Backwaters of Kerala

The second leg of the trip brought us down from the mountains to the seaside swamps and backwaters near Alleppey. The backwaters are what Kerala is best know for. We chartered a houseboat and cruised through the scenic channels and inlets.

Coincidentally, I heard that my current residence in Virginia received twenty to thirty inches of snow this weekend. That being the case, I thought it appropriate to show my modes of transportation. Please note the palm trees and tropical climate in the latter.

My Driver and Chariot in Virginia

My Yacht in Kerala

The houseboat is pretty awesome. We have a bedroom, kitchen and open-air living room. The living room even has satellite television (which we later learned didn't work). Somehow the boat is large enough to comfortably accommodate a driver, cook and servant in addition to the two of us. All of our meals are taken care of and have been fantastic. We even picked up some prawns at a shop on the water for the cook to grill up for dinner. Perhaps most important, despite the imposition on alcohol in Kerala, we made the proper arrangements to ensure that this would indeed be a booze cruise. Our tour of the backwaters lasted from 1pm on Saturday until Sunday morning.