Backwaters to Kannur

February 1, 2010 Monday

Took an 8 hr train ride from Alleppey heading north to Kannur. This train ride was much better on our bodies than the sleeper car we took a couple weeks ago in which no sleep occurred. Since this ride was during the day we chose seats instead of a sleeper car. Much better. I enjoyed listening to Steve yak away with the guy next to him. The guy was doing a pretty good sales job on Steve to stay at homestays instead of hotels.

The day before we took a five hour houseboat ride through the Backwaters which was fantastic, even if it did feel a bit jaded being waited on hand and foot. There are many tourist houseboats operating on the Backwaters some actually were old rice barges which are now beautifully covered with wicker and equipped with large wickers chairs, dining table and full bedroom with A/C. Needless to say we ate like Kings again while docked near the rice patties on the canal. Photos of the boat and our ride enclosed.

Here are some of the sounds of the Backwaters:

Slap, slap, slap – you hear from early morning on, which is the sound of women laundering their cloths not hitting Steve or massaging Laurie. They clean the clothes by slapping them against a granite rock on the edge of the canal. Each home has this special rock in front of their house to clean clothes while standing knee deep in the river.

Tap, tap, tap – the sound of the toddy tappers tapping the coconut stems up in coconut trees to soften the sap which will later be the local alcohol beverage.

Blaring traditional Tamil music is playing day and night from loudspeakers posted in Mango and coconut trees next to all the temples.

The backwaters are a unique place and very relaxing. We were fortunate to have stayed on one of the islands in a local community. Most tourists come to the Backwaters and stay one or two nights and only on the houseboats, we got invited into people’s homes, kitchens and lives just by taking the extra chances.

Laurie