Cochin Trip

This write-up is more for us to remember what we did in Cochin. Otherwise, we forget in a few weeks how exactly we spent our time travelling and if it was worth it.

Recommended:
Trip to Fort Kochi on Ferry
Local food at Dosas & Pancakes
Brass items on Jew street

Avoid
Ecolodge Hotel

31 Dec 2013 - Day 1 – Cochin

Places visited:

1.       Marine Drive

2.       Jew street

3.       Mendez Handicrafts

4.       Chakolas Decorette

5.       Anns Bakery

6.       Rainbow bridge

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Walk to marine drive.. walked towards taj.. in the direction of ernakulam, gcda shopping complex in front of Taj.

On Shanmugham road we went to Chakolas decorette – bought some runners for the dining table and a shower curtain. The rates were reasonable and the range was very good.

Medez handicrafts – we bought a fruits basket and some wooden trays that will be good for serving. He had good variety of wooden stuff.

1 Jan 2014 - Day 2 – Fort Kochin

Places visited:

1.       Dutch Palace

2.       Jewish synagogue

3.       Jewish street

4.       Dosas and Pancakes

5.       Chinese fishing nets

6.       St Francis church

7.       St Basilica

From the Ernakulam main Jetty we took a ferry to the Fort Cochin – Rs 4 / person. It took about 20 minutes to the reach there via Wellington Island. Basic auto fares are 30 rs.

We took an auto to see reach the Dutch palace that is 1.5 km. It was built by the Dutch for the King as a consolation prize for destroying one of the temples. Currently serves as a museum on  the evolution of the royal dynasty.  The next visit was to Jewish Synagogue. It closes as 1 pm.

The way to the synagogue is the jewish street full of brass and wooden items. We picked up some good pieces for our house at Krishna emporium – a oil lamp that can be hung on the wall, a lady with a book sitting on a matted cot. On the same street we picked up few tiled hooks – for our kitchen.   

Lunch was at Dosas and Pancakes which is very close to the main Jetty. We loved the vegetarian lunch – sambar, rice and papad with mango pickle – cost us Rs 200/plate.

St Francis church is the first European church in India built by Portugese in the 15^th century and renovated by the Dutch in the 16^th and finally passed to the British.

Enroute to the other places we picked up a bird book and also some hats – one made out of vetiver (Rs 500) and the other out of straw(Rs 200)

We took a ferry to Vypin island and immediately took another one to reach us to Ernakulam jetty. Again we walked to through Marine drive and went back to the hotel.