The sweetness of Southern India circuit (Day 2 afternoon cont.) - Sailing along the Allepey canals, backwaters and lagoons on a Kettuvallan house boat; exploring the surrounding innerland area - The 12th of February 2015

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The farther away we sailed in the direction of the sea the more luxurious the landscape looked. We got closer to the shore line several times having had a glimpse of what daily life in the shore community looked like and having later been back to the overnight anchoring place after having bought the shrimps for our dinner's starters ventured innerland as the cook prepared our evening meal.

 

 

I don't think any of us was expecting what we came across on land. Some of the houses looked like rather expensive villas constrasting with most of the traditional ones built by locals. Some innerland water canals provided the transportation means for the local community and it was quite interesting to see a woman sailing a canoe along one of those. As evening drew we decided to walk back onto the boat because of moskitos harrasing us.

 

 

 

I handed out some of the things I had brought for the local children to a three child family living close to the anchoring place, as well as some to the cook, whom I found out to have a small child. I must confess I always get emotional to see and "feel" the extent of children's happiness once we hand them out small presents and school material.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I started feeling really feverish and barely ate part of the food (which looked really delicious) placed in front of me. All I seemed to want to do was get to bed and sleep (as if by doing so the ongoing cough would stop). I left the table before dinner was even finished.

 

The sweetness of the Southern India circuit - (Day 2 afternoon) - Sailing along the Allepey canals, backwaters and lagoons on a Kettuvallan house boat - The 12th of February 2015

Soon after having visited old Kochi we drove to Allepey situated 62 kilometres South of Kochi. We were suposed to sail and spend the night on two Kettuvallan  boats but as we got to the anchoring harbour Sagar managed to have us all board in a slightly bigger one which would provide accommodation for the whole group.

The surrounding atmosphere very much reminded me of a previous sailing trip along the Guatemalan canals, though the width of the river beds and the density of the luxurious vegetation was somehow different, not to mention the size of the cruising boat.

The sea breeze made me feel slightly better as I set foot on the deck and started photographing the cruising boats sailing around. Having been described as the "Venice of the East" and regardless of the obvious differences, the numerous canals, lagoons and back waters did provide the ideal-like scenario for an idyllic relaxing trip, which might be difficult (if not impossible) to describe. Images may (or may not) speak for themselves but they will at least provide the viewer with an idea of what it was like as a "visual" experience. 

The cabin I chose for my overnight stay was the second one closer to the deck and what a magnificent one it was. I lied down for a while prior to the extraordinarily good meal two of the crew members had prepared for us and seemed to be feeling slightly better than I had in the morning.

 

 

Once we finished lunch and upon request from the cook we sailed farther away into what looked like a web of rivers flowing together, some of which surrounded by lush green coconut plams and rice paddy fields in search of some prawns (he would be preparing for our evening meal) said to be abundant in these wetlands.

 

 

The more I looked around the more I got fascinated with the wide variety of Kettuvallan boats in regards to their shape and outside decoration. Siad to be built according to ancient principles and techniques of boat building using coir ropes to fasten the wooden planks together, some of the Kettuvalan we came across had rather exquisite upper decks, some of which double.

 

(To be continued)