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Kochi (Cochin), India |
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The port city of Kochi is located on a cluster of islands and narrow
peninsulas. The older parts of the city are an unlikely blend of
medieval Portugal, Holland and an English country village grafted
onto the tropical Malabar Coast. Down near the waterfront you can
see St Francis Church, India's oldest; a 450-year-old Portuguese
palace; Chinese fishing nets strung out past Fort Cochin; and a
synagogue dating back to the mid-16th century. Ferries scuttle back
and forth between the various parts of Kochi, and dolphins can often
be seen in the harbour. Most of the historical sights are in Fort
Cochin or Mattancherry. Budget accommodation can be found in
mainland Ernakulam.
Indian Airlines has daily flights to Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Goa,
and Chennai. If flying is outside your budget, there's a whole bevy
of buses that leave Kochi at regular intervals and fan out in every
direction except seaward. You can easily get to any of the outlying
regions either by state-owned or privately owned bus, but there are
no advance reservations. Turn up, join the scrum, and hope for the
best, which in this case would be a seat. Failing this, try the
railway station which has trains zipping up the coast to major
destinations on a daily basis. |
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Mysore, India
This charming, easy-going city has long been a
favourite with travellers since it's a manageable size, enjoys a
good climate and has chosen to retain and promote its heritage
rather than replace it. The city is famous for its silk and is also
a thriving sandalwood and incense centre, though don't expect the
air to be any more fragrant than the next town.
Until Independence, Mysore was the seat of the maharajas of Mysore,
a princely state covering about a third of present-day Karnataka.
The Maharaja's Indo-Saracenic Palace is the town's major attraction,
with its kaleidoscope of stained glass, ornate mirrors, carved
mahogany ceilings, solid silver doors and outrageously gaudy colours.
The Devaraja Fruit & Vegetable Market, in the heart of the town, is
one of the most colourful markets in India. The other major
attraction is the 1000-step climb up nearby Chamundi Hill, which is
topped by the huge Chamundeswari temple. The stairway is guarded by
the famous 5m (16ft) high Nandi (Siva's bull) carved out of solid
rock. The 10-day Dussehra Festival in early October culminates in a
spectacular procession of richly caparisoned elephants, liveried
retainers, cavalry, brass bands and flower-bedecked images of Hindu
deities.
There are no flights to Mysore, leaving the bus and train as the
only options. Every 15 minutes a bus to Bangalore hurtles out of the
starting blocks like a bat out of hell, as do a number of other
services going to regional areas including the Bandipur National
Park. A number of private buses wil take you at a far more sedate
pace to Mumbai, Goa, Chennai and Hyderabad. There are rarely long
queues to book a fare at Mysore station and there are four daily
express trains to Bangalore, plus the air-con high-speed Shatabdi
Express which departs at 2.10 pm daily except Tuesday. The Shatabdi
continues on to Chennai. |
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India
