An evening in Fort Kochi

Long before the pandemic, during my infrequent visits to Kochi, I always made it a point to spend at least one evening in Fort Kochi.

After driving at snail’s pace through traffic snarls and crossing canals and backwaters with multi-storied buildings almost at their edge, I reach Fort Kochi. One experiences an old-world charm while walking through the narrow roads and cobbled by-lanes in a village ambience with colonial buildings in Portuguese, Dutch and British styles of architecture on both sides. I am reminded of the Chinese who brought their unique fishing nets here centuries ago and demonstrated before the curious locals another way of catching fish and Vasco da Gama, the legendary explorer who came all the way from Portugal with his retinue to meet with a death caused, of all things, by mosquito bites! The remains of the Dutch cemetery remind me of those who braved the high seas in their primitive vessels only to take their final rest in a strange land and wonder if anyone back home ever thinks of them.

As I reach the busy beach caressed by the gentle breeze from the sea, I look for the elderly gentleman with an immaculate pencil-thin moustache with whom I had a few words a couple of times in the past. And there he is, on his usual seat, busy talking with another person. I wave to him and he waves back uncertainly.

Hawkers roasting groundnuts on kerosene stoves, tempos stocked with ice-creams, cones and cool drinks and handcarts laden with glass jars containing cut fruits and pickled gooseberries add to the joy of the visitors. A boy throws groundnuts to pigeons, who pick them up instantly and fly away as soon as the stock is exhausted.

A large ship moves majestically toward the open sea, its size diminishing gradually and a couple of giant fuel storage tanks with red lights on their top bear witness to all that is happening around them. The horizon is dotted with tiny-looking vessels that seem to stand still.

The sun dips slowly into the shimmering sea, leaving the sky fiery, painted in bold red and yellow. A couple of kites glide high above in circles, looking for the last meal of the day, before it is too dark to forage. Nearer at hand, a massive dark cloud with silver edges hovers over the beach like an alien spaceship about to land. As darkness spreads, the sea disappears from view and the only sign of its presence is the sound of gentle waves hitting the shore.