The Backwaters of India

Day 10 & our last day 12/21/2012  Backwater boating

The Backwaters region of Cochin has the nickname of Venice of the east.  Here we boarded a large 2-deck houseboat and trolled through a number of canals.  The boating excursion began with fresh coconut milk and encompassed refreshments and lunch, ending with fried bananas for dessert. 

Most of the water within this area is fresh water, enabling them to plant rice fields.  The rice paddies are 4 feet below sea level and the residents are able to plant rice 3 times a year.  After the rice is harvested, the fields are flooded with the water for around 15 days and then drained in order to enrich the soil for the next round of rice plants. 

Many of the islands within this region are long and narrow.  Folks do live here and use the water for multiple purposes – cleaning dishes, clothing, swimming, etc.  We did get a chance to pass by a snake boat that is used for racing.  The crew for this boat we saw was around 100 – a bit bigger than the crew boats I was a coxswain for in college.    

 This was a great way to relax before heading to the airport the next morning – 1:30 am Kerala time 12/22/2/12 and 3 pm Kentucky time 12/21/2012. 

On our way back to the Assisi, we did stop at some shops for last minute gifts. At the mall, we were able to hear more groups caroling, including the seminary students who won the other night at our caroling contest.  The traffic that night, Friday night traffic preceding a holiday, was the pits though.  It made the shore traffic in NJ look like the Indy 500.  Our bus/van driver definitely deserves a medal for getting us safely back.