a day cruising the backwaters

kerala = land of coconuts

the indian state of kerala is nice. the people are warm and friendly, and the land is green, lush, and beautiful - i've never seen so many coconut palms in my life. yesterday we took a five hour boat tour through the backwaters, or network of waterways that fringe the coast along the state. back in the days before roads existed, the local villagers used the small canals to get from town to town. today tiny rural settlements still live in the area and use the waterways to transport coconuts, bananas, nuts, and spices.

we toured the waterways on a kettuvalam, or covered rice barge. the boat was powered by two men - one in the front and one in the back that used 25 ft long bamboo poles to move and guide the boat. we made a couple of stops along the way to see how some local products are manufactured. first we stopped to see how fertilizer, calcium
supplements, and dyes are produced from the grinding of mussel shells. next we learned how fiber for rope is produced from coir, or coconut fibers. it was all quite interesting. our last stop was at a beach front cabana where we enjoyed a delicious kerala-style banana leaf lunch - yummy!

alina