So am back from a week in Kerela, which was absolutely fantastic!
We left Kodai on 14th morning by bus and drove down to Alleppy. We stopped at Thekadi for lunch and started our first of many Kerela meals. Kerela rice, spicy fish curry, fried beef and chicken curry. Delicious!
We got into Alleppy at 7 and went straight to the orphanage where we were doing some SoEx work. It was an all boys orphanage and we had planned different activities for them – art, games, story telling / skit and dance. It was really nice hanging out with the kids and they were so appreciative of the things we did for them. We had dinner with them and then went back to the hotel. Hotel Raiban was not the greatest hotel but we were so tired every one just crashed.
An early start the next day, we went to the canal, unloaded all the canoes. There were 6 ‘mad river’ canoes – fibre glass canoes and three country canoes which is the local canoes and can take up to 6 people.
Day one I was in a country canoe with three other students and the gang was off. We rowed 12 kms in the morning, starting from Alleppy and going across Vembanad lake. We stopped for lunch at a little restaurant on the backwaters itself. Fresh prawns and fish. We got to swim before lunch. Back onto the canoes after lunch and rowed 10 more kms to Kavalam where we stayed the night.
At Kavalam we had a home stay and some kids stayed in the
house while a group of us spent the night on the boat. It was so much fun, sleeping under the stars and the bright moon. The mosquito’s weren’t too bad and I guess we all were so tired that sleep came pretty quick. Around 5 it started to drizzle a bit but we decided to sleep through it and were up at 6am to get ready for another day of canoeing.
Day 2 I was in the mad river canoe with uncle Dan and it was a blast, though it did take us some time to figure out how to go straight J
Another 12 kms later we arrived for lunch, tired, sun burnt and extremely hungry.
After lunch the boat took us to a nice swimming spot and we spend the afternoon swimming in the backwaters not trying to think about the gunk which goes into the water. Jumping of the roof of the boat into the water – lots of fun.
We then had another 8 kms to row and Azra and I were on a canoe together and we kicked ass and reached our destination first! I know I know I am competitive!
The tourist lodge in Neerettupuram we stayed in was not that great but one has got to rough it out. We finally got a break from rice (which we had had for the past 5 meals!) and had some Kerela parottas and chicken curry. Yummy. There is a temple right next to the hotel so wiggles and I got a chance to go and check it out. Fantastic thing – multiculturalism is, I learnt about Hindu rituals from an American, along with some tamil phrases and how to tie a lungi! Who would have thunk it!
The next morning we got off to a late start, due to some missing oars and by the time we got going it was so hot. Got some more color on me J Day 3 – back in the country canoe with 5 students. We kept pretty good pace and some good team work was the reason.
We stopped for lunch at Edathua and then there was no rowing that afternoon. Since the roof of the boat had been removed (we were going under some low bridges) us girls were innovative measured the speed and direction of wind and tied up some lungis and had a made shift cover which stayed up thanks to the wind.
Our destination for the night - Chambakulam was this really nice resort, which had a proper bathroom. Oh what a relief. A long shower – washing my hair, bliss!
We then walked around town for a bit and did a bit of shopping. My first trip where I dint buy any shoes!
Dinner was fantastic and included prawns and squid. I am really glad I am getting over my issues of eating sea food. This trip made me appreciate well cooked fish / prawns and squid. Yummy.
After dinner our guides said they had a surprise for us and we went out into the patio and they gave us fire crackers to burn. It was really thoughtful of them to do that for us.
Wiggles then found some tamil music CDs and we had a dance off with all the students.
Last day of canoeing and it was a mad dash towards the finish line and kudos to the country canoe super team who beat out all the mad river canoes.
We stopped for lunch at this house which overlooked the backwaters and the backyard was a huge paddy field. It was such a serene place. While we waited for lunch, Benny our guide
climbed up a coconut tree to get us tender coconut. This meal was the best of the trip. Typical Kerela food and absolutely delicious.
After lunch we got onto the boat and headed back to Alleppy. The last 5 kms we got back into the canoes for the victory lap. As we came to our finish point we saw a whole load of people waiting for us including a bunch of reporters and TV crew. KP our translator gave the interview and the next day there was an article in the Malyalam Manorama along with a picture.
Our last night we stayed in a 3 star hotel which was really nice. The hotel must have been shocked when they saw us walk in. 28 people – haggared and in lungis. We checked in and then went to the beach. I must say the beach in alleppy is the cleanest beach I have seen in India – apart from Lakshwadeep that is.
We got back to the hotel and jumped into the pool. The pool was tiny and by the time we all got in we barely had space to swim. But I was fun.
The next day we headed back to Kodai – tired, burnt but immensely happy about the fantastic trip.
We left Kodai on 14th morning by bus and drove down to Alleppy. We stopped at Thekadi for lunch and started our first of many Kerela meals. Kerela rice, spicy fish curry, fried beef and chicken curry. Delicious!
We got into Alleppy at 7 and went straight to the orphanage where we were doing some SoEx work. It was an all boys orphanage and we had planned different activities for them – art, games, story telling / skit and dance. It was really nice hanging out with the kids and they were so appreciative of the things we did for them. We had dinner with them and then went back to the hotel. Hotel Raiban was not the greatest hotel but we were so tired every one just crashed.
An early start the next day, we went to the canal, unloaded all the canoes. There were 6 ‘mad river’ canoes – fibre glass canoes and three country canoes which is the local canoes and can take up to 6 people.Day one I was in a country canoe with three other students and the gang was off. We rowed 12 kms in the morning, starting from Alleppy and going across Vembanad lake. We stopped for lunch at a little restaurant on the backwaters itself. Fresh prawns and fish. We got to swim before lunch. Back onto the canoes after lunch and rowed 10 more kms to Kavalam where we stayed the night.
At Kavalam we had a home stay and some kids stayed in the
house while a group of us spent the night on the boat. It was so much fun, sleeping under the stars and the bright moon. The mosquito’s weren’t too bad and I guess we all were so tired that sleep came pretty quick. Around 5 it started to drizzle a bit but we decided to sleep through it and were up at 6am to get ready for another day of canoeing.Day 2 I was in the mad river canoe with uncle Dan and it was a blast, though it did take us some time to figure out how to go straight J
Another 12 kms later we arrived for lunch, tired, sun burnt and extremely hungry.
After lunch the boat took us to a nice swimming spot and we spend the afternoon swimming in the backwaters not trying to think about the gunk which goes into the water. Jumping of the roof of the boat into the water – lots of fun.
We then had another 8 kms to row and Azra and I were on a canoe together and we kicked ass and reached our destination first! I know I know I am competitive!
The tourist lodge in Neerettupuram we stayed in was not that great but one has got to rough it out. We finally got a break from rice (which we had had for the past 5 meals!) and had some Kerela parottas and chicken curry. Yummy. There is a temple right next to the hotel so wiggles and I got a chance to go and check it out. Fantastic thing – multiculturalism is, I learnt about Hindu rituals from an American, along with some tamil phrases and how to tie a lungi! Who would have thunk it!
The next morning we got off to a late start, due to some missing oars and by the time we got going it was so hot. Got some more color on me J Day 3 – back in the country canoe with 5 students. We kept pretty good pace and some good team work was the reason.
We stopped for lunch at Edathua and then there was no rowing that afternoon. Since the roof of the boat had been removed (we were going under some low bridges) us girls were innovative measured the speed and direction of wind and tied up some lungis and had a made shift cover which stayed up thanks to the wind.
Our destination for the night - Chambakulam was this really nice resort, which had a proper bathroom. Oh what a relief. A long shower – washing my hair, bliss!
We then walked around town for a bit and did a bit of shopping. My first trip where I dint buy any shoes!
Dinner was fantastic and included prawns and squid. I am really glad I am getting over my issues of eating sea food. This trip made me appreciate well cooked fish / prawns and squid. Yummy.
After dinner our guides said they had a surprise for us and we went out into the patio and they gave us fire crackers to burn. It was really thoughtful of them to do that for us.
Wiggles then found some tamil music CDs and we had a dance off with all the students.
Last day of canoeing and it was a mad dash towards the finish line and kudos to the country canoe super team who beat out all the mad river canoes.
We stopped for lunch at this house which overlooked the backwaters and the backyard was a huge paddy field. It was such a serene place. While we waited for lunch, Benny our guide
climbed up a coconut tree to get us tender coconut. This meal was the best of the trip. Typical Kerela food and absolutely delicious.After lunch we got onto the boat and headed back to Alleppy. The last 5 kms we got back into the canoes for the victory lap. As we came to our finish point we saw a whole load of people waiting for us including a bunch of reporters and TV crew. KP our translator gave the interview and the next day there was an article in the Malyalam Manorama along with a picture.
Our last night we stayed in a 3 star hotel which was really nice. The hotel must have been shocked when they saw us walk in. 28 people – haggared and in lungis. We checked in and then went to the beach. I must say the beach in alleppy is the cleanest beach I have seen in India – apart from Lakshwadeep that is.
We got back to the hotel and jumped into the pool. The pool was tiny and by the time we all got in we barely had space to swim. But I was fun.
The next day we headed back to Kodai – tired, burnt but immensely happy about the fantastic trip.
