Fort Cochin

Blue Magic
Mark & Chris Dewey
Sat 29 Jan 2011 15:41

We have spent a couple of days exploring Fort Cochin.

Our first visit was in company with Jackamy and Sol Maria, after catching the ferry from the marina across to Ernakulum we walked along the leafy waterfront to get on another ferry across to Fort Cochin.

It was all an education…the ticket office had a separate queue for men and women and the ferry had an interesting control system !

As you can see below, the passengers all sat around the exposed engine which was operated manually with levers. The driver outside could not see or hear the operator and gave instructions by ringing a bell – 1 for stop, 2 for go, 3 for faster etc !

 

      

 

Amazingly we arrived safely by which time we were all ready for lunch.

Lisa had bought her Lonely Planet guide book and so we took jumped in some rickshaws and headed off to a local restaurant recommended in the book – what a great find.

Our hosts were a local couple who produced delicious local Kerala dishes for us along with freshly made lime and ginger soda’s (most restaurants here are not allowed to serve alcohol here)

 

          

 

After lunch we took a mini tour in our rickshaws, first stop was St Francis Church, then the Basilica below which was very ornate inside with fantastic hand paintings on the ceiling

 

                  

 

Second stop, the ginger processer and wholesaler.

The ginger is dried in the sun then graded and ground into powder ready to sell.

 

   

 

We arrived at the same time as a new delivery of raw ginger arrived by cart. Gavin couldn’t resist getting stuck in and helping them unload !

 

 

 

 

     

 

Finally we headed through the streets, back to the ferry terminal. This time the ferry was segregated too – women at the front and men at the back in separate compartments. Well, I agree, we should travel first class while the men travel economy !