Sweet Kerala

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Kerala, a state in the southwest corner of India, describes itself as 'God's Own Country'. This claim ranks up there with BC's 'Best Place on Earth', but we give the edge to Kerala as its boast goes beyond the scope of our own planet. Kerala truly is as beautiful as it promotes, as it is blessed with small mountain peaks, spice plantations, lush rice fields and incredibly interesting backwaters. The backwaters are made up of hundreds of kilometres of rivers, dykes and canals snaking around man made islands that house villages and fields below sea level.

It is in this setting where we spent the majority of our time in Kerala. We took several local ferries among the islands and stayed in a homestay deep in the backwaters. It was a great place to wander, bike, bird watch and canoe along the waterways while watching village life and all the activities on the water unfold.

Kerala is also the first place where a communist government was democratically elected in the world, and where it continues to govern (perhaps that it is why it refers to itself in god like terms). As a result, the state boasts of 100% literacy, the longest life expectancy in India, food subsidies, innovative programs and a high rate of alcohol consumption. Small wonder that God calls it home.

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Photos

Pepper Pods
Black Pepper - dried unripe berry
White Pepper - dried mature berry
Red Pepper - mature berry
Green Pepper - unripe berry

Dredging the Canals
The canals are often dredged by hand with young chaps who dig up the silt with a mask and a basket. The silt is then used to reinforce the dykes, added to fields, or used for building supplies.

Traditional Fishing
Rows of Chinese fishing that are dropped into the water.

Ferry Princess
Sylvie showing off her pigtails to the locals.

Tourist Houseboats
Hundreds of these houseboats ply the waterways. We opted to stay on terra firma.

Water Logged
Pollution from the houseboats and fertilizers from the fields are allowing the invasive water hyacinth to clog up the canals.

Classroom Management
Grade 3 students in their class at the local public school.

Cheers!
Another tourist having difficulty dealing with the alcohol content of toddy, the local brew tapped from a coconut tree.

What Do People Sing at this Time of the Year?
Christmas Keralas!