This morning we travel in group; the english couple that we met during our Shikkara tour in Alleppey has decided to join us and go to Kochi with the same bus. What a coincidence !
The bus leaves relatively early from Alleppey (around 8.30am) and by ten we’re (amazingly) already strolling around Kochi’s seaside trying to find our hotel. With the fresh sea-breeze on our side, we decide to avoid using a tuk-tuk to reach our destination but to just enjoy a little 15min walk through the little seaside part of the city-center. In Kochi the accomodation was a bit expensive but we managed to find a cheap and beautiful room at the Fort Kochi Hotel; the place is located in the middle of the must-see attraction of the city and just a short walk from the Chinese Nets.
After a quick shower we start our exploration to find a place for lunch ! The owner of the place tell us that the Chinese nets area is the best place to have a bite and relax while enjoying the most tasty fish which can be bought fresh straight from the fishermen stands just a few meters away. Spot on ! The walk is beautiful and we arrive at the stands with enough hunger to sit down for lunch; the Chinese nets can wait for now. How was the procedure ? Well, first we picked at random one of the stands, then we bought the fish we wanted (500INR which included shrimps, squid and Kamireen fish) and immediately after having the bag in our hands a few guys came up to us saying that they owned some little restaurants, just across the road, where they could have cooked the fish for us. Couldn’t ask for better !!!
The fish is just delicious ! Maybe we’re not in the best restaurant of Kochi (definitely not) but nothing to say about the cooking, just perfect. In the menus there are several options on how to cook the fish (e.g. fried, with a sauce, with a masala) but even by choosing the simplest/cheapest option, we ended up paying as little as 300INR for the both of us.
The exploration continues by having a walk through the many roads and architectural beauties that the city Kochi has hidden within itself: a mosque, Portuguese houses and even a interesting cemetery ! Unexpectedly, we also find some beautiful street art resembling Bansky’s masterpieces and whether real or fake it’s still amazing to find something like that in such a remote place.
By afternoon, we have explored every last bit of roads, stands and houses around the area, the time has come: Chinese Nets ! Even before getting to Kochi, several people we met on the way there have always told us that the are of the Chinese nets is unique; not only for the amazing sunsets but also because you get to see a glimpse of the fishermen lifestyles. Once there the spectacle is even better than described ! At sunset, in between the hundreds of huge Chinese nets that were once used to fish, you can see several fishermen throwing nets into the water with their bare hands. We are amused and amazed at the same time by how these people are still fishing the old ways keeping these traditions intact; nothing like we’ve seen before !
We end up spending a few hours enjoying the sunset on the beach, picking up seashells, watching life passing by, taking a few (hundreds) photos and relaxing after some days of full-activities. The place is very relaxing, we knew there were other places/sites to visit but we just felt in love with that little spot in the middle of the world yet away from the chaos. Lastly, just after sunset we start walking back to the hotel, a quick shower and then its time to treat ourselves for a dinner out. We’re coming “Oceanos Restaurant“ !
Needless to say that the dinner is simply amazing ! We are eating like kings, tasting different dishes from different regions, fresh fish, amazing curries, different types of bread and everything is just super tasty. On top of that the staff is just so kind and nice; the only downside is that alcohol is not served but hey ho, a good fresh juice makes the perfect substitute. What an end for our trip to the South of India, couldn’t have finished better ! Bye Kerala, bye Tamil Nadu, by backwaters, tea plantations, temples and amazing nature. We’ll definitely come and visit again !
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