Trip to Kerala: Day 10 (4th June)

Santa Cruz Basilica, Cochin

Cochin Harbour Cruise

 Lazy days rule. There's nothing better than lazing in a hotel bed until that last moment when you realise that breakfast closes in minutes. That's when all the panic starts. And after a tiring previous day, it was in fact expected that today would be one such day. Now, the size of Cochin town surprised me. It wasn't that huge upscale city I had imagined it to be, it was quiet, filled with a lot of old world charm. Also there wasn't much to do, and well everything was located in one area - Mattancherry. You heard me correct. The name though seemingly delectable wasn't meant for the hungry at heart.
  The Dutch Palace was soothing, and it taught people the history of Southern India. The Chinese fishing nets were a marvel in itself, the walk towards St. Francis Church and the Santacruz Basilica was a treat in itself. These two places were where I learnt that Vasco da Gama was initially buried at the church while the basilica was India's second oldest one. What made the day better was the absence of the rain god, who had fortuitously discovered that he had other plans for the day.
  A complimentary harbour cruise seemed to be the cherry on the cake. Well it was, right until loud Malayali songs blared over the speakers ruining the peaceful atmosphere of the evening. It was quite interesting though to watch cranes load and unload cargo vessels at lightening pace. Such a sight left me in awe.
  Though the excursion seemed to be the highlight of the day it wasn't. Fish ruled the day, rather seafood ruled the day. Each dish that I sampled was better than the previous one, each bite tasted different, like a mini parade on my palate. Perfect sumptuous food, Thank you God for seafood.