Houseboating in the Backwaters of Kerala

our houseboat

We spent two days on a houseboat in the "backwaters" of the State of Kerala while we were on our South Indian tour.  It was the most relaxing time we had on the trip, and it was just magical.

fish eagle

The bird life along the lakes, rivers and canals was more than abundant and the word teeming seems to be just the right choice.  We saw bee eaters (very difficult to get photographed clearly) and horn bills, eagles, hawks, ducks of all sorts, cranes, herons and the list went on and on.  I am no bird expert, but I do love to watch them.  And try to photograph them.  I didn't have  much luck while on the houseboat as most of them were either very small or very far off and the engine vibrations were enough to make most of my shots either downright blurry or not quite in focus, at best.  Too bad, but, hey!  I got to see them!

local fishermen

Life along the lake, canals and rivers looks exotic and lovely.  There are long dikes with a single line of houses built on them, all strung out like beads on a string.  On one side, river (or lake or canal) and huge rice fields on the others, protected by the levees and dikes.  Some of the canals are narrow and you have to use one of the local canoe-like boats to get through, but others are wide and many houseboats are busy going in all directions.  It bustles.

The local people just ignore all the houseboats and the curious tourists who travel on them.  They have real things to do and can't be looking back at the lounging visitors.

It was so beautiful I just sat out on our front lounge and watched it all pass by.  Boats, birds, children swimming, women washing clothiers, ferries going from one side to the other, power lines stretched across the canals, temples, churches (there are lots of Christians in Kerala), little shops, bigger shops....the list of things to gape at was long and varied.

I will always think of Kerala as a technicolor place!  The greens were vivid, the oranges striking, the browns were deep and rich.  There was color everywhere.  It was truly beautiful.

waiting for the ferry

Even the locals were decked out in technicolor clothing.  Everything was bright and pretty.

Our houseboat was extremely comfortable.  While it was hot and humid outside, all the cabins were air conditioned, so sleeping was very nice.  Each cabin had either twin or double beds, depending on what was required, and each had its own bathroom with a very nice shower.  Big windows looked out on the passing scenery, should you wish to lie about in AC comfort and just laze away a hot, sticky afternoon.  The food was prepared by the chef on board and it was excellent.  We brought out own beer, which was served to us ice cold.

It was some good time we had on the houseboats!

I am off to California for about two weeks in the morning, so there will be an interruption in my posting.  As one of my favorite bloggers, Mary Ann Moss, likes to say...."Talk among yourselves."

Chennai (Madras)

South India is, indeed, very different from Northern India (at least the parts where I traveled).  The temple architecture is very different, with the temples in the south being heavily ornamented with figures of the gods and goddesses, all painted in bright hues.

The devotional instruments (lamps, flowers, offerings of milk and rice) remain the same.

Walking through the markets is always fun.  There were more tropical fruits for sale, as you would expect.  All the vegetables and flowers we saw were beautiful.  The carrots a big, bright orange, the pan leaves so very green, arranged so beautifully in this basket.

Mounds and mounds of roses!  I hadn't seen so many roses for sale since I was in Morocco and Tunisia.

Always bananas.  I love bananas and I ate as many as I could while on this trip.  The small, extra sweet ones that are so common are my favorite.  Several of the fellows on this trip were more fond of the red bananas, but I am a purist I guess.  The yellow ones are for me.

 We saw so many women with flowers decorating their hair.  I don't remember flowers used this way so much in Northern India.  The saris were bight and beautiful.  I am not astute enough about Indian fashion to recognize the differences in color, pattern and style from the north to the south, but even to my untrained eye, the clothing was subtly different.

We were there during the lead up for the Pongal Festival.  These chalked designs in front of houses and businesses were everywhere and are a part of the festival.  Pongal is very important in the south, especially in the state of Tamil Nadu.  It is a religious festival that celebrates the harvest and the sun beginning to move north again.  There are special foods, especially a sort of porridge made with rice,  and the mood is very happy and upbeat.

I especially liked visiting the Shore Temple, which is situated right on the Bay of Bengal, in a village south of Chennai.  We were lucky enough to be able to visit in the late afternoon and so were treated to the sight of the moon rising up behind the temple spires.  It was beautiful!

Early Morning---Chennai (Madras)

It is a long, long way from Seattle to Chennai, India.  A long way.  Three flights, 18 hours plus.  We arrived at 1 o'clock AM.  I woke early and was rewarded with sunrise over the Bay of Bengal.  It was beautiful.

We were booked into a very nice hotel in the Chennai area, the Vivanta by Taj Fisherman's Cove.   The hotel has a wonderful beach and I enjoyed an early morning stroll.  I watched a man fishing with a throw net, something I don't remember ever seeing before.  He was very good and caught a few fish while I was watching.  He made it look easy!

Later, after she woke up, Nonie came down to the beach and we enjoyed a nice walk.  It felt so good to get some exercise and breathe in the fresh sea air.  After 18 hours on a plane, fresh air is greatly appreciated.

The gardens at the hotel were beautiful and there were lots of crows.  I am a fan of crows so this made me  happy.

We didn't get to enjoy a swim, but I did admire the pool.  It looked very inviting.  It was about 50 degrees F warmer in Chennai than in Seattle so it took some getting acclimated.

Off to Southern India!

I am off to Southern India very early tomorrow morning.  I plan to have some wonderful adventures, eat some yummy Indian food, visit a lot of temples and the jet off for a few days in Sri Lanka.  I'll be home at the end of the month.  Until my return, talk amongst yourselves.

'Bye!