The one thing that I wanted to see when I was in Kerala was the Chinese Fishing Nets (called Cheena Vala in the language Malayalam) that all the guide books and online sites talked about. The Fishing Nets that dot the coast at Fort Cochin, did not look as beautiful as the photoshopped images online taken against the pink sunset but they did impress me as this was like going back in time. This is a technique used since the 15th century (in the time of Kublai Khan and introduced during the time when Kerala was a centre of spice trade) and it was pretty astounding to me that it is still in use now. It is actually really effective and uses a net a pulley system that works on weights. When the net is raised out of the water the fishermen scoop the fish out with another small net. A couple of fish sell for what would be just 3 cents in Singapore. The fish are not iced and are just taken away in a plastic bag for frying and consumption later. I was just floored by the price as well as that! Just be warned that the fishermen and tourists touts around the area are quite aggressive and it’s understandable as they are making a living.
photo by bookjunkie
photo by bookjunkie
photo by bookjunkie
photo by bookjunkie
photo by bookjunkie
photo by bookjunkie
photo by bookjunkie
photo by bookjunkie
photo by bookjunkie
photo by bookjunkie
good informative blog…ya i too enjoy the fishing nets of fort cochin..but you get to see more beautiful and large Chinese nets at the Vypeen marine drive which s also peaceful and they allow you to purchase the fish right from the nets..cool na..also check out the http://tripunithuratrain.wordpress.com/….for tripunithura travel and tourist attraction details…