7:55 pm local time

Hi All,

Randal and I left the boat about noon and walked down to the Seagull Hotel for lunch.  Then we walked to Vasco De Gama Square to see the Chinese fishing nets and to walk along the waterfront.  Lots of families and school groups there.  Then we went back to our favorite Airtel shop to get a more reasonable internet 3G plan.  Today has felt as if it were 1,000 degrees.  We still have no power cord so no AC so tonight it’s pretty warm in the boat.  We have to keep the doors and big front window closed because of mosquitoes.  Our other windows, port holes and hatches have screens.  Tomorrow we are having lunch with John and Fumiko and some of their friends so we will learn more about Cochin.  Maybe Monday we’ll go back to Jew Town to see the synagogue and try to start seeing more than just the Seagull Hotel and the Airtel office.

Ru

Photos of Cochin

On our first full day in Cochin we walked from our gate onto Bazaar Road and turned left.

I was impressed by the 1360 date.

Spices and the spice trade are a big part of India’s history.

Narrow streets and lots of traffic.

Goats everywhere. I think they are employed as street cleaners.

I like that there is a hospital for women and children.

Remember when everyone wore Shalimar

Most women we see dress in traditional Indian dress.

Lots of tiny shops selling drinks or snacks.

Of course I wouldn’t even spend $72 on a handbag.

Bovines really do wander around the roads.

Our tuk tuk driver took us to a street of fruit and vegetable stands. There were several wandering cows and a calf that I had to pat. It licked my hand, yuck.

We were told the round brown things were yams!

Not sure what the bumpy looking veggies are but I was told they had to be cooked.

A fruit and vegetable stand were side by side. I asked what the bumpy vegetable was and I was told to cook it. Everything here is cooked and everything here you just eat. That’s what the fruit man said to me first pointing to the vegetables and then to his fruit stall. We had bought strawberries, oranges, small cantaloupe and bananas from him and cabbage, tomatoes and cucumbers from the vegetable stall. All of the vegetables cost less than the box of strawberries which were more expensive than anything. 80 rupees for a small box of strawberries but they tasted great with ice cream that afternoon and with yogurt and wheat germ that night.