Day 124: Fort Cochin & Allepey – the backwater country

The backwater region of Kerala has long been on the tourist track. According to the Lonely Planet, renting a houseboat out to the backwater canals is on the top-ten-things-to-do-before-you-die list. The price can range from Rs 5,000 for one bedroom to Rs 50,000 for a five-room double-decker with conference/dance hall, all with air-condition, hot meals and cold beer on board. But there has been reports of the boat ride getting boring after a few hours. So we opted for a shorter and cheaper ride – a public ferry from Kotayam to Allepey that costs Rs 11 each. The ride took three hours, which were enough to get a taste of the backwater scenery. There were plenty of houseboats on the canals.

little girl munching on KitKat that we shared with her

view from the canal

The center of Allepey was very busy despite the temporary power-cut in the evening. There were many jewelry shops selling gold – almost 1/3 of all the shops on the main street. Quite unusual for a backwater city. There was a huge mega gold shop (painted white with purple lighting) near by the bus station. It looked out of place in this laid-back watertown. Our guesthouse – Cherakura Nest (not sure about spelling) – where we stayed was really nice. Close to the canal and away from the center.

check out our power lunch

We also spent one night in Fort Cochin, which was sheltered from the busy traffic on the mainland. The streets were pleasant to walk on. Lots of western tourists (perhaps drawn by the UNESCO World Heritage designation). One afternoon, we took a taxi to the Jewish quarter. Unfortunately we weren't allowed inside the synagogue due to our shorts.

the Chinese fishing net at Fort Cochin

One thing we are still trying to get used to is how the locals say “yes” with their head. Instead of nodding, they would move their heads sideways without verbally saying “yes”. As you can imagine, this would easily cause confusion. It's especially funny and frustrating when ordering food at restaurant or asking the taxi drivers about destinations.

One thing that we have already gotten used to is that “hotel” means restaurant most of the time in India. If you want a real hotel (with a bed) in the western sense, the locals call it a “lodge”.