Backwaters and Tea Plantations

Floating through the backwaters of Kerala

G having Tea on Houseboat

Fishermen in Kochin

Village School in the mountains of Munnar

Waterfall

Tea Plantations

It was a packed and therefore hectic but very worthwhile trip to Kerala. Since G could only get a few days off work, we did Kerala the express way. We were on the road constantly, though without much time to lay back and enjoy (not entirely true) we did manage to see a lot of Kerala. We started off in Fort Kochin, and took some time to explore the churches and the one synagogue (which was unfortunately closed). There are fishing nets along the beach where tables are also set up to serve freshly caught seafood.

We caught the train to Allepey for the famous Backwater houseboats. For 24 hours, G and I lazed around while being served fruits, tea and full meals, gazing out into the amazing landscapes of tropical Kerala. We went for a quick swim in the murky water, not the best decision either of us ever made…. Luckily, a bit of rain saved us from the scorching heat of Kerala in this time of year.

Off the house boat and onto catch a bus to Munnar via Kottayam. Munnar is a hill station located in the mountains in Western Kerala, amidst the tea plantations. We met some New Zealand guys on the way and found a cheap guesthouse together. (what can I say, its sooo much easier to travel with men!) The next morning we had a fab breakfast of idli’s, chutney, dal and chai for only eight rupees with some Israeli girls we had met in Allepey. Then we set off on a beautiful hike in the mountains, through tea plantations and villages and waterfalls. It was a bit cloudy and mildly chilly in the mountains. Perhaps the lack of heat confused me – but I didn’t put on any sun screen and got pretty red after 4 hours of hiking in the peak hours of the day.

Our flight was scheduled for 4am, and since we were both exhausted and didn’t want to navigate our way to the airport in the wee hours, we parked ourselves at the airport by like 10:30 pm. With neither duty free shops or even a decent café, we had to make do with a deck of cards and 2 novels... at 8 am this morning, we were safe and sound in our beds in our Bombay homes.

Note: People in Kerala are so much more laid back than the other parts of India I've seen. They are friendly but not aggressive, such a refreshing change from big cities!