Kumily to Alleppey and The Houseboat

Our boat

Big Red started first go this morning. Then he stopped and did not want to start again. The electric start wasn't working and not even a kick start or rollstart were helping. A helpful local man thought he could help. But, after disappearing for a minute or two, came back and offered us a water bottle with a little petrol in it. We had already crossed a lack of petrol off the list so that was no good. So, our new friend called over some young guys who were walking past. Thankfully, they spoke English and offered a range of possible solutions, one of which was a push start. As I watched Chris and Big Red disappear down the hill, our new petrol-providing friend and myself exchanged amused head wobbles. I listened from up the road and finally heard Big Red kick over. Turns out he has an on/off switch and the kind young guys had simply flicked it back on and had Big Red going like a charm in no time. In exchange for their favour, all they wanted were a few pored photos on Big Red and Big Red was happy to oblige. Turns our they too were heading to Alleppey today.

Not long after leaving Kumily we entered tea county and felt as though we were back in Sri Lanka. For kilometres we wove between rolling seas of stunning green tea which clung to the hills like little pillows. We wound our way between hill stations and took in breathtaking views of the valley and surrounding hills.

It was all very serene until we came around a blind corner to find a bus overtaking a Tuk Tuk and hence speeding around the corner on our side of the road. Thanks to some ninja like reflexes on Chris' behalf, we braked in time to avoid Big Red touching noses with the big bus.

As we approached the West coast the scenery became that of the fabled Keralan backwaters. Large canals with stone walls and steps leading down to the water lined the road and woman smacked their laundry on the stones.

We rode into Alleppey expecting to be accosted by potential houseboat drivers. That was not the case. We asked at a tourist office before heading towards the boat ramp as we figured that was our best bet for booking a reasonably priced boat for the night. As we pulled up a man asked us whether we were after a boat and, as we were, we followed him on the bike on a circuit of the city before going to view his boat. We were quoted 5500 INR and decided we ought to at least look at one other before agreeing. After riding around for a while and finding there seemed to be a serious lack of boats due to our relatively late arrival time (midday), we returned, as we have a habit of doing, to the first man and his first boat. Bargaining him down to 5000 INR, for a one bedroom houseboat, 21 hours on the water, a cook and a driver, we were happy. We were also happy to pay 200 INR each for some beers. Until they arrived and we saw that their max retail price was 70 INR. Oh well...we'll know for next time.

Keralan backwaters, Alleppy

We floated through the maze of canals which, lined with coconut palms and rice paddies, were extremely picturesque. We stopped in at the local fish market and bought half a kilo of probably the biggest prawns we have ever seen. For lunch we docked and enjoyed rice, curries and papadams before our Captain took a snooze while our poor old cook did the cleaning. All of the waiting we seem to do here would be a lot more bearable if we were told how long we would be waiting and why. The next time we stopped I spotted our Captain taking a swim. Being the annoying tourist that I am, I wanted in. I donned by swimming dress (a bikini and a sarong to cover up) and Captain guided me down the slippery rocks into the green water as plants, rubbish and coconuts floated past.

Swim time

As the day closed, we watched from the upper deck as the sun scattered stars of gold along the water. We docked to the sound of hundreds of crows making a ruckus. Captain went into Alleppey to grab us some phone credit, amongst other things, and we wandered off the boat and through a village situated in the backwaters of Alleppey. Compared to elsewhere in India, it was blissfully peaceful as we strolled past canals and very friendly locals.

Local villagers

Our fresh prawns revere skewered and cooked in a tasty mix of garlic, ginger, chilli and fish masala. Perfection! Combine that with more curry, chapatti, lettuce fingers and other side dishes and we were stuffed!

We finished the evening on the upper deck of our houseboat with local Keralan beers. Ahhhhh! Until the bugs got to us. We wisely finished our beers in our room under the combination of fan and air conditioner (which we weren't sure we had paid for) before being rocked to sleep by the lapping waters.