Cochin, India

Sunday, December 13th
Route of the Ancient Traders
Day 33
M/S Nautica
Cochin, India
Mostly Sunny - 92 Degrees

With one of the best natural harbors in the world at the Southern tip of the Indian Sub-Continent, Cochin is known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea. This is one of the most progressive, literate, and highly educated parts of India.

With all of that going for it, though, there is not much to see here.

We began our tour with a drive through the jungle to the Old Town. The center of life here was the Mattancherry Palace built in 1557 by the Portuguese. Most of the former glory of this building is long gone.

We proceeded to Jew Town, a neighborhood that was once exclusively Jewish. Now, there are just 12 Jews in the area, and a total of 47 in the region. Still, it is home to the oldest active synagogue in India.

Making our way closer to the waterfront, we visited St. Francis Church, the oldest European-Built church in India. It was built by the Portuguese in 1503, and held the remains of explorer Vasco de Gama, until he was exhumed and repatriated to Portugal.

This is Sunday morning and we arrived during mass. We tried to keep quiet until the power went out and they fired up an ancient generator in the back cemetery to restore the lights and ceiling fans.

Historically, Cochin survived on trade and fishing. The symbol and most enduring image of this community is the Chinese fishing net. They line the beach in both directions. These mechanized nets are lowered into the water during tide changes to trap large numbers of fish. They are at once beautiful and functional, graceful and powerful.

We continued our tour with a harbor cruise.

The major waterways are attracting major development. Condo towers lining the waterfront are home to middle class workers in the Indian tech sector and Arabian oil fields.

The "tranquil backwaters" of Cochin are home to lower-class families. The water here is used for transportation, cooking, drinking, cleaning, bathing, and waste disposal.

Everywhere we go in the world, people stare at Tres. It is just a fact of life. Differences attract attention. The curious stares of children are easily disarmed by a generous smile. In the United States, most adults have the courtesy to look away when caught staring. Those who don't are met with a glare and sheepishly relent. This is not the case in foreign countries where obesity is not yet an epidemic and Tres is not just at the very end of the spectrum, but a true outlier. Still, even in remote corners this is more curiosity than cruelty. Not in India. At each of the sites we have visited here, travelers from around the country have not only stared, but mocked and laughed and tried to take his picture. This breaks my heart and I know it hurts Tres as much as it enrages him. Since most Indians speak English, he has taken to explaining to them why this is rude and hurtful. Unfortunately, good manners are not the natural state of affairs and it's hard to fight human nature. We are lucky he hasn't killed someone. We consciously try to be respectful and open to new people and different ideas when we travel, but it is hard to enjoy the peace and serenity of the Taj Mahal or the beauty and perseverance of the Indian people when we are not accepted for who we are as well.

India has been an adventure. From abject poverty, unimaginable filth, overcrowding, illiteracy, and British Colonial Rule in the North, to subsistence, sanitation, sustainable population, literacy, and Portuguese colonial rule in the South. From inspirational monuments and significant historical sites to more humble destinations. India is said to have more billionaires than any other country, and probably more people in desperate poverty as well. Our time here has changed our perspective on the world and redefined our understanding of the gap between rich and poor, clean and unclean, developed and developing. They have a long, long, way to go.

Next: Crossing the Indian Ocean