By the water’s edge

Feels like we’re back in Sri Lanka now. The whole place is green and buzzing with life, a contrast to the shades of grey and yellow of Chennai, and everything already seems more relaxed.

We got to Alappuzha (Alleppey) around 1500 and headed straight for the guest house (Vendanta wake up! an Indian backpacking chain). We were greeted by two young guys that run the guest house and about a thousand mosquitoes (and of course their relatives). We hadn’t quite thought about being near so much still water and there being so many mosquitoes… The two quickly clicked! I believe Heather had a mild panic attack when she heard the faint buzz of so many wings looking for blood!

After sloshing on a lacquering of repellent we headed for the nearest restaurant, got a cheap curry and headed to bed (to be bitten quite considerably).

The next day we decided for some reason to have a relaxing day, not do much, head into town and look at planning the rest of the India trip. Town was, like any other Indian town as I would think it from what I have experienced so far, busy and bustling! We were out to re-stock on a few bits and explore so couldn’t really get a TukTuk (or as they are known in India, AutoRickshaws) to anywhere in particular. So after a good few hours of wandering we decided to settle in the Indian Coffee House. A quaint little place set back from the main road where the ‘waiters’ dress in traditional attire.

India Coffee House waiter (not my photo, but an example!)

At this point I think we’re very much realising how we should go about India, it can quickly drain you of any energy getting from A to B in the heat. We vowed to try and stay out of the cities where possible, unless they are the attraction. The Indian cities, aren’t easy to navigate, and certainly aren’t somewhere you easily find your everyday essentials (by Western standards of course).

Day two at Alleppey and we booked to see the backwaters via canoe. Our choices when visiting Alleppey seemed to be focused on renting a house boat, however we’d seen advertised in a few places (including Lonely Planet, India) canoe tours and decided that given the cost of the house boats (7000INR pn) we’d give them a miss, and we are glad we did. Even though we don’t have the direct comparison of a night on one of the floating houses (and some of them were) we think we saw a fair bit more than a night in one of many of the barges and here’s why…

The trip began with a hairy scooter ride (however, fun) to the pickup point along one of Alleppey’s many rivers, to get on a ferry which dropped us at a local families house where we had breakfast and was given a plan for the rest of the day. The plan was basically, to sit back and enjoy a slow meander through small backwater canals past local houses where families where going about daily life. It gave you a great insight to the way of living around the backwaters, where they used the river water for everything from swimming to pan washing! We saw a couple of water snakes (spotted by Heather), was shown around a church and a local school. There are a few pictures below but they don’t really emphasise what appeared to be a simple life on the backwaters.

We ended up back at the tour guides house greeted with another meal or various sorts, including a heavily spiced fish. All in all, a great trip and well worth the 1000INR pp compared to what we might have paid in the house boat to see less of the backwater itself.

Anyhow, it’s late and I need some sleep! To Munnar tomorrow, land of the tea plantations!