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Floating in a kettuvallam, and fond farewells
Entry 13 of 27 | show all | print this entry |
An early start was required on Thursday as we were being taken to a place at the top of the plantation called 'Madame's Pond'. This is where one of the former owners used to go on her horse, relax and enjoy the view and the peace. Panaswamy advised us it was around 2k away and no more than 15 mins drive - however, the managers jeep would be required as the road was a little rough. In reality, it was 5k away, took more than half an hour to get there, and we were battered and bruised by all the jumping and bouncing due to the treacherous state of the path. Ted took the sensible option and ran there, although it was mainly uphill. When we finally got there, we were well rewarded. A small tranquil pool, surrounded by huge imposing rocks, looked out over a vista that was enough to take your breath away. The driver and his pal scampered around on the rocks in their flip flops, while we gingerly traversed them to try and get the best shots. Another piece of Eden in this crazy, amazing country. On the way back, we had to get out of the jeep on a couple of occasions so the jeep could make it up the rockstrewn driveways, but on our return, Panaswamy had prepared a breakfast of champions to see us on our way.
A swift getaway was required to make it to Kumakarom in time for lunch, and so with the our bags packed and on the bus, we said our final farewells & thank yous to Panaswamy and his team. We headed down the 2.2km driveway to start our next adventure, when, about 3/4 of the way down, Matt realised he didn't have his mobile phone with him. Matt set off a a run back up to the house, refusing our pleas that we should drive, and so we sat......and we sat......and we sat......for Matt to return some 20 mins later to tell us that it had been found in the very same jeep that we'd been in that morning and that we needed to go and pick it up from the manager. A swift getaway it was not, and an hour later, we finally found ourselves on our way.
The roads in Kerala are very well maintained for the most part, so the drive was smooth and Salven delivered us in record time. As we pulled up alongside the canal, we couldn't believe our eyes at the size of the houseboat. Three bedrooms, each with air conditioning, their own bathrooms (with showers!!!!), a lounge area with a six seater dining room table, and a sofa and chairs. We were expecting to rough it; we were in the lap of luxury! As soon as we were safely on board, we headed off and meandered through the backwaters of Kerala. Everywhere we went, we saw children running along the canal banks, waving at us; women doing their laundry in the water; men sitting, chatting and drinking chai along the canal paths. An apparent picture of idyllic contentment. The food, again, did not disappoint, and we spent the afternoon reading, napping, chatting - not doing very much at all, except enjoying the views and the company. Bliss.
It was at night that the bugs came out. Bugs, and bugs and bugs. So we ate dinner by candlelight to avoid the worst of them. Some of the houseboats that we went past were even more fancy than ours - widescreen TVs, hi-fi systems, huge mosquito nets covering the front of the boat; but we liked the rustic simplicity of our boat, and whiled away the evening discussing our bowels (How many days is it, Michelle, since you've been?), playing cards, and trying to figure out what noises were coming from which insects and animals.
Again, god bless air conditioning which we had in each of our rooms, as otherwise I don't think we'd have slept. The air in Kerala is oppressively hot, causing your clothes to stick to you and meaning that any movement feels as though you are wading through mud. But the cool air ensured a good nights sleep (and finally, a movement of a much more important type!!!!) and this morning found us pulling into Allepey at the end of our Kerala adventure.
Salven delivered us safely at Cochin airport, from where we flew to Mumbai.
And so 6 became four, as Ted & I said our goodbyes to Matt & Mel (heading back to Switzerland) and Sally & Ben (heading back to London). It was a very bittersweet departure as we've had such a good time together, but goodbyes were said and Ted & I found our driver to bring us to our hotel in Mumbai.
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| 13. | Floating in a kettuvallam, and fond farewells - Alappuzha, India Jan 09, 2009 |
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