In Cochin

Cochin, now known as Kochi, is made up of a few different parts. Ernakulam is on the mainland and similar to any other city in India in many ways. My hotel is in Ernakulam. While walking the streets there, I really had to pee. I entered a bar and a man sitting at the first booth said, "No, locals only." That was his way of saying, "I don't want you in this bar based only on the way you look and where you're from." But fuck him, I went in anyway, asked the bartender the location of the toilet and peed my little heart out. I was planning on confronting the douchebag on the way out, but only his glass remained.

Fort Cochin is on a peninsula that can be reached from Ernakulam by a hot-ass ferry that cost 5 rupees. Fort Cochin is where I currently am now. It's quite different than Ernakulam. This is the tourist area. Mattancherry is on the same peninsula as Fort Cochin. From Fort Cochin, it's a straight shot to Mattancherry, unless of course you're me. Then you walk forever until you ask someone, "Where's Mattancherry?" and the guy says, "You're in Mattancherry." to which you reply, "Where's the synagogue?" and the answer is "Right there."

Mattancherry is where the famous synagogue and surrounding Jew Town is located. I went into the synagogue which was orignally built in 1568. We had to take our shoes off, which was puzzling to me. When I asked why, the man who works there told me that Israelis always get upset at having to take their shoes off, because it's not Jewish custom. The man said that once he tells them it's for the sake of the white tiles decorated with beautiful scenes, they relent. The synagogue is still active but only has 13 members. There are only 150 Jews in Kerala and at least one family seems to leave for Israel every year, according to the man. I forgot the number he told me of Jews in Kerala before the existance of Israel.

The walls of the synagogue are white and blank. But everything else is colorfully decorated. There's gold railings and about 20 chandeliers in this little room. There's a balcony for the women to pray, because it's an Orthodox synagogue. I had to ask for a yarmulke and of course I knew to ask for a kippa, guessing no one was familiar with Yiddish. Many people came into the synagogue, mostly Indians, and no one else wore a yarmulke, which also surprised me.

I also went into the Dutch palace located in Mattancherry. Compared to the Maharaja's Palace in Mysore, the Dutch were slumming it. Cochin also consists of several islands that I don't plan on going to. I've found on this side of Cochin that people are friendlier than in Ernakulam. Well, at least friendlier than the guy from the bar.