The walk 2 work

              I'm back to obsessing about my retirement destination halfway around the world! This is a new series of posts about what I see into the future for “God's Own Country” - Kochi. Kochi’s future is intertwined with its role as a trade port. Kochi originated from Muziris, the legendary spice-trading port city, which led to the ‘Spice Route’. Kochi’s location gave it the name ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’. The crown jewel of Kochi’s port (called Cochin Port) is Dubai Port World's Vallarpadam Transshipment Terminal. The government-owned Cochin Port is spread across two islands: Willingdon Island, which is India’s largest man-made island, and Vallarpadam Island, which houses Dubai Port World's Transshipment Terminal. Dubai Port World's Vallarpadam Transshipment Terminal (started in 2011) competes with Adani's new Vizhinjam port (started in 2025), which is just 180 nautical miles away. Like the Los Angeles and Long Beach Ports made Califo...

Kochi is a city with an old-world charm and the new world creature comforts coexist. Kochi is a port town rooted in the ancient port city of Muziris . It is n estled between the Indian Ocean ( Arabian Sea ) and the Western Ghats , a mountain range. The old western part of the city (the namesake) is a series of islands, an artist’s haven with its narrow cobblestone streets, old colonial buildings, historic churches, and palaces alongside the endless beaches. The mainland is a bustling metropolis that retains some of its roots, with all the comforts we have come to expect of any large city. Kochi invariably had a different hue every time I visited it, every few years. Having visited Kochi every few years, I can tell you the city is different every time I visit. What once had been an unplanned city with its narrow roads, today has wider arterial roads crisscrossing the city. I had my expectations from a city to retire in, and Kochi met them. First, you can get by speaking only English. ...