Squall in Kochi

A squall coming in off the Arabian Sea creates a fine mist around the harbour

at Kochi ('Cochin' until 1967) in India's glorious southern state of Kerala.

Kochi, also known as the 'Queen of the Arabian Sea' - against not a lot of

competition! - has one of the finest harbours in the world. Since time

immemorial - it says here in the tourist guide - Arabs, Chinese, Dutch, British

and Portuguese had trade relations with Kochi and the prosperity of the town

can by judged by the remarks of the famous Italian traveller Nicholas Conti:

"If China is where you make your money, then Cochin is surely the place to

spend it." It's still true, though maybe not the bit about China.

I don't know what the weed is that clogs up many parts of the harbour - it

looks like some species of water lily - but this fellow in his rowboat had a real

struggle with it. And from cross-harbour ferries, you can often see herons

landing on floating pads of the stuff.

A squall coming in off the Arabian Sea creates a fine mist around the harbour at Kochi ('Cochin'

until 1967) in India's glorious southern state of Kerala. Kochi, also known as the 'Queen of the

Arabian Sea' - against not a lot of competition! - has one of the finest harbours in the world.

Since time immemorial - it says here in the tourist guide - Arabs, Chinese, Dutch, British and

Portuguese had trade relations with Kochi and the prosperity of the town can by judged by the

remarks of the famous Italian traveller Nicholas Conti: "If China is where you make your money,

then Cochin is surely the place to spend it." It's still true, though maybe not the bit about

China.

I don't know what the weed is that clogs up many parts of the harbour - it looks like some

species of water lily - but this fellow in his rowboat had a real struggle with it. And from

cross-harbour ferries, you can often see herons landing on floating pads of the stuff.

Squall in Kochi harbour