A while back, in a Lonely Planet guide to India I read about the Kerala backwaters in the south west. There was lots written about day tours and house boats, but what grabbed me was the chance to catch a two day ferry trip north to Kochi (Cochin).
This plan was a kind of link in my trip, head south west, then by ferry start the trip north taking 3 weeks to get to Delhi. So you can imagine how delighted I was to get to Kollam and find that there is no such ferry.
But this trip is an adventure and on adventures things don’t go smoothly, after all, that’s what makes it an adventure, right?
In fact, despite my disappointment things were going well. My Bangalore Belly was settling down, I managed to get to Kollam, I had another amazeballs experience and I am in India. There is a ferry, but it only goes to Alleppey, takes 8hrs and costs Rs400 ($AUD9), then I can get a bus to Kochi.
Ferry 25. Kollam to Alleppey
There is a temptation to not write about this day, just post pictures of the most incredibly surprising trip. A double decker ferry with about 20 people on board chugging along coconut palm lined canals passing fishing canoes and houses and people and hot and humid.
Impressive number of fishing boats along the way
…and some not so big fishing boats
Towards the end there was a traffic jam of hundreds of houseboats thing up for the evening. They look fantastic but we’re pretty expensive, even by Australian standards.
I have more photos but internet is frustratingly slow and as much as I am enjoying writing all this, it is painful Maybe I will add some more later or figure out how to make my Google album public.
Do check out this video of a steampunkish coconut oil extraction factory
And somewhere along the way I took my watch off…
So pleased you’re having so many amazing experiences! Just what you pictured! Want to see all the photos!!