Cochin

Hello People! So this is how we are going to do this. First off, there's the apology -we've been away from blogging for too long.
Well, life intervened. Life at its craziest, chaotic, hectic best. we had a fired up 3 odd months filled with travel, good food, meeting family, saying bye to family, more eating good food, planning birthdays (amongst them a first birthday-how much fun was that!!) and welcoming new members to the family. Head reeled (from all the hectic-ness), stomach lurched (with the travel), goosebumps were had (when i saw my new nephew Nathan for the first time), heart clutched (when i saw Ethan all 'growing up') and amazed (when i saw Cochin).

That brings us to the next order of things: Showcase Cochin
It is not often i get a chance to explore Cochin, Kerala. The last time i was there was eons ago - ok, maybe not eons, but definitely many years ago). and what i have concluded from my trip is, Kochi pazhaya Kochi alla. It is a bustling, thriving city that houses its share of retail outlets (some of them very fancy), luxe hotels, trendy hang out places, eating joints, malls and other lifestyle defining places. We explored a bit of Mainland Cochin and also visited the Fort Kochi portion which houses landmarks such as The Jewish Synagogue, the Jew street in Mattancherry etc. I will be sharing some pictures clicked in the said area.

We took the car we were travelling in on the jhankaar or the ferry to get to Mattancherry. That was quite the experience, the pros there squeeze in as many vehicles as is safely permissible and its a quick ride in the water. in the car, on a boat, in water. :)
Once on firm land, we headed to the Kashi Art Café. People visiting Fort Kochi, it is a must visit place. The ambiance is lovely, the food is honest and it has that good feel to it that makes you remember the place and want to come back next time you are in town.
We caught the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012 which was exhibiting at Kashi. For those of you who do not know the Biennale, it is an international exhibition of contemporary art. It  is a very different take on art, and looks at reviving the link between the past and the present. The setting in Kashi is contemporary, and you have dozens of framed posters, magazine covers or articles along with tablets giving the curious visitor a peek into history.

We had a good lunch at Kashi, enjoying the likes of sandwiches, sprouts platters and french toast.

Being in that side of town, we used the opportunity to visit the Jew street with the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry. The Paradesi synagogue is the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth countries. They let you in and let you tour the premises (without the camera) and the posters on the walls give a sketch of the history of the Jews in Kochi.

The Jew street is not to be missed if you are a lover of expensive knick-knacks or love photographing the expensive knick-knacks. The colors are promising and the the street photography ops, brilliant.

With a slew of the new and the happening, Cochin promises to be a mix of the quickly diminishing old and a fancy smattering of the new. With everything happening, it is all set to be a force to reckon with.