We were picked up at the guesthouse by a tuk-tuk and taken down some bumpy roads followed by narrow lanes to the river dock. There were many houseboats moored in parallel to each other with some boats attached behind others, including ours. We met our captain Jobin and he helped carry our bags through a few boats onto ours, a one bedroom boat called “Holiday Nest”. The captain’s wheel was right at the front of the boat followed by a small sitting area complete with a round glass table and chairs with a bowl of bananas and pineapples, a little TV and the door to our bedroom. The bedroom was small but cute and clean and there was even a tiny adjoining bathroom. In the front area there was a set of steep stairs up to an upper deck with a couple of lounge chair and a cushioned area to sit out in the sun. Sweet! I’m going to enjoy the next 20 hours on this boat!
Leaving the Gowri Guesthouse:
The rudimentary dock:
Climbing onboard:
One of the crew (there were three in total) gave us lemonade to welcome us aboard and soon we were off along with half a dozen other houseboats also beginning their tours. We sat down below and chatted with Jobin for a while and then went to the upper deck to really enjoy the view of puttering down this narrowing canal. This is the life Stimpy.
Enjoying the welcoming refreshment:
Yup, this is alright...
The main deck:
Our room:
The kitchen at the back of the boat:
Naomi coming up to check out the upper deck:
Setting off:
Along with many other houseboats:
Our captain Jobin:
An hour later, after passing through the thinnest of the canals, maybe only two boat lengths wide, we entered a large lake. The boat was brought up next to a bank where a crew member tied us up to one of a few palm trees along the straight, manmade shoreline. This was our lunch spot but first Naomi wanted to go swimming. The water was murky but still inviting thanks to the increasingly hot day. Naomi jumped in first and remarked at the nice temperature of the water. I decided to take full advantage of our facilities and went up to the upper deck to jump in. I really wanted to dive from there but turning 40 is adding more caution to my decisions like this (believe it or not) so I jumped feet first. I did hit the bottom but my feet just went into loose silt so I didn’t actually touch the hard bottom. Okay, time to try diving in as it is for sure deep enough...so back up I went a few times to dive in.
Naomi settling in on the upper deck:
Looking back along the boat:
Down the waterway:
The local ferry boat speeding by:
Another houseboat, we began critiquing them versus ours:
My foot enjoying the view:
Naomi relaxing:
I love the name of this boat: “The Mind Sweeper”
Diving in:
We swam around the boat a bit and then headed to the gate on the side of the boat to get back in. I don’t think many of their clients go swimming so they didn’t have a ladder or anything to help getting out of the water. With the gunwales about 2-3 feet above the water, it wasn’t so easy getting out although there was an old tire (a fender for the boat) that you could try to get your foot into but it was above the waterline so you had to be flexible. I got out and then attempted to help pull Naomi in. She got her foot in the tire but I hadn’t established good footing and as the tire moved, her foot slipped and that caused me to be pulled in head first over her as we both splashed into the water...and a good laugh ensued. Too bad the crew, who were in the back kitchen area, missed that one!
We showered off the muddy water and then were presented with a gorgeous looking meal with many colourful dishes. Naomi was a bit concerned that everything was going to be too spicy and had requested that they tame it down a bit. The further south you go in India it seems the spicier it gets. And there’s one particular spice, kurkum, that is used heavily in Kerala and it doesn’t appeal to Naomi. We had been told by the Brits who we bamboo rafted with of glorious tales of their culinary delights on their house boating trip so I looked forward with anticipation to the meals on the boat.
Our lunch spread:
Bon appétit!
Well, unfortunately my expectations were crushed. The food just wasn’t that good to me and much worse for Naomi as every dish seemed to have kurkum in it and she ended up eating some of the chocolate we had brought instead. I tried to put a dent in the food but there was so much for two people, even more so when one isn’t eating!
Another houseboat pulled up about 10 meters from ours and had a raucous collection of 12-15 Indian men who were just out on a daytrip and were well into the alcohol already. We reciprocated their hellos but soon Jobin decided to move our boat about 100 meters around a corner in order for us to enjoy some post lunch relaxation. Naomi and I relaxed on the upper deck listening to our iPods and checking out the scenery.
Our raucous neighbours:
Dancing House Boaters:
Post lunch relaxation:
Whistling Dave:
Around 3:30 we set off across the lake. As we neared the other side, Naomi surprised me and asked Jobin whether she could drive the boat for a bit and he surprised me more by allowing her! We were about to head into a narrow canal so instead she began a big 360 to keep us in the lake. I have to say, she wasn’t a half bad houseboat captain, but don’t quit your day job Naomi. ;)
Captain Naomi:
She’s enjoying the bridge:
Maybe a little too much!
We cruised along various channels watching everyone going about their daily activities while we sat in the lounge chairs on the upper deck and shared a beer we had brought. Old men paddled by in small canoes, women slapped their wet laundry against the rocks, and kids played along the banks. We saw a boatload of schoolchildren crossing the canal to go home (cool way to get to school...I only ever got to use a school bus).
Boys swimming...not the clever use of plastic water bottles for floaties:
A peaceful lifestyle:
Jobin asked us if we wanted more beer so we ended up doing a beer run in a houseboat! Well really we just moored and they walked somewhere to buy it for us but it was still a bit funny. Naomi and I briefly got off the boat and walked the path along the shoreline but soon returned to the boat as there were just labourers filling up a truck with sacks of something from a boat and other men just sitting around...so not much to see.
I surreptitiously snapped this pic of the cool guy in the shades:
Jobin back from the beer run:
Down a narrow canal:
Nice pineapple snack Naomi:
An old man fishing sans pole:
A church by the water:
We arrived at our destination for the night just as the sun was setting, and it was a gorgeous sunset. We were served our massive dinner which didn’t rate any better than lunch did with either of us. Afterwards we played some cards and then retired to the bedroom to watch a movie as the massive amount of insects were driving us inside.
Relaxing in the sun chair:
Naomi soaking it in:
Even Knuffle Bunny was chilled out:
Pondering the world:
Knuffle at sunset:
It was a gorgeous one:
We arrived at our destination for the night just as the sun was setting, and it was a gorgeous sunset. We were served our massive dinner which didn’t rate any better than lunch did with either of us. Afterwards we played some cards and then retired to the bedroom to watch a movie as the massive amount of insects were driving us inside.
No comments:
Post a Comment