The Backwaters

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Today we headed out to Kollam (formerly known as Quilon) for a tour of the backwaters in a houseboat. We had arranged this when we arrived in Trivandrum. When we arranged it we had agreed that it won't be on a lake, instead it will be in the many canals and channels that surround this region. Kollam is about a 2 hr drive from Trivandrum and our boat ride starts at 2:00pm for about 3 hours. Our ride showed up early, at about 9:00am which is when we woke up! We took our time while he waited, had breakfast and left at 11:00am for Kollam.

Since we arrived a little early, we (I) wanted to see an old Portugese fort most of which is now in ruins with a bit if it till standing. It was mentioned in one of the guide pamphlets for the city. This was a disappointment as the area surrounding the fort and the remains of the fort was not maintained at all. Instead, we found that there is a house built just next to it and they were using part of the fort as their back fence with the side fence (brick wall) cemented to the fort! All this even though there was a sign there indicating that this was a protected monument!

We then headed to the area where the houseboat was parked. It is huge with 2 bedrooms, each with a bathroom and two single beds, a kitchen and a viewing deck up above. It comes with a crew of three, one of whom is the cook. We had the whole boat to ourselves; it can accommodate about 6 people on overnight trips. Shantha, from what you described, this may be the exact same boat that you were on. We got on and found out that we will not be traveling in the canals and channels instead we will be spending the 3 hours on lake Asthamudi! Disappointed, we carried on...

So we spent the 3 hours traveling along the coast of the lake. It was good to get away from all the noise and pollution of the cities we have been. It was the quietest, peaceful and laid back 3 hours we have had so far in this trip away from the masses of people everywhere. We were served lunch shortly after we left - it was good. We also had tea shortly after that with deep fried bananas.

Three hours went by quickly, back to reality; it started raining heavily on the 2 hour journey back to Trivandrum. We were back before 7:00pm so we decided to go to Trivandrum's largest fabric stores. Spent about 2 hours there, Prem tried on some sarees, bought a couple.

Tomorrow, we head for Kochi (formerly Cochin). Headed back to the hotel to pack, the Kochi hotel that we are staying in arranged for someone to pick us up from Trivandrum and head to Kochi, a 4 hour ride by car, cost about Rs. 2900.

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Additional photos below

Photos: 14, Displayed: 14

Photos

Our Boat
Prem being helped onboard our boat

Our Captain
Despite the old-fashioned appearance, our friend is constantly chatting on his cell-phone! Neat hat!

Prem just chillin!
Enjoying the quietness and view...

Us
Trying to pose for the camera

Prem with her feet up
Not sure what church it was behind but there were a number of them along the way

Lunch is served!
Lunch being served by our cook. All local Kerala dishes.

Tea Time
Prem's all time fav tea time snack from Malaysia - fried bananas. So glad it's a local favourite here too. Served with chai.

Coconut Trees
Coconut trees everywhere! The whole shoreline is lined with coconut trees.

Afternoon siesta
Prem enjoying her afternoon siesta while I am planning our Kochi trip.

Chinese Fishing Nets
These are used mainly for catching prawns on this lake.

Local public transportation
The local passenger ferry services a number of stops along the lake

Comments

[michele]

This is so amazing
Hi guys, Hopefully you did not lose too many days while you were unwill. This blog medium is fantastic! Im printing it all, and send the link to my family back home. Just amazing.. what more can I add... other than I look forward every morning to opening this! Oh and the entry re: the Kerala medical system? I of course showed it to my colleagues, to put them to shame... Michele

[Shantha]

Boat
Yeah, that boat is very similar to ours, but we didn't have the upper viewing deck, and we only had 2 rooms. It's too bad they took you on the lake, but hey, it is still a neat trip, and very relaxing!!

[Suzanne]

Saree Collection
More sarees. How many sarees does one woman need?

[Cempaka]

Saree collection
Ok, the pics make me look as though I've been buying the entire saree shop - but I only bought a couple including the one in the pic. Totally love that designer saree..:) One can never have too many sarees esp. if there are various silk types......