Bell Resort & Ayurvedic Center Alappuzha

We took a taxi from Varkala to Kollam where we were set to catch a boat North to Alleppey. The eight hour journey gave us a wonderful insight into life on the backwaters. The main canal wound its wide body through bright green rice paddies, in between the palm trees that lined the banks, cows and goats quenched their thirst. The women slapped the rocks with their laundery and men stood waist deep lathering up for their daily wash. Children hung from branches ...

... make anything, so orders weren't coming in anymore and they would probably be forced to shut down soon. These people were driving themselves out of business by continuing to use machines that were hundreds of years old, despite the availability of newer, faster devices.<br><br>We spent the rest of the day at our hotel, the Marari Beach Resort, which was right on the beach. The water on this coast was the Arabian Sea, which was colder than the Bay of ...

... your dinner party! We also had a try of the local tipple - coconut beer which is grown from fermenting the plants on the tree. Very tasty, we're surprised they don't sell it. 3. Gondola-wallah getting an earful. As we passed a small canalside village whilst paddling the way back to town, there was a sudden cacophony. Emerging from behind a mango tree was a huge old lady, shouting like hell and beating her bingo wings madly in the air ...

... Keralan food is yummy! The flavours are much more subtle compared to your average curry as roughly ground coconut and yoghurt are often used as the base for the sauce. We ate lots of rice with dhal, rasam (watery hot soup) and avial (root veggies in thick sauce). But no meat!! Yes, you heard us, we haven't eaten meat in over 3 days!! Mike is a little light headed but coping fine. The only thing we were not too crazy ...

... kids here ask for pens, been meaning to buy a box, but once again forgot. At least kids here ask for something which can benefit their education, unlike Mumbai where all you hear is "10 rupees!" Returned back to the houseboat as the sun was setting, it was extremely beautiful to watch the sun set on the water though the palm trees, the sky was a vivid orange and the reflections on the water were exquisite. After the sun had ...

... I did in Alleppey (although there really isn't any other reason to go to Alleppey). But the day before the houseboat adventure we ventured down to the beach in the afternoon and the water was the warmest ocean water I have ever felt! (Someone then ruined it by telling me it was probably because sewage usually warms up the water). But this nice India family came over to hang out on the beach with us too. They were ...

... fact Indian. Afterwards I asked the guy in the office why I had to speak french to the guy on the phone and he said 'you look French so I thought you'd prefer top speak French to him'. I found all this so random as I'd not mentioned that I spoke French or anything about France! Anyway, it seems there are lots of French people here and sure enough when I got on the boat everyone except 2 Germans and a big Russian guy were French. They were a big family - their daughter is ...

... two, and then get back on the road for a little more physical abuse. Seated at the front of the bus, opposite the driver and below the flashing Krishna lamp, all of the passengers curiously check us out. The bus stops frequently (7 hours - 120 km.) picking everyone up - hordes of screaming, uniformed schoolchildren; sick people going to the local clinic; farmers with local produce; day laborers; professionals on their way to meetings. As with most bus rides in India, a quarter of the ...

... ve visited. One last issue that has amused us to no end: The Indian Head Bobble. It's a bit hard to explain but Indian people sort of waggle their head from side to side sometimes while talking to you or each other. We have not quite figured it out, but suspect it is sort of like a nod of agreement or perhaps ambivalence and sometimes dismissal. We have found ourselves starting to do it a bit, but still can't fully explain it. We guess it's just one more mystery to solve on our next visit.

... in Kerala this morning (or middle of the night for those in U.K.) after a night on the sleeper train. No probs really. Kerala is absolutely fantastic though. Quite nice to get away from the goldfish bowl cities. Cath can wear shorts now! Already had our first fish dish sat on plastic chairs on the sand watching the water slosh by. Got a dead nice guesthouse, where we're all hoping to catch up on some kip from the last ...