February 6, 2015
ALLEPPEY to FORT COCHIN (KOCHI) - 67Km
93F, 75% humidity - hot hot hot
Good Karma Inn, 1000Rs ($15.60), AC, wifi, breakfast :)

 
Chinese Fishing Nets
 
Great drive on smaller roads. And although close to the coast, on route 66, we had sea views only occasionally. We meandered through lovely villages, waterways and lakes and were fascinated by the many "Chinese fishing nets", the gigantic bamboo cantilever contraptions, with huge rocks serving as counterweights, that lined the shore. Such nets are believed to have arrived with the Portuguese from Macau about 500 years ago.

 
Old Kochi Afternoon
 
At 1:30pm, we arrived in Fort Cochin, the historical center within the larger city of Kochi also called as Cochin (population 601,600).
 
There are an abundance of accommodation options so we were not worried when the first four places we checked out were booked full. Those were smallish homestay type guesthouses and recommended in the Lonely Planet. In the end, we landed at centrally located Good Karma Inn where we got a spotless, no frills, room with AC, for 1000Rs. 

We wasted no time finding a great Italian place for lunch, "The Upstairs". We enjoyed a few hours sipping lime sodas and enjoying a to-die-for calzone and pizza while overlooking the Santa Cruz Basilica. A trans waitress was more than happy to share her expertise on eye make up. (She must have thought I needed it)

We sauntered over to the waterfront and watched the large container ships pass by. Stalls of fresh fish lined the boardwalks. Here one can pick out seafood and have it prepared at nearby restaurants for small fee. Even at the waters edge, a breeze eluded us. And after several hours, I was ready for a cool shower and some down time. 
    

February 7, 2015 
FORT KOCHI 

Wacky Art

Kochi-Muziris Bienary Contemporary Art Exhibition - http://www.kochimuzirisbiennale.org/
 
Today, we spent several hours at the Bienary Art Exhibition. The exhibition is spread out over several venues, the largest at Aspin House on the waterfront. The contemporary pieces consisted of wide variety of non-traditional art including film shorts (Speed of Dark - Michael Stevens, Vsauce), a bubble maker, water being cycled through a giant hole in the floor and, my favorite, an oriental mountain scene created by shadows projected on the backside of a cloth screen. We enjoyed the exhibit but, from strictly a layperson opinion, is not a must-see. There were several pieces that I found interesting.

 
Jew Town - Honest!
 
We rode 3 kilometers southeast to another part of old town for lunch. The zone is called "Jew Town" due to its 447 year old Synagogue. It is atmospheric area with antique shops, curios, a few restaurants, and small museum art shops. It was an interesting place to while away an hour or two.

During our day and a half visit, we just scratched the surface of Fort Cochin. The oven-like heat of the coast left us anxious to drive up to the cool mountains sooner.