Back to Alleppy

Feb. 27, 2010

The sounds of birds and our staff getting breakfast ready woke us up shortly after sunrise this morning. As I looked out the bedroom window, I spotted a deck hand from another boat taking his morning shower with buckets of water from the lake. I took that as a que and went in to take my shower in the comfort of our own bath, warm water included. The morning light makes our views from the boat just beautiful.

Fishermen getting ready to set their nets

Josep served us a delicious breakfast of coconut stuffed pancakes, idli & toast with butter and jam, fruit salad and fresh squeezed pineapple juice.

After breakfast we wasted no time getting underway so we could be back at the launch by 9:30am to meet our driver for the 5 hour drive on to the tea regions of Munnar to the north east.

A selection of photos from the backwaters during our trip back.

This is one of the many, many Catholic churches we passed along the waterway. I will post a separate blog on religion, politics, and health care as Kerala is significantly different than the rest of India on these subjects, so that deserves its own entry.

Here is a man going up the coconut palm for his daily harvest of fresh coconut water.

A short video of the surrounding rice fields.

A couple of children in their school uniforms are standing at the canals edge waiting for the school boat to come by and pick them up. Most of the schools are run by the many catholic churches along the way.

As the boat pulled up to the docking port, we reflected on how much we learned about living in harmony with your environment from these people along the Backwaters. From what we could see, their lives are simple, full and happy. Not to mention they live on the best real estate in the country!