Upon opening the curtains on our sail in we were met with a very unusual sight as there were clouds in the sky, lots of mist and murk about and raindrops on the window. However, by the time we had completed our docking and had some breakfast, the mist was lifting and the sun was beginning to come out. As usual, the ship's staff then announced that we had permission to go ashore as the requisite security cordon had been put in place around the ship, such cordon included a 200,000 tonne aircraft carrier right behind us belonging to the Indian navy (but pre owened by a V. Putin Esq. of Moscow, Russia and definitely needing a little attention.)
We had chosen to take an excursion along the coast to an area around the town of Alleppy and which contains a myriad of lakes, canals and other backwaters. Embarking a small motor launch we wended our way around the islands and into inlets, getting an appreciation of the lifestyle of the people who had made the area their home. As in countries all over the world the younger lads were having a kickabout, the men were toiling with heavier work and fishing, whilst the women and girls were attending to the washing up, laundry and cooking...all being done on the banks of the backwaters. No such things as washing machines or dishwashers here.
Our group stopped at one of the resort islands and we were served a delicious curry lunch (nothing too spicy though), and some of the local beer to wash it all down. Despite many fears about picking up a case of the dreaded Delhi belly, we all appear to have come through unscathed....well, at the time of writing anyway.
The area around Alleppy is fertile and is a big rice growing region. Fishing is also important and tourism is a rapidly growing industry. Indeed, many of the boats on the backwaters are houseboats and can be rented out by the hour or by the week, like a floating hotel room, and with captain and cook included in the price. We exchanged enthusiastic waves with many Indian families and couples who appear to have taken one of these boats out for the day just for a bit of weekend relaxation away from the town and a nice meal.
I know that we were only in India for a day and it may be a little unfair to judge the country on the basis of one small visit, but the guides did say that our experience is pretty much a microcosm of the entire country. India is more or less what you would expect....as our outward drive and return back to the ship demonstrated.
The roads were choked with traffic, people and just about every kind of domestic animal that you can think of. Horns honked, people shouted, tuk-tuk's weaved in and out and chaos reigned, but somehow everything and everyone got through unscathed. The sides of the roads are strewn with rubbish for mile after mile. They are also lined with colourful fruit stalls, little houses, shacks, stores, ramshackle workshops of every trade but then which are then suddenly interrupted by a state of the art car showroom or beauty salon. It struck me as rather odd. But generally, people seem to eke out a living although there are definitely some slums and shantytowns. Adding to the exotic mix are the groups of men sitting around putting the world to rights, the girls and women in their saris of bright coloured silk and the schoolchildren in their smart uniforms.
Our drive took us back past the famous Chinese fishing nets, the church where the explorer Vasco de Gama was buried, and Cochin Fort, an area of town with many colonial influences. Unfortunately there was no time to stop and have a good look as we were running late and had already surpassed our embarkation time by 20 minutes. Thankfully the ship waited for us.
By the time we cast off our lines, the sun was already down and the heat of the day was beginning to dissipate. Somehow, many Indian families had made their way down to the quayside (thus evading the might of the aircraft carrier) to wave the ship goodbye....and it was a lovely friendly end to a day of cultural differences and education.
As I write we are about to round the southern tip of the coast of Sri Lanka, just 10 miles away en route to our next port of call, Phuket in Thailand.
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