Valentine Day Kya Hota Hai
Posted on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 8:47 pm
AAA logon AATI Hindi Ko Nahin Hai Kya? (Do not you know hindi?) "Comment Zahir takes us by surprise. We're stupid. Zahir, a sailor become an errand boy Shop-cum-driver rickshaw, trying to get comfortable as a trip to Fort Cochin to Willingdon Island. Fluent in Hindi, recounts his travels Lakshadweep, his first days at sea, as the Willingdon Island, once occupied is not all visitors today and why Onam means "big business.
To Zahir, we are ignorant tourists who believe that people only wastewater Kerala, spices and dark skin who speak not the national language. We'll soon learn, he hopes. And we do.
City Island
Like Mumbai, Cochin is also small Islands - Willingdon Island, Fort Cochin, Vypeen, Vallarpadam and Bolghatty Island are connected to the mainland Ernakulam. The airport is 30 kilometers from the city. The prepaid taxi can take 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on traffic.
Born in a storm
"Cochin was born in a storm, fueled the rivalry, and incorporated at the crossroads of empires War in Europe: the Portuguese, Dutch and British, reads like a guide. "In 1340, torrential rains have filled the river Periyar which broke and formed the Arabian Sea port of Cochin protected. Merchant ships sailed in and out quickly "The guide said. We expect the angular height of coconut palms on how older women through the channels formed by the backwaters. This is almost Alleppey, we thought.
Harbor Front
Willingdon Island is where the port of Cochin. The Port Trust beautiful building, with its helicopter blade rotation is located between other structures. Willingdon is like a ghost town. No market shops and business centers. The old airport is operated by the Navy and the port sees only the freight yard. The trip to Fort Cochin to 79 years, Harbor Bridge is about 30 minutes and will cost R50. However, the budget of Rs 150 motorists, the resort fee. Take it or leave it, they say. We leave it and opt for the boat. In RS 4 a ticket 10 minutes by ferry across the backwaters is a good idea. Without, however, takes us an hour to find the quay there are signs of support.
Trademarks
Since the 14th century saw an influx of merchants Cochin Saudi and China. The Chinese fishing nets are used today in Fort Cochin and a tourist attraction in the evening. European Jews fleeing persecution were among the first settlers in the city near the Palace of Mattanchery. Paradesa synagogue, built in 1568, has a unique record of the presence Jewish in India. Each floor of the mosaic that makes up the synagogue has a different model in blue. While most Jews are gone, those still trading spices and oil, as did their ancestors with the Chinese for centuries.
We are looking for traditional handicrafts in the shops to discover the carpet Jewtown Kashmir, Rajasthan and Kathputli Kutchi embroidery.
In 1502 Portuguese sailor Basque da Gama came here in search of spices and converted. He found his spices, Europe's largest launched the age of exploration and prayed in the church, the first European Asia, but his Catholic faith in conflict with Syria Cochin former Christian religion (there are many churches dedicated to the faith). The Portuguese were expelled by the Dutch, who surrendered to the British who still trade in spices, coconut, rubber and tea.
Spices, herbs, baby
Looking for spice, Mattanchery is reached, the largest spice market in the city. We negotiate with the store owner Kendu Spice Merchants give us a fair price on cardomoms (Rs 1200/kg), black pepper (Rs 320/kg) and teeth (Rs 600/kg) ignoring anise, cinnamon and saffron. We negotiations, that we are not foreign tourists. It gives us a discount, only 25 rupees. Take it or leave it. " We took this time.
Payasam, pappadams and rose water!
We are fortunate to have been invited to a wedding feast. As you settle into our seats, a man who arrives with a bucket of steel used for pickles and crispy pappadams our plates in banana leaf. Then take Avial, vegetables, chutneys and DAL. What follows is rice and piping hot sambhar. A man poured the pink liquid in our glasses. "Water. Is pink, because the cumin " says co-diner. Dessert comes in the form of lip smacking payasam sweetened with brown sugar (Kheer southern India).
The home menu is simpler, more informal. We eat rice, grilled chicken, raita, sambhar and vegetables outside thermacol plates.
Oh fish!
Strong Cochin Casino Hotel Restaurant is the best choice of seafood restaurant has no menu. We bring the day's catch on a tray and asks us to choose fish and spices. We opted for the specialty karima local (black lagoon fish), delicious calamari and shrimp masala (all without the flavor irresistible coconut) with Appam. Cost: 1,480 rupees, but who can complain? In a place born of the sea, where people live by it, if it is just one eats too much.
srgay wishes Valentines Day
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