls already erected dockside ready to sell us some stuff we just can't do without!!!!
Our tour bus left at 9am and there were 16 of us - heading to the canals, or Backwaters, The 'Venice' of India. Well, canals they are but Venice it's not!!!!! Having said that, we did have a good day. We were taken on to a houseboat which had seating for all of us - these boats are usually privately owned and have 2 ensuite bedrooms, a lounging area and a kitchen. Two chefs were there to make lunch for us - curry, chicken, salads, etc, fresh pineapple and soft drinks. Many people live along these waters in very primitave conditions and several women were standing in knee deep water washing their clothes as we passed by. One lady was washing her hair and some kids were swimming - not sure what else they do in the water but it certainly wouldn't be a place to swim!!! There are also some very lovely houses, too.
The drive back to Cochin took nearly two hours and it was probably just as well I slept most of the way as apparently the traffic conditions were horrendous! How well do I remember a similar drive from Agra to Delhi 36 years ago!!!! In Cochin we were shown the famous Chinese nets,and the oldest European church in India! It was formerly a Catholic church, then became Protestant and is now an Anglican church. It was built in 1503 and has had many facelifts since then. The Portugese navigator Vasco da Gama was buried there and there is a tribute to him in the church but his remains were taken back to Lisbon 14 years after his death.
India would have to be one of the dirtiest countries on earth - such a shame as the countryside 
is lush and beautiful. But there is no law on litter - it is everywhere! And there are open pits along the roadside, the waterways are dirty and disgusting, powerlines hang all over the place, men were urinating wherever, and the traffic was a nightmare. But in spite of this everyone appeared happy, clean and friendly and I reckon that if they put 1 million of the 35 million people in this state of Kerala on a 'clean up' campaign Cochin would be up there with other beautiful cities of the world.
We checked out the stalls dockside before boarding the ship and made a few small purchases.
Was lovely to have a shower then wave goodbye from the balcony. Dinner with a couple from Cornwall before doing a 'slow-gear' through the casino where we found a blackjack tournament! In for a penny........... yes, now have our names on the board (at the moment) but the final isn't for 4 days!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment