Down from the gardens of Asia, descending, radiating,
Adam and Eve appear, then their myriad progeny after them,
Wandering, yearning, curious—with restless explorations,
With questionings, baffled, formless, feverish—with never-happy hearts,
With that sad, incessant refrain, Wherefore, unsatisfied Soul? and Whither, O mocking Life?
-Walt Whitman, from "Passage to India", Leaves of Grass
Cochin is a city, comprised of a collection of narrow islands and peninsulas, in the state of Kerala. Kerala is best known for its backwater system of 29 major lakes and a network of canals and rivers around which life centers. Kerala had the world’s first freely-elected communist government, elected in 1957, and the highest literacy rate in India: 95%.
We had very little time in Cochin/Kerala—less than a day—and decided that the best use of that time would be a houseboat tour of the backwaters. Thank you, Luke, for suggesting this; it was a wonderful day. There were 9 of us on the houseboat, plus the crew and guide. People rent these for multiple nights—it had three bedrooms, three baths, a kitchen, living room and dining table. We had it for the day, which we spent floating through the backwaters and watching life along the waters: villages where people gathered, children walking to school, people working in the rice paddies, fishermen fishing and diving for mussels, laundry, dishwashing and bathing being done in the waters. It was a great way to see the countryside.
The drive to and from the docks was also interesting. The approach to driving we saw in Mumbai did not change on the more open roads. It looked like chaos, with people pulling in front of people, getting into what seemed the wrong lane, and generally speeding with what looked like reckless abandon. And the horns prevailed here too. Whenever anyone approaches anyone else to pass, there goes the horn. And there’s a lot of passing on these roads. It felt crazy, but the locals seemed to think nothing of it.
It was also not unusual to see all manner of animals along the road: cows, goats, and even an elephant. Some wandered free and some were tied up like dogs (of which there were plenty as well). The area was lively and colorful.
Back on the ship afterward, off we sailed for the Maldives—my next installment.
Adam and Eve appear, then their myriad progeny after them,
Wandering, yearning, curious—with restless explorations,
With questionings, baffled, formless, feverish—with never-happy hearts,
With that sad, incessant refrain, Wherefore, unsatisfied Soul? and Whither, O mocking Life?
-Walt Whitman, from "Passage to India", Leaves of Grass
Cochin is a city, comprised of a collection of narrow islands and peninsulas, in the state of Kerala. Kerala is best known for its backwater system of 29 major lakes and a network of canals and rivers around which life centers. Kerala had the world’s first freely-elected communist government, elected in 1957, and the highest literacy rate in India: 95%.
We had very little time in Cochin/Kerala—less than a day—and decided that the best use of that time would be a houseboat tour of the backwaters. Thank you, Luke, for suggesting this; it was a wonderful day. There were 9 of us on the houseboat, plus the crew and guide. People rent these for multiple nights—it had three bedrooms, three baths, a kitchen, living room and dining table. We had it for the day, which we spent floating through the backwaters and watching life along the waters: villages where people gathered, children walking to school, people working in the rice paddies, fishermen fishing and diving for mussels, laundry, dishwashing and bathing being done in the waters. It was a great way to see the countryside.
The drive to and from the docks was also interesting. The approach to driving we saw in Mumbai did not change on the more open roads. It looked like chaos, with people pulling in front of people, getting into what seemed the wrong lane, and generally speeding with what looked like reckless abandon. And the horns prevailed here too. Whenever anyone approaches anyone else to pass, there goes the horn. And there’s a lot of passing on these roads. It felt crazy, but the locals seemed to think nothing of it.
It was also not unusual to see all manner of animals along the road: cows, goats, and even an elephant. Some wandered free and some were tied up like dogs (of which there were plenty as well). The area was lively and colorful.
Back on the ship afterward, off we sailed for the Maldives—my next installment.
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