Letz go fishing on Christmas Eve !

Well, well, well, in the previous post on Fort Cochin, I was so besotted with the sunset that I did miss covering the main feature of the Fort Cochin beach – the Chinese fishing nets and lots more.

So here is a quick tour of Fort Cochin on the Christmas eve of year 2011.

If you mix up medieval Portugal and Holland, spice it up with the tropical Malabar coast, then you end up with a heady cocktail that is Fort Cochin and Mattancherry today.

All day, ferries scuttle back and forth, transporting people between mainland Ernakulam (where the train/bus stations are) and Fort Cochin. The ferry ride is an enjoyable one and takes you past a number of ships, big and small, docked in the Cochin harbor.

If you happen to be in Fort Cochin during Christmas eve, you would wonder if all the stars in the sky had landed on earth! The whole place is lit up reflecting the mood of “Joy to the world, the Lord has come, let us receive the King”.

Of special mention is the St Francis Church (built by the Portuguese in 1503) which is said to be India’s first European church.

 

One could also walk around the Jew town in Mattancherry (close to Fort Cochin) to visit the Cochin Synagogue which is the oldest in the Commonwealth countries (I landed there on a Saturday and therefore missed it!). So plan ahead!

Fort Cochin was once a small fishing village that became the first European township in India.

The Chinese fishing nets here, are an interesting feature of Fort Cochin. These large fishing nets are of made of teak and bamboo, with lights to attract fish as they are lowered into the water. It is a treat to watch the sun setting into the Arabian Sea (ok, enough about that!) behind the mesh of these Chinese nets.

And after all the walking around, time for an appetizing meal, isn’t it?

These fishermen camped all through the promenade of Fort Cochin beach, sell a wide variety of sea food – ranging from fish, lobsters, squids, mussels – you name it! As if that was not tempting enough, they say “you buy it – we cook it”. After you buy your goodies, you would be guided to a line of small restaurants across the beach, where they are cooked and served.

And for all the rest of us, vegetarians, there are peanuts and icecreams!