Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Kerala and Cochin - Houseboat

WOW!!! What a difference. So glad we came to South India. Totally different India. Kinda like seeing US for first time and going from New York City to Florida! The houseboat experience was awesome. Accommodations were kinda like a cruise ship. Tiny but we didn't spent any time in the room except sleeping. They turned the AC on during siesta and at night. We had six attendants (two chefs). It was great!! We cruised and stopped and walked in the villages and then cruised again. We had to stop at 6:00 p.m. because of the fisherman. Didn't want to get caught in the nets. Several of the places we stopped rarely saw strangers (white people) It was so neat. We would smile and they would smile back! Waved to everyone on the shore. People bathed in the backwater, brushed teeth, washed clothes (i.e. beat them against a rock) In South India, the men wear long sarong skirts and fold them up and tuck them in to be cool. That's kinda different. Saw a lot of neat things - have a bunch of pictures of course. OH!!! The coolest thing was the duck farmers. That's right, duck farmers. We were in the boat - looked out and saw thousands of ducks swimming across the water!! They get eggs from them to sell. We saw several duck farmers and I was enthralled every time!! Sooo cute!!
We are in Cochin now - just another big city. Driving is just as scary but not so many horns!! Tomorrow night is a harbor cruise and home hosted dinner with a Syrian Christian family.

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