Aquabliss Alappuzha

... go out and get some and then would need to chill it for a few minutes before delivering to our room. It did eventually show up.<br><br>Dinner was a buffet of Kerala dishes. All pretty good except the bread. The humidity must be about 99.9% because the crispy bread is soggy in about 5 minutes.<br><br>After we sat down we looked out the window and it was latterly covered with mosquito's. After dinner I hurried back to the room to take my malaria pill.

... doing to retain Alleppey's "old charm" and then drove around for a tour of the landmarks. One of the places they took us to was an old coir factory, where they take the thread of coconut fibers and make rugs and things with it. Being in Kerala, our guide informed us that this factory was communist and as a result had been unwilling to adopt any new technology in their processing. Therefore, all their equipment was really old and it took them too long ...

... heinous error but it eventually dawned on us that everyone in the restaurant was munching away "using the fingers only". And not only that, but only the fingers on the right hand (left hand is considered dirty and used for er... other stuff). Although the food was delicious, neither of us is sure we can ever get used to this eating technique and don't worry we won't be heading back to the UK to be the weird ones eating with fingers ...

... through a labyrinth of waterways composed of lakes (the biggest in Asia), canals and rivers lined with either huge paddy fields or dense greenery which helps preserve rural Keralan lifestyles that are completely hidden from the road. Every now and then we would catch a glimpse of homes, farms, churches, mosques and temples, watch the kids play and see the mothers washing clothes at the water's edge. The food we ate was another ...

... of it, the young chef defiantly knew how to cook. After around an hour the engines fired up again and we were on the move once more, we continued exploring the backwaters for some hours before stopping again for dinner. Before we eat, decided to take a smaller boat though some of narrower channels, we meandered through patches of water lilies, paddy fields and small houses on the river banks as children shouted "pen please!", a lot ...

... day. The houseboat was not the most wonderful thing I have ever experienced and I don't know if I would even put it on my list of top 10 things to do before you die, but I would do it again if I was in Kerela and would recommend anyone who was going to that area do it. Perhaps expectations were just set to high and we picked a dud houseboat either way it left me wanting to do it again. The houseboat wasn't the only ...

... this instead. Yesterday I finally did some proper touristy things and went on a backwater cruise. I went into a tourist office to book it and the guy in there was cool and seemed honest and well-informed. A random moment occurred when at one point he had to ring another tourist agent man and he gave me the phone to talk to him. He said ' and you can speak French to him if you like' before handing over the handset. So I spoke French to this random guy on the phone who was ...

... for something completely different... The road is - you have read this description before - narrow, bumpy, windy, vascillating between dirt and pavement. Cutting through the dense jungle, huge fallen trees litter the hills above and below. There have been many landslides. Our drivers, are cautiously reckless, navigating their dilapidated busses while incessantly using their air horns, and waving at almost everyone we pass. Every few hours we stop for hot chai, a smoke, maybe a banana ...

... the food is reputed to be so spicey. And we can say for sure, that there really is nothing worse than bland Indian food. Luckily, even your mistakes don't hurt too bad, at least on the wallet, a common amount for a meal for two was in the range of 4 Dollars US. And amazingly, aside from the pizza hut, and the delicious (though notorious) meal at the Imperial in Delhi, we ate nothing but Indian food during our whole time here. That's a feat we did not achieve in any other country ...

... and Cath and Rich & Nial. Nearly died about 30 times. Sorry mom(s). All very very funny though. Had a few meals and the waiter kept us behind so he could come back to our room to get a photo. Ended up in a go-go bar by accident. Obviously the gay Indian chap took a shine instantly to Dan. Left after drinking beer in record time. Also spotted our first (poor attempt at) ladyboy. Could have at least had a shave. Just ...