Our private driver and tour guide  picked us at the port and drove us to points of interest for the day.  Our first stop was to St. Francis Catholic Church which was built in 1503 and is one of the oldest European churches in India. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gamma died in Kochi in 1524 when he was on his third visit to India.  His body was originally buried in the church, but after fourteen years, his remains were relocated to Lisbon.

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Here we are outside the church with our guides.

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The humidity was horrible —felt like Louisiana in August!

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Where Vasco da Game was originally buried inside the church.

Our second stop was at the District Heritage Museum at Bastion Bungalow at Fort Kochi. The structure was built in 1667.

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Chinese Fishing Nets

Not only did we get to see at least a dozen Chinese fishing nets, we were also shown how to fish with them.  

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It takes a lot of effort to pull the nets out of the water. Clearly the men helping us were doing the bulk of the work!

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Pull, Pull, PULL!!!

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A meager catch for all the effort!

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One of many banyan trees that we saw on our walk along Cochi’s sea wall.

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Criminals were burned alive as punishment in these chambers.

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Jew Town

We spent an hour or so walking the shops in Jew Town, the heart of the once-thriving Cochin Jewish community during the 16th century.  The Paradise Synagogue and quaint shops around Synagogue Lane and Jew Town Road sell antiques, carvings, Keralan crafts and aromatic spices.

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Boat Ride through the Mangroves on the Backwaters

Our final tour of the day was a boat ride through the mangroves where we saw colorful birds, Chinese fishing nets, mangroves and some resorts and beautiful homes.

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Check out the fish the eagle has in his talons !