COCHIN, INDIA

Saturday, April 13th

                       

     Kochi, formerly Cochin, with a population of over 600,000, is a major port city on the west side of India.    It is a major of exporter spices.  There are over 250 industries here manufacturing a range of products including chemical and petrochemical products, such as, fertilizers, pesticides, rubber processing chemicals, and has one of the largest oil refineries in south India.  Information technology centers for US companies are also in abundance here due to inexpensive labor costs and a well educated IT work force.  Tourism is also a major driver of the economy.  India's Southern Naval Command is headquartered here.
     It is now noon and we just docked here in Cochin.  Interesting scenery while sailing in.  It is HOT outside!  95 degrees with lots of humidity.

Jane & Jacob

      We have two great suite stewards who are doing a fantastic job keeping our suite clean and neat.  Their picture is above.  Jane is from the Philippines and her husband also works on the ship as a butler for the Penthouse Suites.  They have a 2 year old that her mother is taking care of back in the Philippines.  They make so much more on the cruise ships than they can at home.  They sacrifice now for their family's well-being in future.  Jacob is from India and lives just 30 minutes from where we are docked today.  Our ship's management has let him go home this afternoon and will be with his wife and 6 year old tonight.  He'll be back on board early tomorrow morning.  We just love Jane and Jacob to death.
     It is now 6:30pm and we are back from our 5 hour tour and getting ready for dinner.  It was soooooo hot today on the tour but it was interesting and enjoyable.  I will get those photos on a posting tomorrow.  We are in Cochin over night and all day tomorrow again.  We are not touring tomorrow so will have lots of time to catch up with the photos.  I asked the chef to prepare some deep fried soft shelled crabs for our entree in the dining room this evening.  They are having a barbeque dinner outside up on the pool deck tonight.  They do it once a segment.  We never have and never will dine up there.  We prefer air conditioned comfort with someone waiting on us instead of buffet lines in the heat.
     I poured Rebecca a glass of wine to drink while she is getting ready.  I'm going to go up and get a cocktail now.  Ya'll have a great weekend.