kochi kats

the kittens know from the start kochi is the place to be. born into a country where dogs seem more interested in eating a shoe than chasing a cat and in a city almost completely absent of cars or scooters, kittens have it good. kochi, formally known as cochin, is the jumping point for the kerala backwaters- india's most southwestern state. cats have seen the dutch come and go, the portuguese take a turn at running the place, and accepted a jewish community- refugees from palestine 2000 years ago.

outside the oldest european built church, st francis church (1503), a field of school kids and post-work adults mingle in a makeshift cricket practice unconcerned with the seriousness one must take while visiting the former resting place of vasco da gama. the cats on the wall dividing da gama and an eager 12 year old batsman cannot be bothered by either during their afternoon snooze. there is apparently much work to be done after the sun sets.

along the street that passes st francis church one can find postcards being peddled and dolls twisted on strings, a slave to the dancing ineptitude of their puppet master. an alley leading left to the beach hosting an interstate handball competition also provides a brief relief from the uninspired touts. turning northeast on the dirty sand presents old chinese fishing traps as a foreground to the inlet of water and palm lined tongues of land darting out into the glassy gray surface occasionally interrupted by long boats. this is cat nirvana.

the chinese traps use a counterweight system and the efforts of at least 8 men. the nets are dropped into the water from piers and occasionally brought to the surface to be checked for all types of fish. usually this is done in the morning when the tide brings in new victims- so the cats sleep, and wait. this isn't to say cats are everywhere, because they are not. the animals are just a little more relaxed and seem less anxious than those of hyderabad, mumbai, colombo, and other big cities.

after watching some kittens wait patiently for mom to return full of milk, we took part in an illegal beer at a plastic table wedged between long boats and a chinese fish trap. i had no idea the beer was illegal when it was ordered at our "restaurant" but got the picture when our host brought it tucked under his shirt with his eyes frantically scanning for police. so naturally we had our "tea" out of coffee mugs.

the stroll through the fish market was amusing and quite enjoyable. most vendors were in a jovial mood probably due the beginning of the evening selling session and were more than willing to pose with a giant shrimp or barracuda. when i explained it was much too early to buy fish, this was nodded with approval as if i actually knew what i was talking about. so of course we left to have dinner elsewhere.

in the morning we took breakfast and the finest coffee i've had in india at an art gallery. kochi has done a wonderful job of supporting local artists and lauren did her part by choosing a beautiful painting the evening prior. we had big plans to visit jewtown (it should be noted that the term "jewtown" is in fact the correct and proper name for the area and is in no way intended to be degrading or offensive. if this is contrary to the beliefs of some, please leave a comment) before heading into the backwaters on a houseboat, necessitating an early morning. the streets were quiet even after our meal with the exception of the vegetable and fish vendors pushing their carts through the dutch streets. people would peer from their french style doors and buy what was needed for the day. and the cats would follow. one or two cats seemed to accompany each fish monger and the unrushed proprietor would kindly set a sardine out occasionally for his feline sidekick.

after checking out of a wonderful inn, the raintree lodge, we headed to jewtown. after speaking with a few folks at the fish market, i gathered the population of jewish decent was 7. feeling this must have been a mistake, i chalked it up to the language barrier and assumed 7 meant 70 or 700. i was wrong- there are only 7 people of jewish faith living in kochi. the population dwindled after many returned to their homeland, leaving only 4 families and 14 people in 2002. still, jewtown is the heart of kerala's antique market and is known for its spices. i'm quite proud of the old wall clock (purchased after intense inspection) and lauren found some ink blocks. i'm even more impressed that my clock chimes a random number of times at the top of every hour. very unique. and with this we left the cats and continued to the houseboat for an evening, a long way from the kats of kochi