December 9, 2009: After a wonderful, but long day visiting Mumbai, Agra and the Taj Mahal, we luckily had a full day at sea to rest and recover. The weather cooperated by being warm and sunny, and the seas were smooth.

December 10, 2009: Cochin, India was our gateway port to southern India, and specifically the state of Kerala. Kerala is the wealthiest state in India with a minimum wage at least quadruple of the other states, and also boasts the highest literacy rate – 92 percent. It is also a Communist state, as it has been from its inception in the late 1950s, and the hammer and sickle flag is seen in some places. However, the high cost of labor and high taxes of the Communist government also severely limits the amount of business investment here, and thus the unemployment rate is over 25%. But there is a ‘safety net’ for everyone here, and no slums. It is also the most religiously diverse state of India, with a Christian segment of over 25%, Islamic segment of 14%, and the rest Hindu with a few other minority religions. (In the entire country of India the Christian segment is only 2%.) So for all of these reasons, and more, it is a very interesting part of India to visit.

Cochin has had a lot of European influence, starting with the Portuguese, but continuing with the Dutch and then finally the British. The ‘old town’ part of Cochin is called ‘Fort Cochin’, and buildings and churches from these various periods of European dominance can still be seen. And while there is not a lot of industry in Kerala, the exception is for cloth, and quite a wide variety of sari’s, scarves, caftans and other fabrics can be admired and purchased. And Cochin is the fourth largest port city in India, and the state of Kerala has tourism as a major source of income. There are many beach resorts, houseboats in the back waters, and wild games parks in the country side.

We chose an ‘off the beaten track’ tour where we ventured about 90 minutes away from Cochin, and first visited a sprawling ecological beach resort on the Arabian Sea. We had another bountiful Indian buffet meal there, and some time to explore the grounds and amenities the resort had to offer. After lunch we journeyed a bit further to the ‘Kerala backwaters’, where we boarded a lovely houseboat for a relaxing and insightful cruise on the canals and rivers. These houseboats come in different sizes, most with a kitchen at the back of the boat, several bedrooms and bathrooms, then a living and dining area that is under cover, but open air, and with the steerage at the front of the vessel. These unique houseboats have been serving vacationers and tourists in this area for about 40 years. The boats are made locally at the side of the canals with a wooden frame structure, and the sides of the craft made from woven reeds, and derived their inspiration from earlier vessels that were basically barges hauling goods. The boats are powered by fairly quiet diesel engines, and provide an excellent platform from which to enjoy cruising these tranquil waters. The banks are lined with graceful palm trees and other tropical foliage, as well as with many villages, homes, churches, temples, schools and small stores. So the local life such as women washing clothes on the stones along the river banks, children playing, and men fishing can be viewed through this unique vantage point.  It was a nice window into a slower pace of life in India.