We had taken a relatively short train ride from Kannur and a similarly short bus ride to get to Alleppey. After some exploration we ended up in a place called Gowri, which is quite popular with tourists. We ended up with a nice little chalet which had an outside bathroom which we loved!
We found our bearings and had a plan to find out about house boats over the next day or so with maybe a plan to take a canoe ride too.
That evening we sat down to dinner at Gowri when a cheery couple approached us. After a quick chat we invited Sarah (from England) and Joe (from Austria) to sit with us and enjoy a beer. We had a fun evening and even enjoyed a little party that a few of the local lads were having there.... well we sat outside in a hammock and chatted while the ‘party’ went on inside. Between the four of us we had decided to go on the hunt the next day for at least a canoe trip and maybe more.....
So the next morning we set off along the canal to enquire about a canoe ride.
It didn’t take long to get intercepted by someone offering boat rides and, after some negotiation, we had ourselves a canoe trip booked for the afternoon. We had a quick bite to eat and considered the house boat idea. As we were now a foursome it made the whole thing a lot more affordable, although we don’t think Joe and Sarah were considering the whole house boat idea prior to meeting us. We headed to the tourist office and the guy inside ran us through our options. Most of them bloody expensive options. Anyway, we had to have at least a look at the boats and, as I was nominated, I sped off down the road on the back of a bike to have a look at the prospective boats.
Now call me old fashioned, but to me, if you are going to go out on the water in these surroundings it would be nice to do it in rustic and ‘at one’ fashion. The boats that I was shown had air con rooms with en suite, arm chairs on the front with TV’s and DV bloody D’s!!! No, no, no.
“So, any simple boats my friend??” was the question I asked. We went all the way along the jetty. “This one? This one?” Each and every one was same same but different. So again I pushed for a SIMPLE BOAT PLEASE. We came to the very end and there she was. Moonshine, the smallest and most simple boat there and she could sleep four. She also had bags of character and cost 4500 rupees for 24 hours, which seemed reasonable. So this would be the one if we were to go as a foursome, or if we were to go as a couple I thought.
So I returned to give my report and stress to the guy who showed me around that we didn’t want to pay any commission for any boat that we hired. He assured me there was no commission of course. We took the decision to give the canoe a go and then see how we felt about the houseboat idea after.
2’ o’clock came and we met up with the canoe guys who transported us along to their family home by the water and plonked us down in their snug, covered canoe.
After quick introductions to our guide and cameras at the ready (especially Joe) we were off. It was great to be so low to the water, you really feel like you are right in the action.
There is not a great deal that I can put into words about the journey, apart from that the surroundings were very pretty and the ride was relaxing and fun (our guide was comical and chatty).
We took many photos and were aghast at how many Joe took! (Mind you it is his work and the main reason they were there).
We made a couple of stops along the way for chai and soft drinks which afforded us even more camera fodder.
On the way I thought we might have passed Moonshine (the prospective house boat), just so that I could show the others what it was like, but that didn’t transpire. However, the guys we had hired the canoe through did suggest that we have a look at their house boat (everyone seems to have one!) so we thought we would have a look at this one.
After our canoe trip we set off and it dawned on me that we were going to the same area that I had been to previously that day. We so happened to pass Moonshine and I of course excitedly pointed it out to the others who gave it the once over. The other guys still wanted to check out option two so we headed off toward the bigger boats, not before the captain of moonshine whispered to us a price 1000 rupees cheaper than the quote we had earlier. Now the price stood at 3500 rupees! No commission my arse. With a little nod and assurance to the captain that we would be back either way, we set along the path to the other boat. After a quick inspection of the much larger boat, I waited to hear what Joe and Sarah really thought of things. I was glad to hear that they preferred the first option and that they were now sure (given the much reduced cost of the boat) that they wanted to do the trip. The decision was made and Moonshine would be our chariot the following morning for our sortie into the backwaters of Kerala. That evening we had a pukka bit of Indian in a relatively sophisticated restaurant which was great.
We awoke early the next morning (earlier than we wanted due to a very noisy temple that blared music out from 5 in the morning. It was Shiva’s birthday after all). We all had breakfast and set off in a rickshaw to the main jetty.
It was a beautiful morning and we were all quite excited and also slightly unsure about what lay ahead. We boarded the boat, the small engine chugged into life and we settled into our low lying seats as we slowly slid along the main canal......
We asked about the food on board and we were pleased to know that we would be getting traditional style Keralan food, which is good stuff. Rice and rice derived things (such as uttapam), veg curries, fish and chapati’s. All tasty bits and pieces. We were also told that we could go past a local fish mongers to by some prawns if we wished. We wished for sure! Joe and I did the hunter gatherer thing, which meant hopping off the boat and choosing the beasts that we wanted to eat. Ugly little suckers these things, but great to eat. They are the same tropical, fresh water prawns that we caught in New Zealand.
On again we went and we started to get into the relaxed feel of things whilst our nostrils were filled with the sweet smell of lunch being prepared at the back of the boat.
After some time we stopped for lunch and Joe went for a swim.
The rest of the day was spent chugging around and chilling out, taking in the sights, sounds and wildlife. You see life as it happens for the locals as well as the odd house boat cruising around. We didn’t see many other house boats which was good.
The nicest areas are the smaller canals. It is way more picturesque and you also get closer to the local life action.
Now part of Moonshines character and charm was something that set it apart from all the other boats. It was the DVD / TV alternative. That’s right, a bath tub!! Right slap bang in the front of the boat. Joe and Dipi couldn’t resist taking it in turns to have a dip as Sarah and I got busy with the cameras and hose!
The sun was setting as we chugged through some smaller canals and eventually out onto the lake where we would moor up and spend the evening.
Joe and I took a brief walk in search of some coke to go with the rum we had for the evening but we had no joy on that front. We did get to meet some locals and the family of our captain which was cool and we also had beer in the cooler so not all was lost on the drink front. That night we ate some more great food prepared by our on board chef, drank the beer (well I drank most of it!) and chatted till late. It was quality time.
After a hot and sticky nights sleep (its damn humid), another beautiful morning greeted us, and it was a great setting for a spot of breakfast. We devoured this as we headed back to the main jetty.
It was a little sad that the trip was ending as it was such a nice time and we had bonded well with Joe and Sarah, but all good things come to an end and we had gained new friendships from our trip (something we hadn’t expected). We said our goodbyes as the others were off to do a week of intense Ayurvedic treatments and we had to scoot straight off to the tea plantations on the hills of Munnar.....
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