Bobbing about on the river

After an 8 hour drive from Ooty we arrived at the most idyllic setting in Alleppey in the back waters of Kerela. We had read about the backwaters but nothing prepared us for its beauty and quiet. 

The backwaters at Alleppey

We are staying at a homestay which is right on the river, it has lovely gardens and we’re miles from anywhere…… and it sells beer.  Jiji, our host and his wife Jisha are very laid back and there’s a great atmosphere here which makes relaxing almost compulsory.

We spent our first day sitting on the river bank watching the world go by and we try a spot of fishing using a rudimentary rod and dough for bait. 

'Extreme Fishing' with Robson sorry Lucy Green

 We can afford to be patient and the fish are pretty dim and by trial and error I catch the first fish, a small cat-fish.

You should have seen the one that got away

John ever competitive then takes over and spends hours and eventually manages to catch two small fish.  Later, I almost hooked a 3 foot river snake which was swimming past – John has never seen me move so quickly or jump so high.

The artificial stimulant that enabled Lucy to make the Olympic qualifying height in the high jump

I decided then that I would hang up the fishing rod.  I would add that all fish were returned safely to the water.

The noise of loud and furious quacking alerts us to two men in canoes who are shepherding (or duckherding) a shitload (I’ve looked this up and it is the proper collective noun for ducks) of ducks across the river from one bank to the other.  They keep the rebel ducks who stray in order by gently splashing those that get out of line.

A quacking we will go

The guests at the Riverside Retreat eat together outside and there is a convivial atmosphere whilst we eat delicious home-cooked food which is outstanding.  We have a good natter to four teachers from Perth, Australia.  Rakshmi, Lekshmi, Ania and Kathy are excellent dinner companions and we happily swap and share our Indian experiences.

Communal dining with the teachers from Perth

Jiji has arranged for us to go on a house boat for an overnight stay on the backwaters.  On the morning of our trip our houseboat has engine problems and we won’t be leaving until after lunch.  No problem, we relax in the sun and leave for the boat in the afternoon.  The tuktuk into Alleppey takes about 30 minutes and as we pass through the busy town we are surprised by the volume of traffic, the noise and the dust, the roadworks and traffic jams and the number of tourists.  We’re both pleased that we are staying out of town.

A busy downtown Alleppey

Thomas the owner of the boat goes through our dietary requirements.  Top of the list is obviously beer and on the way to the boat we stop to buy supplies - the first two liquor stores only have rocket fuel (very strong beer) so Thomas makes a phone call and assures us that refreshments will be on board by the time we arrive.

We’re lucky because we have the boat to ourselves and the crew of three. The houseboats are based on the old rice barges that used to sail on the canals but many have been converted for the tourist trade.  We check out the facilities including the comfy cabin and the beers and get ready to set sail.  Actually, we don’t sail as we’re powered by a diesel engine but I thought that you would enjoy some naval parlance.

A converted rice barge 

We head to the upper level where there’s a cool breeze and great views. Passing gently through the main thoroughfare we meander into quieter waterways where our sense of direction is lost in the maze of canals.   We stop to purchase some fresh water tiger prawns for our evening meal – they’re the size of lobsters and have delicate long blue claws that dangle limply.

Frying tonight!

We sit drinking inky black cardamom tea and eat lightly curried banana fritters as we relax.  There is so much to see we don’t know which way to look first.  

Man using his head

The fleet gathers

About 6pm we moor up for the night watching the sun set over the bright green paddy fields and gently swaying palms.

Night falls

The rice is nearly ready for harvesting and is so green it looks almost false in the dusk light.  We sit back and listen to the birds singing, the frogs are clearing their throats for their chorus and the waters lap against the side of the boat.  A chap walks buy with a plastic container selling toddy, a liquor brewed from coconut milk.  The crew suggest that John might want to purchase some toddy which is usually sold by the pint but we insist that a glass will be sufficient.  For 30 rupees we get our toddy…the smell is rancid and if anything the taste is worse and after John has bravely tried a few sips we quickly swoosh the remainder over the side whilst the crew isn’t watching.  We half expect the fish to come floating to the surface on their backs.

Looks like the Sweeney Toddy man judging by his knives

Night descends quickly and soon its pitch black except for the stars and the fireflies.  Less welcome visitors are also about - mosquitos, midges, and every other flying insect you can imagine and we eat by candlelight to avoid drawing the beasties to our table. A few beers and we’re ready for bed – this relaxing can be pretty tiring.

I’m up early watching the sunrise and listening as the countryside wakes up. 

Sun rise over the paddy fields

 After a leisurely breakfast we are off again. Every aspect of life takes place on and around the water and the adjacent paddy fields.  As we slowly cruise down the narrow waterways we see people bathing, ladies doing their laundry and slapping their washing against flat rocks to get their clothes clean, fisher men with their nets, and canoes low in the water carting sand, cement and bricks up and down the waterway.

The 'brickies' canoe

A pot head goes to work

The latest Hotpoint automatic

 Water taxis zig zag across the canals picking up people on their way to work and speed past us leaving us bobbing gently in their bow waves.

Many of the houses are built on narrow strips of land between the waterways and paddy fields.  Often less than 15ft deep, they are home to large families with in-laws and children living  here cooking, eating outside, washing in the water and playing often sharing their strip of land with their livestock.

Narrow strips of land hold tiny houses 

Breakfast on the strip

We cruise till lunch time stopping for some shore based and commission insired shopping.  We watch an elderly sculptor carving religious icons from large tree trunks  using large chisels and copying photographs and using his trained eye.

50 years of experience 

It’s a family business and he has 50 years of experience which is evident in the quality of the pieces turned out. On the way back we stop to buy sees John and beckons him in for a trim – he needs one and I push him toward the chair.  The cutting goes well but when I see the barber dabbing copious amounts of Dettol around John’s neck before reaching for a cut-throat razor I start to worry.  I’m not the only one and the look on John’s face is a picture.  John rapidly negotiates the safe keeping of his sidies and the barber’s steady hand completes the job without so much as a nick leaving John pleased with his new hair cut.

A steady hand does little to reassure John and his treasured sidies

Back on board we eat our curry lunch from banana leaves in the traditional manner using only our right hands (the left hand is never used as it is regarded as unclean).  There are a number of delicious spicy courses and rice but you cannot imagine how difficult it can be eating with your fingers.  The idea is to make little parcels and to pop them delicately into your mouth but we get the mix too sloppy and end up dropping and dribbling the food in. 

I couldn't manage to eat all my banana leaf

There are strikes by public sector workers in Kerela today and it is possible that roads will be blocked by pickets from 6am to 6pm.  We are unsure as to how we will get back but are delighted when the captain tells us he will drop us off at the homestay’s small jetty. 

We spend the afternoon reading books and relaxing in hammocks in the garden.

The oldest swinger in Alleppey

Jisha does us proud with a superb dinner for our last night with fried chicken, a spicy prawn curry, dal, vegetables and fried rice. Jiji always ends the meal with a plate of freshly cut pineapple which is so sweet and juicy.

It is with sadness that we pack up and leave this wonderful place and bidding good bye to Jiji and Jisha is like saying farewell to good friends before we speed on to Kovalam, our final destination of the Indian leg of our trip.

Our fabulous hosts Jiji and Jisha

On a different note and in response to Concerned of Partick who commented on our Ooty blog.  We have some good news and have spoken to the experts on the condition outlined in your blog.  Interestingly, there are no seats in their clinic.

It's a bum job but someone has to do it

They have considered the best available treatment and have despatched post haste a jumbo consignment of chilli enemas which should hit the spot!

Take two and retire to a safe distance downwind

I’m sure we’ll all sit more comfortably knowing there is an end in sight.