🇮🇳Kochi Iകൊച്ചി India LOST TAPES Jew Chinese Muslim Christian Portuguese English Romans Malabar

LOST TAPES Nov 2023 another multiday fascinating city explore where I ran into traces of countless cultures and religions that once came through this area. Plus, interacting with the modern Indian city, once known as Cochin, in the state of Kerala with a Communist leaning provincial government, and a unique language, Malayalam. The beautiful Southern Indian Ocean Kerala West Coast was a hot spot for global shipping with transactions of culture, religion, spices, seafood, war, and conquest. My script was relatively short for all I could find. Seems like I just let the camera roll over the several intense days. A fascinating Jewish history with Jewish migrants living here for thousands of years. A little known to anyone Chinese history where the Ming Dynasty set up close relations and freed the area from their rival Calicut to the North (a city I wish I had also gone too). Religious communities like Syrian Orthodox Chritians that ended up here. Many Muslims from very ancient Arab connection to the region near the dawm of Islam. Heavily Catholic to this day from the Portuguese influence. And all kinds of video clips that is this weeks lost tape. Some, unfortunately filmed vertically I put at the end.

FULL WRITE UP FROM THE TIME:

🐉Zheng He! Kochi India. 1405 AD Zheng He and the Yongle Ming Dynasty sponsored 20,000 man plus treasure ship fleets arrived in this region. Again, coming to this exact city of these photos in 1416AD where they set up close alliance and trade relations, with Kochi.. Zheng He came back to India and he actually died near here on his 7th voyage in 1433 AD near here. They still fish with the Chinese style they were taught 600 years ago here in Kochi. The later Ming Emperor's , stupidly closed off China from anyone entering or leaving ending the alliances Zheng made around the world. Opening the door for the European colonists to colonize the world. The Portugese, Dutch, French, and British later changed this area in the 1500s-1800s.

Every first of the month is a dry day in this state of India. So alcohol sales aren't allowed.

But this city I'm in today, Kochi, there's a good amount of foreigners, tourists. And both young and old, girl and male, I spoke with a crushing disappointment when we talked about how there was no booze allowed....

At least 30 people, Brits, French, Germans, Italians... I saw them on the street searching for bars on the map or shops that sell beer. Or in restaurants I was in, with angry looks on their face hearing the news. 2, 75 year old French were such assholes about it.

It was an eye opener. Because I was fine with it. I just said, it's a good sign to give the liver and my mind a break....

. Obviously, these people are on a short holiday, 1-2 weeks, long and expensive flight from Europe, they want an evening night cap or drink with dinner, or just get wasted because they're off work. I get that. Being an asshole to the locals or acting like a little kid addicted to candy, is how a lot of these adults seemed to me, was hilarious and stupid though.

1. A couple from Munich Germany. The man was initially angry. But we were eating next to eachother so I just started talking to him, we talked about the rules of cricket on the TV and baseball.... He totally changed his mood and came to terms he wasn't drinking this day.

2. A super tall, 205 cm, 6 foot 6 tall dude and his tiny Barcelona girlfriend were strolling around and I talked to them, saying no alcohol today.

He's a surfer and they were like ahhh, nasty alcohol, we don't drink anyway. But interesting law. He's a surfer and she was so content with being like that, healthy minds and bodies. It was nice too see that.