Messing about in Boats

Kollam had been a mix of warm hospitality and disappointing tourism. Madam had been effusively welcoming to the point of being rather stifling, but it was hard not to warm to her genuine hospitality. 

This Homestay was away from the town centre, in a middle-class suburb, where this middle-aged widow rented out her spare bedrooms to visitors from around the world. The catch was that you were stuck in this welcoming ghetto with no easily accessible restaurants. For the two nights that I was there, I enjoyed excellent home-cooking, from madam's chosen menu. But I had no choice, because there was no alternative option. 
Madam refused to discuss the price until she presented the bill, and while the charge was modest by European standards, it was five times what the average restaurant asked, and on a par with the prices at Kollam's 5-star Beach Hotel. 
The second disappointment was that the ferry to Alleppey was not running due to work on one of the bridges over the waterway. I had been looking forward to my 60 pence fare for a day on a State ferry, though, in retrospect I think I might have had a rather over-glamorised vision of the trip.
In the end, I shared an air-conditioned taxi with the Anglo-German couple at the homestay, and relished the luxury of a comfortable air-conditioned ride, right to the "Heritage" establishment where I was booked for the night.
Perhaps I should have realised that "Heritage" is a euphemism for "old," as I was not prepared for the overall scruffy grubbiness of the establishment, the faint dampness of the bedding and the oversized cockroach in the bathroom.

The romantic courtyard garden

There was the compensation of a snack of crispy vegetable Pakora to accompany my thirst-quenching salted fresh lime soda, and there was the charm of the courtyard garden with the lanterns and fairy-lights. But somehow nothing really compensated for having to wash down the bathroom walls with the hand-shower before I felt I wanted to use the shower on myself.
I lay awake in the wee-small hours, wondering what the heck I thought I was doing, suffering in a place like this - even if it was a little piece of history, and did attract a wonderful eclectic mix of yuppie expat tekkies from Bangalore, noisy Indian students and middle-aged European back-packers (like myself!)
No, I decided, I get more than enough suffering at the hands of Ranjit the masseur, back at Mattindia. I'll cut out Alleppey and head off on the ferry to Kottayam, first thing in the morning. Maybe they'll make me pay for the additional night, but that's only £6......

A traditional Kerala breakfast

The auto-rickshaw dropped me at the jetty in plenty of time for the boat, so I decided on breakfast at one of the quayside cafes, sharing a table with a local who seemed impressed that I appeared capable of eating in the proper manner,( with the fingers of my right hand.)
I had parathas - a kind of flat-bread - with a mild (by local standards!) curry of chick-peas flavoured with a little garlic and a lot of black pepper. I drank black tea - to which I am becoming quite addicted, and, as ever, thoroughly enjoyed the local cuisine. 

The ferry docks to pick up passengers

On the road journeys to and from Kollam I had seen many different kinds of river-craft as we sped past the waterways.  I didn't quite know what to expect, but having travelled through the Southern Sudan on a Nile paddle steamer, I reckoned I could cope with anything Kerala might present.

Settling down for the journey up-river

The lifesavers looked rather too firmly fixed to the roof, and the life-jackets were mostly still shrink-wrapped in secure plastic, but hopefully, neither would be needed.
There were plenty of seats on the boat, and several families taking their children back to the home-village to meet their grandparents.

Well-ventilated on-board toilets

The 15 pence fare includes the use of bathroom facilities that are designed with American tourists in mind. The natural wood finish is complemented with the availability of constant fresh water. The added attraction of open-air ventilation enhances the sensation of communing with nature.

Alternative transportation for oligarchs and plutocrats

The ferry-boat chugged along for two and a half hours, meandering from right to left like a floating voter.

Two young boys deliver a new rubbish bin to their grandma

For those who lived along this wonderful network of inland waterways, it seems that life never changes much - and why would it? The climate is warm, the land is fertile and perfect for growing vegetables. There are coconut palms and banana trees in abundance, and there are fish teeming in the river. 
Maybe they are the ones who got it right. 

The scientists insist that the floating islands of water hyacinth will eventually choke the river and it will no longer be navigable.

Well, yes, maybe, ... eventually.

Meanwhile, most of us in UK engage in exhausting practices like commuting, and then need extravagant vacations that offer the relaxation that is all too often missing from our daily life. 


It's Easter Saturday in Kerala. Nobody is dashing to B&Q. What a lovely difference!

... and tomorrow I am back to Mattindia for another 3-weeks of rejuvenation therapy