The first trip during the pandemic!

 

As the train slowed down to a crawl and finally stopped at the Ernakulum Junction, there was nothing that could surpass our excitement. After all, there is always bound to be some excitement when one enters the south-western state of Kerala, designated appropriately as “God’s own country”.

There was, as we had expected, an intensive scrutiny of various documents at the railway station, and a long queue of nervous travellers hoping to get past the security guards in their turn.

In no time at all, the atmosphere quickly changed from that of a marooned station to a bustling city as we reached Kochi, the largest city of Kerala. This port city with a coastline of 48 kilometres, is admirably enveloped by water bodies on all its sides, enticing tourists for a relaxing ride on ferries across them.

The magnificent Marine Drive is one among the several places from where you can access the aforementioned ferry services. This scenic promenade should be on your “places to visit” list unless you want to miss the picturesque walk along this tourist destination. The Marine Drive is a stretch where no vehicles are allowed – contrary to what its name suggests. This walkway – popular among both travellers and the locals – is lined with boat jetties with several slow-moving boats docked. So, you can always be sure to hop on one for a breezy and tranquil 40-minute sail.

Marine Drive

Image source

                                                                    Scenic boat ride!

Any water body that you see is draped by pesky hyacinth weeds, and not noticing them is simply impossible as they stretch across the surface of water mercilessly as far as you see. These weeds often give the semblance of a corrugated piece of land floating aimlessly on the water, until a canoe or a motorboat cuts through it and they drift apart. And they sure are a source of nuisance for fishermen as they adversely affect their daily routines by clinging onto the propellers of their sleek boats or through other ploys. But besides creating problems for fishermen, they often malign the beauty of rivers and lakes and deign to harm marine life.

Hyacinth weeds infest water bodies
Image source

The locals have, fortuitously, devised ways to tackle this issue. At certain places, seawater is often driven into the freshwaters or brackish waters using small dams to increase the salinity of the water bodies. Being intolerant towards high salinity, the abominable weeds are therefore strategically wiped out.

An interesting feat of engineering that can be seen stretched across the Vembanadu Lake is the Old Mattancherry Bridge. Connecting Willingdon Island with Kochi Fort and constructed by the British in 1940, this bridge looks like any other one, with two-wheelers and light motor vehicles zooming across the wide bed of the lake (as only these vehicles are allowed to traverse the bridge). Yet, as simple and ordinary as it might look, this bridge serves more than just one purpose. It has been designed in a way such that a section of the bridge can be raised using a spring mechanism to make way for large marine vessels to pass through it. Watch the video that has been inserted below for better clarity!

                                                           Working of the spring mechanism
                                                      of the Mattancherry bridge. (Video source)
                                               

It is however true that the Old Mattancherry bridge has lost its popularity since the construction of the new Mattancherry bridge in 1998, which is also the first Build-Operate-Transfer bridge in Kerala.  

The exquisite Mattancherry Palace, also called the Dutch palace, gives yet another insight into the history of Kochin. Ironically, this palace was built by the Portuguese and was gifted to the then king of Kochin in around 1545. Subsequently, in the ensuing years, the Dutch got control of Mattancherry as well as the palace and renovated it to please themselves. Thus, this palace eventually came to be known as the “Dutch Palace” by the masses.  

                                                               The palace!  (Image source)

The entry to the palace grounds of the Dutch Palace.










                          

You can find the Mattancherry boat jetty behind the palace, from where you can get a boat-ride. The Paradesi Synagogue, constructed in 1598, is also not very far from the palace, and it gives you a peek into the cultural lives of the people of almost five centuries back.

Paradesi Synagouge (Image source) 

Souvenirs too can be purchased from one of the several shops around the palace which sell unique merchandise.

An ingenious invention that must not be missed is the Chinese fishing technique, which is put to display in the backwaters that lie parallel to the palace. In this technique that was introduced by the Chinese in the 14th century, a large closed net is lowered into the water by using a counterweight system. After a while, the net is hauled up by several fishermen. Because of the size of the net and its closed form, a large number of fish and other animals is caught.

You can also encounter two rusted boilers on a pedestal as you stroll along the pathway that lies next to the Dutch Palace. The inscription in the black marble plate fixed in the pedestal reads as follows:

“Steam boilers of the cranes used in Cochin dry dock for 20 years from 1956. It used coke, coal, and firewood as fuels. Notable use of these cranes included attending annual repairs of dredger Lord Willingdon and Lady Willingdon".

But before those boilers lies an heavy and enormous ancient anchor, fixed to a pedestal. This is what the inscription on the metal plate attached to the pedestal reads:

“One of the four Anchors of the first Dredger Lord Willigdon. Lord Willingdon was the principal instrument in the execution of Sir Robert Bristow's brilliant design of making Cochin a world class port. Lord Willingdon, which was brought from Scotland in 1938 had distinguished dredging career upto 1979 in which year she sunk in the outer channel of Arabian sea in an accident"

An hour and a quarter are all that takes to reach Kumarakom, a popular tourist destination situated on the Vembanadu Lake. Having numerous canals zig-zagging throughout, in addition to serene backwaters, you will find several houseboats drifting lazily over the water and carrying thrilled tourists on it, or a speedboat cutting voraciously through the water, trying to gain as much attention as it can.

But nothing can be as gratifying as a ride on a spacious shikara, that you can preferably hire for four to five hours and witness from the laps of nature the fishermen catching all types of fish from their dinghies and a spectrum of trees that become smaller and smaller as the boat speeds ahead. And of course, a plunge into the water is necessary to make the shikara-ride complete.

A ride on the shikara!

Bicycling the winding roads of Kumarakom before the sun rises is indubitably very rejuvenating. With paddy fields on either side, canals in front of houses, and the locals fishing with bamboo rods, the beauty and tranquillity can make you envious of the place. 

The freshness of the air and the cool breeze, made us wish to cycle forever when we pedalled through the soothing silence of Kumarakom. Ten kilometers of cycling each day of our trip were unforgettable expeditions, with magnificent birds such as sparkling blue kingfishers seen perched on branches or a hedge of inquisitive herons wading through the waters.

Cycling past lovely paddy fields!

After cycling an hour through the streets lined with trees and small huts, and pedalling across numerous bridges that ran over the small canals, we found ourselves at a secluded fishing spot that lied between a narrow canal and the backwaters dotted with weeds. There were several platforms made for fishing-enthusiasts to hook their baits, plop their fishing lines into the water, and wait patiently for a catch. An aged and munificent fisherman offered us with bamboo fishing rods and taught us the skilful art of fishing - admittedly we weren't able to catch any! The beauty and tranquillity of the place was extraordinary, though - with silence seeming enjoyably loud at times, being occasionally broken by the short waves  brushing the shore.

The secluded fishing spot!

An hour’s drive from Kumarakom brings you to the coastal city of Alappuzha (formerly known as Alleppey). Being one among the several tourist destinations of the city, Alappuzha beach is remarkably clean, with huge ephemeral waves crashing thunderously on the clean shoreline. A multitude of events is held over here annually, attracting a large number of tourists.

The ancient Alappuzha Lighthouse, built in 1862 on the beach, stands tall even today and is open to visitors on all weekdays. The beach also has an ancient pier that is over a century old and extends several meters into the sea.

Alappuzha Lighthouse

We reached the Alappuzha Railway Station in less than fifteen minutes from the beach. With a hesitant glance at the station, we boarded the train. Soon, the last few glimpses of the coastal city started fading from our eyes.