And this is the reason I wanted to come to India – for Kerala. It didn’t disappoint. Arriving in Kochi by train was not much fun so we were tired and dirty when we checked in. It seems a little more well-kept and maintained in Kochi, the roads are better and less crazy. The streets in the Kochi Fort area are leafy and have historically important houses behind big gates.
It’s still hot though and the others are suffering and searching for restaurants with air-conditioning. I chose a hotel with a/c and so we are all enjoying being in our own cool rooms. I also made sure w had a room each so we can live the final three days in India in comfort and with some privacy and quiet.
We took the new Water Metro from a point called Fort Kochi to somewhere called High Court Junction which is where the hotel receptionist said we could organise a boat to see the backwaters for the following day.
The water metro was disappointing – just a slow moving passenger ferry which could carry many more people than they allow on, hence we had a 15 minute wait while watching a half full electric ferry disappearing across the bay. They should take a lesson from the ferry in Dar – pack them in until absolutely everyone who wants to cross, can cross.
There are quite a few similarities between East Africa and India; lack of pavements, litter, bad driving, power cuts, water problems, poor quality building works, but also friendly people, driving on the left, easy living, cheap, things generally work.
One of the main thins I wanted to do in Kerala was to take a boat through the backwaters and I managed to get a very cheap deal (£18 each) for a full day excursion.
The driver picked us up at 8:30 from the hotel and we drive an hour to a little village where we were joined by a Portuguese man and his French wife and hopped on a canoe which was propelled through the water by means of a pole. We had a tour guide – a young woman – who was very well informed and friendly.
The backwaters are beautiful but also contain a lot of rubbish such as nappies, bottles, plastic bags and food wrappers. It’s hard to see past this blight, but if you can, you will see lush vegetation, wonderful houses, shambas, cattle, ducks, dogs, kingfisher and other exotic birds.
It’s so peaceful and we were very grateful for a break from the traffic noise which has followed us throughout our travels.
Lunch was at a local village homestay in the backwaters and was served on a banana leaf. It comprised lots of small portions of local dishes with lots of rice. It’s amazing how tasty simple food can be made if someone has the proper skills. We don’t always need expensive ingredients to make amazing food.
We had been taken around the garden by the guide and shown so many trees and plants which produce fruit and nuts. I got to take home a fresh nutmeg and there were jack fruit, mango, orchids, cinnamon trees, lemon plants and many others I cannot remember.
The ground is so fertile that whatever seed you drop, a plant will emerge.
After lunch we went back to another house where a sulky man took us into a bigger boat with a roof to protect us from the unrelenting sun, and a very small outboard motor, up wider parts of the backwater. After that hour-long excursion we were ready for the taxi ride back to the hotel. We were all falling asleep in the car having done nothing much but sit on a boat and look at trees and birds and plants.
The backwaters were as I expected them to be and I as pleased that the two parts of this trip which I was particularly keen on, had gone well. These were the toy train to Shimla and the backwaters of Kerala. I can return home happy now.