Kochi appreciation post

I’ve been living in Bangalore for the past 2.5 years, though most of my life has been spent in Kerala. Despite this, I had never explored Kochi properly, even though I’m from Malappuram. This time, I had a wedding in Kochi, which gave me the perfect opportunity to roam around the city a bit. On Day 1, I explored the Water Metro and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I took the ride from High Court to Fort Kochi, where I saw the Chinese fishing nets—something I had only seen in videos and pictures. Then, I took a ferry from Fort Kochi to Vypin (the inspiration for this ride was a dialogue by Sunny Wayne in *Annayum Rasoolum*), and later rode the Water Metro back from Vypin to High Court. In the afternoon, I visited the Hill Palace in Tripunithura. Personally, I liked it better than the Mysore Palace. The place was well-maintained, and there were guides available to explain the exhibits. I spent about 2-3 hours there. On Day 2, I went to Mattancherry. Unfortunately, the synagogue was closed, but I still had a nice time walking through Jew Town, which was clean and well-maintained. Throughout my trip, I used buses, auto-rickshaws, and Uber. All the auto drivers and bus conductors were very friendly, and I was able to get an Uber within a minute whenever needed. Kochi has immense potential, which is no secret. However, due to the nature of my job, I may not be able to relocate here, as there aren’t many job opportunities for me in the city. Otherwise, I would definitely consider settling in Kochi. In comparison, I find Bangalore overrated and overhyped. Here in Kochi, things like housing, food, and healthcare are more affordable, and the places I visited were extremely clean.