Kochi and the backwaters
Wildfox
Anthony Swanston
Fri 2 Mar 2018 12:04
Up at 0330
and a flight back to Kochi, not to the boat but for the rest of the tour and
some new people joining. We walk around
the old town, visit the church where Vasco da Gama was laid to rest (later to
be dug up and sent back to Portugal), we see some Chinese fishing techniques,
visit a synagogue, all the usual stuff, not missing either a traditional
laundry where everything is washed by hand and later a cultural dance.
The
backwaters here are famous but with 1,000 houseboats now operating they are not
just as serene as they might once have been. And the freshwater clams seem to
be overfished. The first day of the month is a holy day so everybody throws
coloured paint dust at each other. Our
hotels are a mixed bag, a lack of hot water being a common feature.
And then
back to the boat to get ready for my new arrival…
