The Backwaters of Kerala

---

I know it's less than 24 hours since my last post, but the backwaters of Kerala are worth a separate entry!

Phil and I had been planning to visit the backwaters by taking a public ferry from Kottayam to Alleppey which would have taken about 3 hours. The hiccup was however that we would have had to make our way to Kottayam and from Allepey respectively by train (1,5 hours each way). A lot of hassle it seemed, and we weren't even sure a) what times the ferry would leave b) whether we would get a seat and c) whether the route was of particular interest. So, when we arrived in our hotel in Kochi yesterday and were told that we could take a 7-hour tour from here to the backwaters, it didn't take us very long to make a decision!

We were picked up from our hotel this morning at 8.15 by a car which took us, as well as two English girls with whom we would be sharing the boat, to the departure point. After a drive of about 45 minutes, we got to the boat, which turned out to be pretty nice: comfortable chairs on the deck and a roof which would prevent us from frying under the hot sun. An advantage over the ferry was that the boat was to be moved along by muscle power (using a pole) rather than a smelly, noisy engine. The trip proved to be one of the highlights of my time in India so far. The many kilometres of shallow waterways fringed by palm trees provide some stunning scenery. We made several stops which provided us with an insight into everyday backwater life, such as the making of rope out of coconut fibre. Phil bought a bottle of a drink with a slight alcoholic content which is made from the liquid in the flowers of palm trees, from a guy in a tiny canoe. While it was interesting to taste, he clearly enjoyed it more than the others and gladly drank most of the bottle! We had a lovely lunch on a small island, which had already been prepared for us by a couple of women from the area. Satisfied with our meal, we spent several more relaxed hours being shown around the waterways, before being taken back to Kochi by car. I think the photos largely speak for themselves!

---