Tamarind KTDC Easy Hotel

Arrival at Cochin International Airport

by cochinjew

Arrival hall at the new Cochin International Airport
Even though the interior is welcoming, the walls are becoming overcrowded for various services, jewelry, investment funds and telephone cards, three most popular items. The luggage carousel has already the look of 1950s even though the airport is less than ten years old. The luggage arrived promptly, eventhough the flight from Dubai at the same time, had more luggage and there was a great crowd around that carousel. Once the luggage arrived, once again another queue to go through customs since they use the same terminal for domestic and international flights. Then again, you can just pass through saying you are coming on the domestic flight, no one was particularly watchful. There are plenty of trolleys for carrying your luggage. There is a bank counter to change money and once you are through the customs there is also a Pre Paid Taxi service. There is one more xray for your luggage but I just went past the xray machine without putting my luggage through and I saw many people doing that. Indians seems to be more interested in the process than the substance. Airport security is minimal.

MIKVAH

by cochinjew

MIKVAH IN COCHIN
It was as if we were drawn by an unknown force to this hotel and the ayurvedic place. MIKVAH a board proclaimed and it caught my attention of course, it was the purifying bath of the orthodox jews. I have never seen one in India, had seen one in Rangoon and of course in many other places. Obviously the influential Koder family had a mikvah in their own backyard for the use of the family!
I was very gratified to be led to this place and see the MIKVAH

Sunset Boat Ride

by PierreZA

An amazing, beautiful experience. You get a very good idea of the geography of the Kochi area with this trip. You leave from the jetty (to Vypeen island) at Fort Cochin in the direction of Ernakulam, pass the man made Willingdon island. Then you pass Bolgatty and Vypeen islands. The timing of our trip was perfect, with a magnificent sunset and views of the fishing nets on Vypeen island.

Paradesi Synagogue

by illumina

The Cochin Jewish Synagogue or the Mattancherry Synagogue was built in 1568 and as such is the oldest one in the British Commonwealth. It is also named Paradesi, or 'foreign', as it was predominantly used by the 'White Jews', who were mainly European exiles or from the Middle East. It was built adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace temple on the land gifted to the Malabari Yehuden community by the Raja of Kochi, and shares a common wall with the Palace temple; however due to the arrangement of the buildings it isn't possible to walk directly from one to the other.

The clock tower and bell were added in 1760. The interior is remarkable for the glass chandeliers, from Belgian, and the floor of the synagogue which is composed of hundreds of Chinese, 18th century, hand-painted porcelain tiles, all of which are unique. It also houses the copper plates of privileges given to Joseph Rabban, the earliest known Cochin Jew, dating from the 10th century, written in Tamil on the two plates, by the ruler of the Malabar Coast.

The entrance fee is 2 INR, and again no photography is allowed inside. See the video from Kerala tourism below.

Kochi

by Skibbe

"Tropical India"

Kochi is an old trading port in Kerala on the southwest coast of India. It might also be the mosquito capitol of India, even in December when I was there, but the old city has some great history with about a day's worth of sites. It is used most as a launching spot for trips to the Backwaters and Munnar.

"Recommended Reading"

You really shouldn't come here without first reading "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy. She describes the uniqueness of Kerala perfectly in her sad and beautiful story. I could almost see the characters from the book peaking from behind the trees as I rode on the Backwaters.