Jungle Boat

Posted on April 25, 2013 by annetbell

100_3247 Well, I teased you in a previous  post telling you that jungle is a Hindi word, so here are pictures to show you the reason.  Kerala is an enchanting mosaic of rice paddy fields, coconut groves, wide beaches, backwater labyrinths  and jungle.  People of the three major religions coexist peacefully.  The politics of the region alternates  between the left and far-left  candidates.  A pretty amazing statistic is that Kerala boasts the highest literacy rate in all of India. The ancient boat-building industry grew from the plentiful supply of  wood , the proximity to the Arabian Sea, and many backwater canals. The Snake Boat races of today  are  thought to be the world’s largest team sport. In  ancient times, these boats were used to carry warriors. There are a number of backwater tours available.  One is eight hours and  takes you from Kollam to Alleppey where the bus is waiting.  Some European students, who are also here at Cept, took that route and  found  it a rather  long and repetitive.  David decided on the three hour ride which  was also more cost effective.  It was a humid, hot day and the little boat was a sanctuary from the blazing sun. We had a guide who seemed disappointed that we all just wanted to flow quietly through the water.  Enjoy your trip! 100_3249 We stopped for a drink and I made a new friend. This hawk was raised from a chick. 100_3254 One of the many houseboats for hire. The cost is about $200 per night which covers a staff of three, meals and an overnight… Not bad, huh? 100_3257 Nameste…..T I I

About annetbell

I am a retired elementary teacher, well seasoned world traveler,new blogger, grandmother, and a new enthusiastic discoverer of the wonderfully complex country of India. Anne
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6 Responses to Jungle Boat

  1. Judy says:
    April 25, 2013 at 1:04 pm

    One of my fondest memories of our visit to the south was the overnight houseboat . . . our family of four had a staff of four at our command . . . not something I would ordinarily enjoy, but this was decadent! Went at Christmas and it was warm then . . . the chef asked us what we would like to eat for each meal . . . at night we rocked in the gentle waves . . . in the morning the staff jumped into the waters and bathed while we chose the on-board shower . . . wonderful memories!

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  2. Raxa Collective says:
    July 5, 2013 at 2:36 am

    Ah, we missed this one! Is that the only thing you did in Kerala? Great luck to overlap with the snake boat races!

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    • annetbell says:
      July 5, 2013 at 11:25 am

      We spent the night in a lovely beachfront hotel. We were on the way to Goa, as the kids were desperate for the beach. Unfortunately , things had to be picked and chosen as there were not unlimited funds either. Kerala and Goa were icing on the cake as most of the trips were all about architecture! Namaste. . . .Anne

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  3. lauramacky says:
    March 14, 2014 at 7:50 pm

    This seems so amazing! Thank for sharing this with me. I need to create a folder for India with all these interesting things just in case. 🙂

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