Cruising the Backwaters

We regretted leaving the beautiful mountains (partly because we knew about the bumpy, torturous drive that awaited us), but we awoke slightly after dawn and enjoyed breakfast surrounded by enormous trees, overlooking a deep valley. The sound of nature's quiet was sensuously lovely and melodic.

We drove downhill over semi-paved roads, trying desperately to hold on to the peaceful feeling we'd absorbed in the mountains. By the time we stopped in Kumily for a bathroom and internet cafe break, the tranquility was, alas, already a fond memory.

We saw canoes piled high with everything from produce to bricks

We finally turned off the road and headed toward one of Kerala's many lagoons, and by 12:30 were boarding a houseboat for a 24-hour cruise on the backwaters. It's a well-known tourist activity so we had slight trepidations, but within minutes all our hesitation disappeared.

The wooden boat had a crew of three, including a cook. As we'd requested, the bedroom was air-conditioned. There were comfortable chairs and a carved dining table on deck. Most of the boat's length sported a beautiful canopy of woven coconut fiber and palm leaves, which also framed the enormous, un-paned windows. The boat's front was open for the driver and for anyone wanting to lounge in the sun.

We spent the day cruising across Vembanad Lake, toward some of the narrow canals that crisscross Kerala. Many of the canals were dug almost two hundred years ago---the same time as the canals servicing the Thames, and our own Erie Canal.

The boat went fast enough to generate a luxurious breeze, and slow enough to see around us. After a few hours of lazing past cormorants, herons, and kingfishers, we turned into a much smaller side canal.

Only about 25 feet wide, it took us past waterfront huts, out of which tumbled village life. We gently glided past women washing pots, clothes, babies, and themselves. We waved to men chopping wood and fixing things.

Traffic on the actual canal was interesting, too. We saw kids in uniform returning home from school; various canoes piled high with everything from produce to bricks; and water taxis taking workers home from plantation work.

We weren't working. Although we have less than 24 hours to go, we're still on vacation.