God’s own Country

Kerala in South India, we were told before we left the UK, is described as “God’s own Country.” We didn’t realise at the time that one is reminded of this on practically every street sign, and even on mineral water bottled in the state. Is it a fair description? I’ll avoid the theologically predictable and even cliche of saying all countries are God’s own. Kerala is amazingly green, you see it from the airplane, even compared to Bangalore (let alone the desserts of Rajistan which we will visit later), Kerala is very different.
Flying, because air conditioned overnight trains were booked up when we planned our trip, we arrived in Kochi (also known as Cochin) and stayed in the old Fort Kochi at a “home stay” or BnB. Compared to the bustle of Bangalore, the peacefulness of this coastal town was a great relief. During the tourist season the place sees a lot of business. Travelling in July, when it should be monsoon, we are lucky to find it so quiet. That said the local businesses and rickshaw drivers are keen to get out custom and have little to distract them from inviting us into their shop. That said, they have all been polite and friendly, not as forceful as in other places I’ve been.
On our first full day we went to the neighbouring Mattencherry. We had planned to walk, but after a short while decided the heat and humidity was such we would be better off getting an auto-rickshaw. In Mattencherry we went to the old Synagogue. In the 16th century the local officials welcomed a group of Jews who had originally gone into the diaspora around 70AD, when the temple was destroyed. These Jews had made a home elsewhere, but were later the subject of persecution and fled. Here in this place they have remained safely, so we were told.
The following day, by the arrangement of our hosts we were picked up and taken on a cruise of the Keralan network of rivers and streams known as the backwaters. A brilliant local guide and two boatman took us in a covered wooden boat down narrow rivers in what must have been the most peaceful and quiet morning we’ve had since arriving in India. The boat is manoeuvred and propelled in the same way as a Cambridge punt, by using a long pole (in this case bamboo) to push on the bottom of the river. With around 18 of us there is one pole-man at the front and one at the back. In the morning we visited two small “factories”, one making lime dust from shells caught in the lakes and one producing rope from the fibre of coconut. Both processes were impressively simple and yet far from intuitive and both used materials after that which they had housed, mussels and coconut milk, had been used. Even the coal used to make the lime dust (Calcium hydr-oxide) had been the by-product of the process of making petrol. We stopped on an island for a lunch which had been prepared for us in a small hut.
Our visit to Kerala was fantastic, the people were so welcoming and polite, the land and horticulture so vibrant, I can see why they claim it to be God’s own country.