India - Cochin

Leaving Kochi (Cochin) in Southern India - the area known as Kerala - after a great day touring Willingdon Island where ship is docked, Mattancherry, and Fort Kochi. Did NOT shop, but did stop in a spice store for a few gifts to bring home. The spice and sari shop turned out to be The Chendamangalam Weavers’ Co-Operative Society. Saw the Chinese fishing nets in action and visited the 16th Century Portuguese Dutch Palace as well as the Portuguese church and Vasco Da Gama’s gravesite (till he was moved to Portugal in 1538). Our last stop was in a home - coincidentally, the elder woman of the house has a son living in Pennsylvania whom she hasn’t seen in 10 years - I will carry her hug back to him when I return home.

The economic crisis affects India, as our tour guide explained, including the IT companies and workers here. As I travel from country to country it is clear that the economic crisis affects people all over the world and they are watching us. I hear that many Republicans are treating business in Washington in a partisan way - how inappropriate in the context of a world crisis. We need to work together in the same way that the nation pulled together in the time of WW II.

Coming up in two days - Mumbai (Bombay), then a totally different environment - Dubai.