The place where our ancestors fought and made love, laid foundations and died, lived and traded,

that's Kochi. A town that's been divided into two: one inland part (Ernakulum) and one island part, of which Fort Kochi is the main part. It is in this area inside and around Fort Kochi where people have been trading in spices and fabrics for centuries. It really is a lovely little town for a short break and I enjoyed my stay there. I thought the Dutch palace with its famous wall paintings, telling complete stories about all the Hindu gods was lovely and beautiful, but the maps were much more interesting (I think). They had titles like 'The city of Cochin' in old Dutch. The shape of the fort resembles the one in Naarden (in The Netherlands). Every part has been given the name of a province in The Netherlands (e.g., Friesland, Groningen, Zeeland). In my thoughts I see ships entering the dock; I smell the rancid smell of weeks, no: months, of travelling; and I feel the warm, soft breeze that welcomes the Dutchmen of yore. Of course, all of this must have happened after a bloody fight with the Portuguese, who were planning to conquer the same area around this time. So, the Dutch and the Portuguese ended up owning it in turns. In the church you can find tombstones of these Dutchmen. The stones have been cemented against the walls. You can also find Vasco di Gama's grave in this church. I might as well have been dancing on it, because although I did see a picture of the tomb, my attention mainly went out to the tombs of the 'coopmannen' (the old Dutch word for 'tradesmen') of this era. The Dutch graveyard is also worth a visit. It is a little neglected, but you can still read a few inscriptions: 'Coopman' (again, 'tradesman' in Dutch) and 'sekretaris van de polietsie' (meaning 'Secretary of the Police'). Lovely, isn't it? It feels a bit like home again.

That Kochi is still an area of trade appears from the fact that there is a synagogue and Jewish community. This should be a good group of traders, shouldn't it? I left again after a good day of having taken part in this 'celebration of memories'. I am not made of money and also, the next destination is calling out loud to get my attention: Alleppey.