THE SPICE COAST-KOCHI (COCHIN)

As we travel around, I find myself thinking about why some places “happen” and others do not despite having similar pedigrees.

Kochi (Cohin) certainly has the right history and ingredients for a happening place and I would recommend it to anyone planning a visit to Southern India. Its population is a fairly even mix of Hindu, Muslims and Christians. It also has an old and well established Jewish neighborhood.
The city’s architecture is a good reflection of its past. So along with the Hindu and Jain temples, there are also buildings put up by the Portuguese, Dutch, English and various sultans. The Portuguese explorer Vasco De Gama was buried in one of the churches here until they decided to dig him up and bring him back to Portugal (which must have been a real fun job….). There is still a good sized working port with fishing boats, and ships carrying spices that sail in and out. It must have been quite a sight in its heyday when Kochi was the major port in India for the spice trade.

And yet… leave the more touritsed areas and Kochi’s streets are just as dirty and poverty stricken as most places in India. Perhaps the money dried up way back when spices lost their “currency” or it might just be the situation in India in general- too many people vying for too few Rupees/Dollars/Euros.

This situation was brought home to me (literally) by a connection I made with a young local named Sajeer. He is 21 and by borrowing enough money, had recently started working as an auto-rickshaw driver. His two older brothers are in the same business. We hired him to show us all the sights and it was obvious from his enthusiasm that this was one of the first times he had landed a fare for the entire day. He explained to me that the daily cost of running the rickshaw was about 150 Rupees and if a driver worked 10 hours, he was lucky to bring in 450 in total. So a daily profit of about 4 Pounds ($6.00). Which didn’t even take into account the interest he was paying on his loan, the cost of repairs or the odd bribe demanded by the local police…

While Alison was having a siesta, Sajeer took me to his local barber. Hot water isn’t always easy to come by in India and for a minimal cost it's often just as practical to get a shave this way. What a scene !! I don’t know if I was the first foreigner to get shaved there but I certainly attracted quite a crowd. Much discussion & laughter (seemed the good natured type) was had during the process… I can only imagine what the conversations were… Later, I invited Sajeer to lunch but he insisted on taking me back to his house for a meal (one of the spiciest I’ve ever had !). He lives with his two older brothers, 2 sister-in-laws and at least three children ( I lost track of how many children as more and more kept showing up to meet me and try out whatever English they knew). Lovely people, every one of them… I know Sajeer was pleased to be showing off his fare and I was flattered that he chose to do so… I’m guessing the whole house including the kitchen had 4 rooms.

So, here’s a small city and a hard working young man with loads of potential. If India is to truly modernize (and by that I mean using what it already has to best advantage), it needs to find a way of nourishing the city & the man. For Sajeer’s sake, I hope it happens soon...

More tales comin' up....

Brett