We're On a Boat!

The day after Christmas, my parents, Jenna and I rented a houseboat for an evening. This is one of Kerala's most popular tourist attractions. In the southern canal city of Allepey, hundreds of houseboats shove off every day during the high season. The snaky backwaters of Kerala are filled with these cruising hulks, fashioned out of wood and wicker to look like traditional Keralan fishing trawlers. Some can get quite massive with bedrooms to fit more than 10 people--essentially, floating hotels. Our houseboat was more modest with two bedrooms, a kitchen, dining area, and patio. Though it has brought a lot of tourism to the area, the houseboats are necessarily controverisal for their impact on the ecology. We had to dock by 5:30 pm, so that local fishermen could cast their nets for the night.

We were served three meals, including a traditional Keralan thali--a meal spread out over a banana leaf. This is us sitting down for dinner. You can see other houseboats floating in the background.

And here is our meal: fried fish (complete with head and eyes), rice with a rich spicy broth called sambar poured over the top, the flaky fried pappadam like a hardened tortilla, and two kinds of chutneys to mix into the rice. Traditionally, Keralans eat this with their hands, as they do all their meals. Jenna and I followed this tradition; my parents wimped out and used silverware.

My parents enjoying the view from the patio, which was situated on the boat's upper deck above the steering wheel.

And me, enjoying a nap. The houseboat experience is designed to be a relaxing one. A crew of three saw to our every need (including making tea for my dad about five different times).






A typical backwater view--palm fronds and rice paddies. They are called the backwaters because they literally are that: the 'backwash' of the Arabian Sea which washes in through the marshy canals along Kerala's coast and mixes its salty contents in with the natural freshwater of the area.

Sunset in the backwaters. We docked for the night by a fishing village, passers-by curiously peeking in to our dining room as we relaxed, chatted, and sipped some Kingfisher beer. The noises of drumming and chanting from a nearby Hindu temple accompanied us off the bed.