Sailing the Kerala Backwaters

After 3 full and active days on the beaches of Varkala, on Tuesday morning February 4th, we grabbed a taxi and took a 3 hour drive to the town of Kollam.  In Kollam a houseboat awaited us which would serve as our home for the next 2 nights.  After 3 consecutive 12 hour beach days, we looked forward to what we expected would be a time to recharge a bit.  

The houseboats sail the Kerala backwaters which are a network of lakes, lagoons, rivers and canals. The backwaters of Kerala, India stretch 1000 miles.  The houseboats which now serve as a source of tourism for the region were once the only mode of transportation bringing goods from the backwater region to villages around southern India.  Before their conversion to motorized water homes, they were powered by one or two oarsmen and the boats were heavily loaded with rice, coconut and other natural goods.  As technological advancements made the boats largely obsolete, a new tourism opportunity evolved. 

The boats themselves are constructed of wood, bamboo and coir rope.  Since I didn't know before boarding the boat, I will share that coir rope is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut.  The hull of the boat is a series of handcrafted wooden planks which are tied together with the previously mentioned coir rope.  Pretty cool.  The frame of the roof is constructed from bamboo while smaller segments of bamboo were used to weave a mat for overhead cover.

The boat.

Let the chillaxin commence. 

Captain Reuben stepped aside for Roman and Mabret to take commend of our vessel.  Btw, Captain Reuben sorta rhymes with Captain Stubin' which prompted Dad to belt out a horribly off-pitch "Love, exciting and new.  Come Aboard, we're expecting you.  Love, life's sweetest reward. Let it flow, it floats back to you."  

 

Yoga with Dad.  If Dad lets that poor excuse for hair grow for another week he will look like the aforementioned Captin Stubing. 

We explored some of the canals aboard a canoe.

Another in a long list of amazing sunsets. We are blessed. 

As you know, we have been running a few days behind.  Trying to catch-up. Next stop...

Dubai.  

And Roman's soccer heros, Lionel Andres Messi and his FC Barcelona teammates, playing a home game at Camp Nou on Roman's 9th birthday (February 15th) in front of 100,000 adoring Spaniards.  Perhaps they can squeeze a few Americans in if we promise not to call it soccer. 

Stay tuned. 

A Diversion

A much anticipated stop on our journey was Thailand with our landing in Bangkok scheduled for January 31st.  Unfortunately, due to the recent unrest in Bangkok as the elections approached, we elected to alter our travel plans and head to the beaches in the south of India.  In the States, we would call this a detour.  In Africa and Asia, this is known as a diversion.  This is a bit of a blessing in disguise.  We asked so much of the boys in Ethiopia as we worked to move Endris, Shemelese and Yenu to Awassa and two weeks in Northern India is tough for even the most seasoned traveler.  As a result, the boys can use some well earned R and R.  

January 30th found us aboard an overnight train from Jodhpur to Delhi.  A fun and memorable experience for all.  

We arrived in Delhi around 8am and headed to the hotel for a lazy day.  After resting of a while, we found our way to the Chatter House restaurant for some good American cuisine and liquid refreshments. 

January 31st brought another long travel day for the RTW Adventure Family.  We awoke in the hotel at 7am and headed to the airport for an 11am flight to Thiruvananthapuram which is in the Kerala Region of Soutern India.  Our flight had a connection in Bengaluru that departed only 40 minutes after our landing so we needed to be ready to hustle like O.J. (the pre-murderous O.J.  You know, the Hertz guy running through the airports.)  

Upon landing in Bengaluru, a representative of Jet Air whisked us toward our connecting flight which was boarding from a remote area on the tarmac.  The connection was so smooth that nobody was on the plane when we boarded.  

The second leg of our journey to the coast of the Arabian Sea was smooth and uneventful.  We landed at Thiruvananthapuram Airport just after 4pm.  After grabbing our bags, we headed outside to locate our transport to the Oceano Hotel in Varkala.

Unfortunately, nobody awaited us as we exited the terminal.  A quick call to the hotel and they assured us just a few minutes.  Several phone calls and more than an hour later we were still waiting.   We negotiated the fare with a taxi and we were off toward the beach.  We arrived in the coastal town of Varkala around 8pm to the sounds of waves hitting the cliff and the smell of the sea water.

We will stay at the Oceano Hotel in Varkala for 4 nights before departing to the town of Kollam.  Kollam is home to several lakes and rivers known as the Kerala Backwaters. There we will negotiate a price for a two night rental of a houseboat and sail toward the town of Alleppey.

The Oceano Hotel.

The view from our balcony. 

The shoreline of the beautiful Arabian Sea.

As the calendar turned to February, we awoke to sunshine and tempatures in the high 80s.  It did not take long for the young adventurers (and the old adventurer) to step into the Arabian Sea for the first time.  

We will visit a grand total of zero forts and palaces for the next week.

Our plans only include warm temps and spontaneous adventures. 

Dinner by the sea.

Peace Out. 

Street Scenes India

India is, well, uniquely India.  We hope that you enjoy these photos without our chatter.  

Zip Lining In Jodhpur

The Meherangargh fort sits 400 feet above the city of Jodhpur and is enclosed by thick walls.  A winding road leads to and from the city below.  

The top of the fort is home to the Flying Fox Zip Line Course.  The six line course extends from the exterior of the fort offering beautiful views of the city as well as the two lakes below the fort.  The lines are very fast and provide a nice adrenaline rush along with the outstanding scenery. 

Gearing up.

Hanging with Dad on the course.

Flying!

Focusing as he comes toward the landing platform. 

Peace Out!