Our boat cleaved its way through the thick growth of water Lillies which grow in abundance in the backwaters of Kerala. Overhead the coconut trees arched on to the canal from both sides of the bank in a silent tribute to us. I was near Alapuzha (Alleppey) town and was heading towards the Vemanaud lake.
As I sailed down the canal through sleepy hamlets, I could see the life style of the folks living on the edge of the canal. The houses were small and compact with tiled roofs. Each house was enclosed with a neat little fence, made from coconut leaves enclosing a small garden and a patch for vegetables. The women come to the canal to wash utensils and clothes. In some places the canal was so narrow that I could spy right into the living rooms of the houses.
For people living on the banks, the canal is their main mode of transportation; it is their life line.
I saw children going to school in small boats very much like kids packed in a rickshaw in the city.
I spotted a moving grocery and a vegetable boat. A 'general store boat' was selling plastic wares, soaps, knives and ropes. A government-run boat would pick up and drop passengers, moving diagonally from bank to bank.
I was sitting on a cane chair on the deck of the boat and I could see the paddy fields stretching away far into the distant horizon. We were in Kuttanaud or the land of small people. The labourers working knee deep in paddy fields gave the impression of short statured people. Kuttanaud is reputed to be 3 metres below sea level. The sea water has been kept away by dykes and dams.
Our boat lazed along quietly on the canal which after a point opened out to the wide expanse of the Vemanaud lake bordered by gilded coconut trees swaying in the gentle breeze, at the distant end.
In Gods own country, the pace of life has a different rhythm. It is slow and measured without a trace of haste. I looked across to the bank. There, under the shade of a mango tree, a father and son were lying on a mat. It was quiet and peaceful save for an occasional knocking` of a woodpecker. It was mid afternoon and siesta time for the inhabitants of Gods own country.
Facts:
One of the places where you can board a house-boat is from the Allepey town-also known as the Gateway to the backwaters of Kerala.
You can hire a boat for 24 hours starting from morning at 10 AM. At dusk because the fisherman cast their fishing nets in the canal, nocturnal movements of the boats are prohibited. The boats have to be moored for the night. Time can hang heavy on your hands if you are travelling alone. A better option would be hire the boat till evening and then check into one of the many riverside resorts that dot the canal, which can be more fun.
Some of the resorts to stay when you spending your time in the backwaters of Kerala.
Coconut lagoon
Lake Palace Hotel
Homestays in Allepey
www.nelpura.com
