We set out about noon to find a nice lunch and then to explore the primary historic area of the peninsula, which is called Fort Cochin. Along the shore were Chinese fishing nets, giant nets that were lowered into the sea by a system of rock counterweights. I think these were mostly for the tourists, but we did see others later, further into the sea, that seemed to be more functionally placed. Certainly picturesque.
We visited St. Francis church (see earlier blog) and got a sense of the area, then rode to the mainland to Ernakulam, the metropolis part of town, where we hunted for spice shops and bought fresh vanilla bean pods, cardamom, whole nutmeg, star anise, cinnamon, and many other spices. We ended up waiting for the van in a little coffee shop talking to a woman from North India, who ordered a drink for us called “hot badam milk,” milk that was flavored with almond, vanilla, cardamom and other spices.
In the evening the group went to the Passionist Seminary for dinner and a program, but Claire was not well so we stayed in. That was our first day in beautiful Kochi.
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