Kathakali, Coconuts and a Kettu Vallam

Kerala is gorgeous! I was excited to get here and start exploring after all that time relaxing in Goa and it felt so good to be on the move. Since arriving in Ernakulam we have been moving down the coast pretty fast and it is exciting to always be heading somewhere new. We spent the first two days trying to decide what kind of boat trip we wanted to do on the backwaters, whether it be spending more money on our own private houseboat or going on a ferry with a load of tourists. Whilst trying to make up our minds we took a ferry over the water to Fort Cochin where we saw the huge Chinese fishing nets being operated alongside the fish market. You can't get it much fresher than that!

We took a walk around the island and visited St. Francis church, the first European built church in India. It is located next to a village green and it's rich creamy colour stands out brightly in the sunshine. There are several beautiful houses in Fort Cochin and lots of quaint little streets. It was really enjoyable to walk around taking it all in. There was a different sort of atmosphere that I hadn't experienced before in India, far more relaxed and the people seemed happier somehow. I liked it a lot!

We also took the opportunity to go and see a Kathakali performance back in Ernakulam. Kathakali is a big part of Keralan culture and we wanted to see it for ourselves. We chose to visit Dr Devan's theatre as it is the first theatre to show daily Kathakali performances in Kochi and sounded like a good place to experience our first performance. We arrived early as you are able to watch the characters apply their make up. It was facinating to watch. Dr Devan explained what Kathakali was about and talked about the importance of the make up. The characters use no words, only gestures and movements and their facial expressions play a big part. Devan told us how Keralan's use Kathakali as a way to feel close to God. To them dancing is not for entertainment, it is a spiritual and religious experience. People watch performances for entire nights and they get a lot out of it. I found it fascinating. The performance lasted just under an hour and told the story of a prince defeating a demon. It was broken up with explanations from Devin and the characters managed to show exactly what they were feeling through their dance.

We quickly moved on to Alleppey or Allappuzha as it is now called, where we would be able to get a backwater trip. After much deliberation we decided that we would get an overnight house boat trip followed by a ferry to Kollam straight after. This turned out to be the best decision for us!

The boat we got was actually a Kettu Vallam, the traditional way to travel the backwaters. We had our own bedroom and bathroom, an outside dining area, an upstairs deck where we could sit, our own cook, who was the best cook in the world I must add, plus a driver/guide. It was perfect! We saw some ridiculously big houseboats, purpose built for tourists, some with several bedrooms for only two guests! Our guide explained to us that when foreigners like us come on a backwater trip, they want things to be simple and get close to nature, but when Indians come, they want the most luxurious trip possible, even demanding imported glass to drink from. He said that this was because coming from the west, we were used to luxury whereas the Indians are not and they want to be spoilt. They don't appreciate the natural beauty of the area, instead focusing their concerns on whether their boat has air con or not. I was shocked when looking over to one of these boats I saw the guests ignoring the beautiful surroundings and avidly watching a television! I could not believe it!

Anyway, back to our boat trip. It was fantastic! We saw paddy fields, went through narrow turn off's surrounded by palm tree's shielding quaint little houses from view. We saw people transporting goods on canoes and watched people washing their hair, dishes and clothes on the side of the river. We stopped for lunch at the edge of a lake in the shade of banana trees. Our cook who had been hard at work in the kitchen all morning, proudly came out and asked if we were ready to eat. He then proceeded to put a large banana leaf in front of each of us, along with our cutlery. I commented to Jed that maybe we wouldn't be getting plates. He replied "Don't be silly Sam, if they have given us cutlery of course we will be getting plates!" WRONG! Our cook brought out several dishes of food - enough to feed an army, and proceeded to carefully dish up straight on to our banana leaves. The food was beautifully presented and beyond delicious! I would have eaten it off the floor if I had to!

We spent the rest of the day cruising through the backwaters, enjoying the scenery before stopping for the night. We enjoyed another wonderful meal, along with several beers and saw some fireflies around the boat and the trees. I was mesmerised! They are so bright and I felt like I was in a fairytale.
We were up early the following morning and I felt sad that we hadn't booked a two day trip. I could have stayed in the tranquility of the backwaters for a week! There is so much to see, it never got boring. But we had a ferry to catch so off we went back to Allappuzha where we got straight off the Kettu Vallam, went around the corner and got back on another boat.

The trip to Kollam took 8 hours and we saw some different scenery. We went between salt and freshwater and saw boatloads of fishermen and several more Chinese fishing nets. We had another delicious lunch, again on a banana leaf but this time there was no cutlery either. They use a lot of coconut in the cooking here and pineapple is a regular ingredient too. Most Indians don't use cutlery and I find it great fun to go in to a posh restaurant and eat curry and rice with your hand (right one only of course!) It feels very natural although we make a hell of a mess!

From Kollam we moved straight on to Trivandrum (which has another name that I cant spell let alone pronounce!) via public bus. It was quite an experience! Exciting, exhilarating, insanely fast and we were both relieved to reach our destination alive and fully intact!
Trivandrum is a big city, but it is very laid back and has a more relaxed atmosphere than the other Indan cities we have seen. The food is good, the people are friendly and the sun is shining. Kerala is the first place in India that I can say I would definately come back to! We have only had a short time to explore it and I think it has a lot more to show us.

Today is our last day in India, we leave for Sri Lanka tomorow morning. I am happy that we are leaving from Kerala, as I will be going with good thoughts and happy memories. We have had a lot of adventures during our Indian experience, some good, some bad, but I've got used to the way thing's work here and feel comfortable and at home. It feels like we are starting a whole new adventure and I am excited to be starting again in a country we know very little about.
Travelling is always different and never boring. There is always something new to see or learn or to challenge you and I can honestly say I am having the time of my life! So goodbye India, thanks for the experiences!

Sam xxx

Kerala (meaning land of coconuts) has been one of the highlights of our time in India. We spent a couple of days in Kochi before heading to Allappuzha (formerly Alleppey) for a backwater cruise and onto the ridiculously long named Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum-name changing is everywhere in India and almost everyone uses the old place names) via Kollam.

Kochi is made up of three main semi islands. Fort Cochin, Willingdon Island and Ernakulam. From our base in Ernakulam we took a ferry to Fort Cochin, a place that has been occupied by the British and Dutch amongst others. Walking around we could see the European influence in the enormous detached houses built by the wealthy beneficiaries of the lucrative ancient spice trade. Fort Cochin had a more relaxed atmosphere then where we stayed in Ernakulam and it was a pleasant day to be strolling around. We wandered along the shore past the Chinese fishing nets. A massive wooden construction with a kind of cantilever method requiring three or four people to operate. Judging by the amount of fish in the nearby stalls also a highly successful method.

We spent the evening at a Kathakali performance. Kathakali meaning ‘story play’ is a form of ritualised theatre integral to Keralan culture. A few actors in costume and make-up dance on stage to a rhythmic background drumbeat and symbol clap. There is no words so facial expressions are vital to convey the story line and the make up is designed to exaggerate the facial expressions. The story is invariably a religious tale.

Alleppey is one of the main gateways to the beautiful backwaters of Kerala. We stayed here one night before organising an overnight trip on one of the many traditional house boats. These house boats known as ‘kettu vallam’ (‘tied boats’) are made from coir; a rope derived from coconut husks which are abundant in Kerala. Our time spent on the boat was both relaxing and good fun. The slow pace of life and just watching the world go by was enough in itself. The small communities lining the canals were filled with people washing clothes, themselves, taking a swim and working away shelling mussels, fishing or on one of the other local crafts. Rice fields lined the route cleverly constructed below water level with some kind of sluices allowing the water to filter in and small pumping stations removing the excess. The traditional Keralan food served on a banana leaf was delicious and we had a thoroughly relaxing and romantic time.

The following day we took a ferry for the 8-hour trip down to Kollam. Although a full days cruise the time passed quickly as there is plenty to see and it’s hard not enjoy the change of pace out on the backwaters. We saw hundreds more Chinese fishing nets and boats so full they were spilling fish with hawks or eagles swooping down and poaching anything they could. The waterways are full of wildlife, mostly bird life but we also saw fish literally jumping along above water as well as fireflies. These ventures into the backwaters have left us with a good impression of Kerala and it has been a highlight right at the end of our 2 months in India.

So tomorrow we head for Sri Lanka and it is at times like this that your mind starts to reflect…
India has been a fascinating experience with ups and downs, frustrations and moments of enjoyment. In a way we are just starting to feel confident and get a feel for the country. The negative aspects include the majority of the male population of India who have some very questionable attitudes and morals to say the least. Firstly their lack of respect for all but their male friends is shocking. Abusing animals, hocking up phlegm and littering are some of their worst habits. I think Sam would agree though that their attitude towards women is repugnant. Blatantly ogling, accidentally brushing past and crude comments are the norm for even the most respectful looking middle aged Indian man. Bizarrely they all engage in the most shockingly camp behaviour. The kind that would guarantee a life of ridicule amongst male friends in England. In Palolem I saw a man wearing only shockingly small pants flouncing down the beach, whooping with little squeals of pleasure, embrace his friend who was also wearing the kind of pants that would make gay mike blush. Don’t get me wrong, I am not homophobic but it just struck me as odd that people who blatantly get aroused by western woman are so camp with their ‘brothers’. Of course it should also be said that this is a generalisation and we have met some lovely people who have been very welcoming and a pleasure to talk to.

Another slightly annoying thing is the two tier pricing policy in India. As a foreigner you are charged up to 40 times the amount of Indian nationals to enter places of interest. For example the Taj Mahal cost us 750 Rupees but Indians only 20 Rupees. I find this a bit too much of an exploitation and something that would most likely cause outrage back in politically sensitive England.

These minor quibbles aside it has been a largely enjoyable experience. In the guidebook it says that most travellers oscillate between loving and hating India, something which is a fair summary of our journey I think. On the positive side India is full of fascinating religion and culture, thousand of years of history and is good value for backpackers on a budget. Geologically diverse from the dusty, bustling developed north to the lush palm tree laden south. There is a large amount of WWE wrestling on the television which is always a bonus and the food is very tasty and affordable. There are shocking levels of pollution and festering piles of rubbish and open sewers but all these things soon become peripheral and somehow don’t detract from the experience.

It has been simultaneously shocking, enlightening, sickening and fascinating but above all an experience that should stand us in good stead for our future travels.

Jed

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Part of trip: Asia

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