Cochin, India

Cochin, India. We had a tour at 9:00 AM. It was called Cochin and its back waters. There were four buses full doing this tour. We started off with the water part while some did the water last. We went about 2or 3 blocks and got out of the bus to get on a very old boat with no life preservers. It had tiny, flimsy, plastic chairs and one wooden bench for two or three people. It was more then big enough for the bus full. All it did was ride around in the same area we could see from the ship and had just been in as we docked. This was also a very speedy old tub. I think we might have gotten up to one knot or maybe not.

Finally there were enough complaints and they took us back to the dock where we walked through a store and down the block to the old Synagogue.

It was built in 1568 and is called Pardesi Synagogue. The floor is tiled with hand painted tiles from China and everyone had to take off their shoes and socks. The first Jews settled near kochi in 587 B.C. This entire area with many stores and stalls is called Jew Town. They have used this name for many hundreds of years. I find it offensive. So does the Rabbi. I also find most of the people offensive. There are only 8 Jewish families with a total of 13 people left here. Most left by about 1950 when they could go to Israel. Beggars and street sales men bug you continually and block your way. When we would get back on the bus without buying something from these street vendors, they would call you names and make rude gestures. Mostly this was just a shopping stop. As soon as we got to the store we has to walk thru, our guide quickly ran off and disappeared. He was busy telling all the store people and street vendors that he got a cut of anything bought by these tourists.

If you did buy something from a store, you had to haggle about the price and then they would try to cheat you. They would miss convert their rupee to the US dollar, Include less items then bargained for and change the agreed upon price. After spending too much time here and buying too much we returned to our bus #13. Next stop was the Dutch Palace which turned out to be just a short walk from right where we were. It had been originally built the Dutch. Bobbi went and quickly came back to the bus. She said there was nothing worth seeing. Finally we did all get on and continued the tour.

The next stop was some old church that was nothing special too. Next we went by the Chinese fish nets. These were non operational today because of an unusually high tide, but we could and did look at them. Whoopee. They were not much either. A few did get out of the bus to take pictures. Now it was on to the pit stop.

Naturally we could only stop at another store selling carpets, furniture, and many other kinds of junk. They did have washrooms two flights up. After that it was back to the ship. We went by an area of very large and well kept homes which were actually all mansions. We were told this was the English area.

It was close to closing time for the indoor lunch buffet and we had to hurry. We did get there just in time for lunch and afterward we went back down and out on the dock to see what wonderful things they were hawking there.

They did have some nice things for which Bobbi had to overpay. These people were some more crooks. They tried to use the wrong exchange rate and would try to tell you one price and then charge another.

I don’t like the people we have seen so far in this country or at lest in Cochin. I find them rude and crooked. Far too many are trying to cheat the tourists. They stand in your way trying not to let you pass without buying their junk. There is name calling and rude gestures when you don’t buy everything they are selling. We also have an Indian ambassador of some kind on board giving lectures. This creep is a Hindu and puts down other religions and has prejudicial remarks quite often. The Indians that are the help on board do not seem at all like that but I suppose after so many centuries of a class or casts system, prejudices are hard to eliminate. Being nasty and crooked is another matter. I just hope we find the people different at the other stops in India.

Non Cochin Sherm Out

(Posted on behalf of Sherman Rootberg)