Allepey 20th - 21st Jan 2005

I arrived at Alleppey in the midday heat in a busy, noisy, and congested bus stand, full of seller’s rickshaw drivers, and hotel touts all after Mark the walking ATM. I walk away from the bus stand to find somewhere out of the chaos where I can consult my book and try and get my bearings. Unfortunately half of Alleppey's rickshaw drivers didn’t get the hint and followed me to the canal bank and continued to pester me. After half an hour of people hanging around me and peering over my shoulder as I tried to read, I decided enough was enough. It’s amazing how quickly and angry white man can disperse a crowd of Indians.

Eventually I manage to arrange digs in a great little guest house in the centre of town but far enough away from the noise of the streets. Alleppey is a busy, bustling market town set between two canals which connect to a huge lake. The lake is one of the main gateways to the Kerala backwaters. Later when walking along the North canal I witnessed for the first time the affects of the tsunami. Although Alleppey was not directly affected itself, parts of Kerala were. Since the Tsunami tourists have been staying away from Kerala. Hundreds of empty house boats lined the canal, and when a tourist is seen (me in this instance) there are literally dozens of people following down the street competing for business. Unfortunately they chose the wrong guy, even in a buyers market a house boat is beyond my budget. Once at the lake I am able to see the site of the Snake Cup race. A famous Indian boat race, which I missed!

The following day I arrange a backwater cruise (8 hours) about 80km south to the market town of Kollam.

Alleppey - Kollam River cruise

The backwater trip between Alleppey and Kollam was an amazing way to travel, at a relaxing pace through some of the most beautiful scenery that I have ever experienced. After so many death defying bus journeys it really was a pleasure to travel at a slow and safe pace (by Indian standards). I took up a nice sunbathing spot on the roof of the boat and sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the views. I was amazed at the size of the network of canals, waterways, and rivers that make up the backwaters, it really is quite breathtaking.

As we travel through the backwaters we pass through rural settlements sited on narrow strips of land between waterways. Some of these strips of land are no more than 2 or 3 meters wide, but the kids still somehow manage to play cricket there.

The backwaters are a hive of activity with village life all along the banks, boat men taking goods and materials from one village to the next, children swimming, women washing clothes, and fishermen in traditional wooden boats. I even saw one man standing on a small wooden boat, sculling the boat with a paddle in one hand, and using a wooden paddle in the other hand to herd ducks. God knows why, but he had managed to get well over 200 ducks all huddled together moving uniformly down the river in front of his boat. Maybe they were to be served for dinner!

Once on the boat you are at the mercy of the driver and they are well rehearsed at stripping tourists of their money. They take us for a lunch stop at a river side restaurant which serves the worst thali I have had in the whole of India, and charges us about four times more than the most expensive thali in India.

That aside the boat trip was a great experience and a really relaxing way to spend the day. We finally arrive in Kollam just after sunset and all of a sudden the tranquility of the backwaters seems a million miles away.

Kollam is unattractive mess of a town bustling on the banks of the lake at the southern end of the backwaters. I look around the town for an hour trying to find anywhere reasonable to stay. No Joy. There really is nothing here and nothing nice about this town. I end up getting a rickshaw about 4km out of town and stay the night in a hotel situated on the banks of the lake. Nice Hotel, shame about the town. I leave early the following morning to catch a train to Varkala, a remote beach resort. YES!! Bring on the beach.. It must have been a good three weeks since I was last lazing on a beach!