This day was the kind of day that makes you feel like you are the luckiest person alive to be exploring the world. Everything about it was simply perfect. Kochi has been nicknamed the “Venice of the East” and we were going to be finding out why on a cruise of the Alleppey backwaters.
A view of Fort Cochin on our way to the backwaters.
My 1st sighting of the backwaters.
Once we arrived at Alleppey, which was about an hours drive from Fort Cochin, we boarded a houseboat that was formerly a rice barge used for transporting goods from isolated villages to the towns.
Me, the houseboat, and the captain.
The backwaters are a series of rivers and canals along the Kerala coastline. It is one of the very few places on earth where farming is done below sea level. I knew that it was going to be a serene ride, but I had no idea just how stunning the scenery would be along the way. Alleppey is a haven to migratory birds and is fringed by palms and patty fields. Life there revolves around the water. Children are raised to learn how to swim before they walk and how to row a boat before riding a bicycle. My idea of Paradise!
For some reason, as we began to float down the backwaters, the following song played in my head. I thought it would be good background music while you enjoy the picturesque ride.
And so the ride begins!
Where would the houseboat take us next. . .
Tweet
