water, water everywhere

a canal too small even for our little canoe

alleppey is thought to be one of the better (or at least better-known) spots to explore the backwaters of kerala. though i only had essentially half a day there i thought i'd make the most of it by taking a boat ride. since these people are in the business of boats - they have them in spades. any shape, size or price range you could imagine. there's even an 8-hour commuter ferry that goes all the way to kovalam (about 8 hours away) for just a few hundred rupees. then of course there are the extravagant honeymoon houseboats that come with all amenities, including on-board staff. i opted for the lower end of the spectrum (surprise surprise) and since i was by myself a canoe ride seemed like the best option anyway. it was small but quite cozy, and had a small covering which was appreciated especially as the first hour of my trip was rather drizzly.

colors of the backwaters

we spent the early part of the three hours on a larger part of the river but as the skies began to clear and time went on we moved in to the smaller canals and could see life on the river up close. as we floated by we could see coconut trees, pretty little pastel houses, roosters crowing and people out to wash their clothes on the rocks. it was a lovely little ride, peppered with sights like lilypads, boats carved and colorful and even a few kingfishers (what a pretty bird). the ride was relaxing - just what i needed after a few hectic days, and i even got to row, which i really enjoyed. my guide/personal rower asked no less than four time "are you happy?" i must have answered unconvincingly. but after a few hours on the water in alleppey, yes, i was quite content.

that day it was on to varkala. alright, full disclosure: this was not one of my finer travel ventures. but i'll tell you the whole story anyway, whoever's actually reading this, that is. i intended to take a train to varkala despite being told it was 'always late'. come to find out, i should have inquired as to how late it would be. i got to the train station and was told it would be 4.30 instead of 3.30. this quickly turned into 5.30. at that point i figured i'd be getting into varkala too late (it gets dark early down south!) and figured i'd just take the bus since it would leave right away.

so after losing 20 rs. for refunding my ticket, i took a local bus back to the bus stand (where i had just been, i might add). from there i had to take not one bus, but three, ending me up in varkala long past when the train would have deposited me. lessons learned: when people say 'that train is always late,' ask them how late. and when people say 'the train will be better for you,' they're probably right.

rocks and cliffs of varkala

so i arrived into varkala feeling rather exhausted and jaded but luckily found my hotel easily enough. i was delighted to find a tidy little room that had clean sheets, towels, and toilet paper. amazing! i was even more delighted the next morning to discover that i had chosen a beautiful little spot to stay. i chose the city because it was on the coast and situated in a little cove between two cliffs. the cliff - just a few meters' walk from my hotel - was picturesque and the view was just breathtaking. exactly what i needed after the long day of travel before.

shiny wet rocks and sea weeds

of course i wasn't the first one to discover this little bastion and it was immediately clear that this was a popular tourist haunt. as if the tibetan good shops and ubiquitous ali baba pants (calling all hippies) weren't enough - there were continental restaurants boasting waffles (i resisted) and blasting bob marley. i meandered through the shops without buying toooo much but did have two meals with a view of the sea. there's something about eating overlooking the sea that's always sort of magical. and for the first time i felt like i was on vacation, rather than of just traveling.

crashing waves cover the entire shore

i did get a closer look at the water, too. i walked down one of the several sets of steps that lead down to the shore. the tide must have been coming in because the strip of shoreline was rather narrow. throughout the sands were red, craggy rocks overgrown with slimy algae, along with shiny shells and scaly fish. they say the riptide in kerala is intense and claims several people each year. just watching those waves crashing violently against the rocks, i'm inclined to believe them. so although it was a beautiful sunny day (the first after a week of rain, i was told) though i did manage to get my skirt thoroughly soaked while taking a picture. so i suppose you old say i was in the arabian sea.

i guess you can't go to kerala without experiencing the waters firsthand.