Kerala Backwaters: Kollam and Alleppey (January 15 – January 18, 2012)

Kerala is famed for its backwaters, a system of interconnected lakes, rivers, canals, and lagoons set behind the Arabian Sea coast. We explored these backwaters twice: once on a guided canoe trip from Kollam and once on an overnight houseboat from Alleppey. Each promised a different aspect of the backwaters: the canoe trip provided access to tiny canals and closer views of village life in the backwaters while the houseboat trip would cover more territory and offer a serene evening on the waters away from town.

In Kollam, our canoe trip took us to Munroe Island to explore its narrow canal system that is the primary transportation network for the people of the island. We cruised through villages, ducked our heads under low-lying bridges, and admired the stunning scenery, though we learned very little about the place since our “guides” didn’t tell us anything about where we were or what we were seeing, and weren’t eager to answer our questions. Instead, we made two mildly informative stops to observe locals making coir (coconut-fiber rope) and constructing canoes.

The most popular way to explore the backwaters, though, is by going on an overnight trip on a houseboat designed like a traditional rice barge (kettuvallam). We went down to the Alleppey docks early in the morning, chartered one of the hundreds of available boats (the number of boats has risen exponentially over the last 10 years) and set out with our crew of two. The backwaters here are beautiful, with still waters and lush vegetation, though our relatively large boat was confined to Vembanad Lake and the larger canals. After cruising across the lake, we asked to tour a smaller canal or visit a village. Instead, despite our multiple protestations, we stopped at a “market,” where the crew (interested in a commission) pressured us to buy “fresh” seafood, candy, beer, and even cigarettes. We then cruised through some pretty canals until we stopped for the evening just around the corner from the docks where our journey began (and not out on the lake or on a secluded canal as we expected). While our crew was making dinner, we set out to explore a small nearby village. Along the way we met an Australian couple similarly biding their time and they invited us back to their houseboat for beers (they had the foresight to bring a case). Just when we realized it had gotten dark and we weren’t sure of the way back to our boat, our captain came aboard. It seems that four foreigners stood out in this small village and we were easy to find. Neither of us had been told we had to stop playing and come home for dinner in 20 years! The next morning we putted aimlessly around the lake for an hour, but still got back so early that we had to eat breakfast while docked before being hustled off the boat.

Ultimately, we enjoyed our backwaters experiences, but we couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. We felt that the Munroe Island canoe trip could have been much more informative. In Alleppey, “houseboat tourism” has grown without regulation and there are too many operators, many only interested in cutting corners or making money, and not focused on providing the peaceful backwater experience that made the trips so popular.

Click on the photo below for our Kerala Backwaters photo album.

Varkala (January 12-January 15, 2012)

Not yet ready to wean ourselves from beach living we spent our first three days in Kerala on the beach at Varkala, not far from the very southern tip of India. The town sits on the cliffs above the beach, and the cliffs-edge boardwalk is lined with souvenir shops and restaurants offering superb sunset views. Before heading to the beach we started our mornings with a great yoga class and then delicious fresh fruit smoothies at a cozy juice shack. We indulged in more delicious fresh fish dinners and even tried our hand at a trivia night (we didn’t even place – but we’re certain there was a conspiracy!). It was a beautiful spot, and again, we were sorry we didn’t have more time to just chill out here.

Click on the photo below for our Varkala photo album.

Palolem Beach (January 7-January 11, 2012)

After a month of being on the move in India we were ready for a little break. So, from Mumbai we took an overnight train south to the state of Goa, and headed to Palolem. Far from the trance music party scene that made Goa legendary, Palolem is a quiet, laid-back beach and was just what we wanted. The beach itself is wide and lined with bungalows and restaurants tucked in among the palm trees. We spent our time here relaxing on the beach or in the hammock on the porch of our bungalow, taking morning yoga classes, and eating delicious fresh fish on the beach for dinner. After so much time in big Indian cities, it felt like paradise, and we wished we had more time to explore some of the Goa’s other beaches. From Goa we traveled by another overnight train into the southernmost part of the state of Kerala.

We took a lot of trains in India. The train system there is extensive (Indian Railways is the 8^th largest employer in the world) and cheap, but the trains are crowded, slow, usually dirty, and often delayed (they carry more than 30 million people per day). Additionally, the trains are almost always sold out well in advance, meaning we had to wait in line for the few allotted “tourist tickets” or come to the train station at 6 a.m. the day before the departure for the release of the “tatkal” tickets (a few tickets set aside for last minute travelers). We almost always took overnight sleeper trains, where we slept in beds stacked three high and shared a compartment with four other passengers (with two more stacked across the very narrow aisle). Needless to say, it was not usually a good night’s sleep, compounded by the fact that the train stops aren’t announced (and sometimes there aren’t even signs at the station) and the trains run so wildly off schedule that you have to wake up to check if you are at your destination (the ticket checker, if you could find him, wasn’t really too worried about making sure you didn’t miss your stop). For the ride south to Kerala, however, only first class seats were available. While considerably more expensive, the ride was so much more comfortable and stylish! Our window seats faced each other during the daytime and were converted to beds at night. When we boarded a waiter brought us a little snack tray, followed by tea and snacks several hours later, and finally dinner. It was an unexpectedly fun 15 hour journey down the coast!

Click on the photo below for our Palolem Beach photo album.

Mumbai (January 2-January 6, 2012)

Mumbai (known as Bombay until 1995) is India’s first city. With some 20 million residents, it is the largest city in India (and fourth largest in the world); the commercial, financial, and entertainment capital of the country; and home to some of the most expensive real estate in the world as well as some of the poorest slums.

Until the late-eighteenth century, Mumbai consisted of seven islands. A series of land “reclamation” projects over the next hundred years or so merged these seven islands into one. At 233 square miles, this island city is enormous (ten times the size of Manhattan), and with only four days to explore, we only saw a fraction of it. What we did see, though, we thoroughly enjoyed. The streets were clean and the traffic orderly (compared to Delhi, anyway), the food and shopping were amazing, the weather was tropical, and the mixed British and Indian architecture made for a setting unlike anything we’d seen before.

We spent most of our time exploring the touristy southern part of the city, where the remnants of British Imperialism are at their best. Beautiful brick Victorian buildings line the wide, palm tree-lined boulevards (the University of Mumbai and Victoria Terminus Station were our favorites) while the Gateway of India, built to commemorate the 1911 visit of King George V, dominates the harbor. Even the taxis, black and yellow 1960’s Fiats, contribute to the European vibe here.
 
From the colonial part of town, we walked to Back Bay where we strolled northward along Marine Drive, a long promenade lined with art deco apartment buildings, and enjoyed the postcard views of the “Queen’s Necklace.” At the north end of Marine Drive we watched the sunset at Chowpatty Beach, a popular gathering spot for the citizens of Mumbai and a great place to watch the locals gather to eat and play. Here we sampled Mumbai’s famous street food, including bhelpuri (fried dough, puffed rice, lentils, and chutney) and pav bhaji (a thick potato-based curry served with a buttered roll).

Wandering around one day, we stumbled across a very different side of Mumbai: a shanty town of fisherman, within view of the Gateway of India and only a few minute walk from the swanky Taj Mahal Palace hotel. The beach here was covered in old fishing nets, ancient boats, some sort of submarine, and all manner of washed up debris. This mini-slum is only a small blip in a city where at least 50 percent of its residents are estimated to live in slums and shantytowns. We didn’t venture into any of the city’s largest slums but we were still well aware of this plight: begging street children and homeless families were ubiquitous throughout the city.

We were also fortunate enough to meet up with Ruchil one more time when he came to Mumbai for his visa renewal. We made our way to the ‘central suburbs’ of Mumbai, specifically to the Juhu Beach neighborhood, which is Mumbai’s version of Malibu, a celebrity-filled, beachside suburb. We strolled along the beach, stuffed our bellies with a delicious thali, and spotted a few homes of the Bollywood elite before saying goodbye one last time.

Click on the photo below for our Mumbai photo album.

Ahmedabad (December 28, 2011-January 1, 2012)

Our next stop was Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat, where we stayed with Patrick’s friend Ruchil and his family. Ruchil lives in California, but before we left he had mentioned that he would be visiting his home sometime between November and January. Though we had been keeping in touch as we travelled, it was mostly good fortune that Ruchil was visiting his family just as we were wrapping up our time in Rajasthan and heading south.

Ahmedabad straddles the Sabarmati River, and is big (5.6 million residents), bustling, and home to some memorable tourist sites. For us, though, the highlight was meeting and staying with the Shah family. Ruchil’s mother (Deena), brother (Nimil), sister-in-law (Khyati), and 1-year old nephew (Mehaan) welcomed us with open arms, though they had never met us. Over the five days we stayed with them they stuffed our bellies with some of the best food we ate on our entire trip, including fabulous home cooked meals, street food we never would have tried on our own, and even a Guajarati-style thali lunch at a swanky local restaurant. They acted as our tour guides, taking us to many of the area’s most famous sites, including Sabarmati Ashram, founded by Gandhi in 1915, Jain temples, and to the Akshardham temple and its amazing laser, water, and fire show. They taught us the basics of cricket, discussed the challenges India faces as a developing nation, answered our many questions about India, and danced with us until well after midnight on New Year’s Eve. Mostly, they treated us like family, making us feel at home from the instant we arrived. Though we were only there five days, we definitely consider our time with the Shahs the highlight of our trip to India. We feel really lucky to have made such wonderful friends and can’t wait for them to visit Ruchil in California!

Click on the photo below for our Ahmedabad album.

Udaipur (December 24-December 27, 2011)

From Jaipur we took another overnight train south to the white-washed lakeside city of Udaipur. Set in rolling hills with the serene Lake Pichola at its center, the historic heart of Udaipur is a relatively quiet neighborhood of narrow, winding lanes and immaculate havelis (private mansions), now converted into hotels. The cobbled streets and abundance of German bakeries almost make it feel more like Europe than India.

We spent our Christmas here relaxing, taking a boat ride around the lake during the day, sipping Indian wine at sunset on our rooftop, and indulging in some fine dining along the lake for dinner. In subsequent days, we visited the City Palace, with its colorful peacock mosaics and splendid views from its many towers, and ventured into the modern, commercial part of town where we found the most delicious samosas of our trip.

For the holiday we treated ourselves to a lakeside hotel that was a step up from the type of place we normally stayed in. The wife of the owner ran a popular cooking class, so we decided to check it out. It was another great class, and we expanded our Indian cooking repertoire as we learned to make samosas, pakoras, dal, pumpkin curry, and stuffed paratha. Once again, the food was delicious and we can’t wait to try these recipes when we get home!

Click on the photo below for our Udaipur album.

Jaipur (December 20-December 23, 2011)

From Delhi we headed south into the state of Rajasthan and the city of Jaipur. Though still a large metropolis, the main sights are in a relatively compact area and Jaipur was a little bit of a relief after Delhi. There was less traffic, the tuk-tuk drivers were a little less aggressive, and there were sidewalks so we didn’t have to walk in the road (sometimes), though there were still pigs running wild and eating out of garbage dumps.

Jaipur is famous for its lovely old city, with its buildings and walls painted pink and ornate entrance gates. The old city is packed with shops selling beautiful saris, colorful tie-died fabrics, jewelry, and even paper kites, making for great window shopping and fun people watching. Two palaces are located within the old city: the Hawa Mahal, a beautiful pink sandstone palace built in the 18^th century, and the sprawling City Palace complex. Also here is the unusual Jantar Mantar, an 18^th century observatory filled with enormous instruments used to measure orbits, calculate eclipses, and track celestial paths.

One day we took a tuk-tuk to the nearby town of Amber. Once the capital of the Jaipur region, Amber is home to a beautiful 16^th century fort built in the countryside among rolling hills. The fort is extensive, consisting of innumerable elaborately decorated halls and courtyards, including the impressive mirrored ceiling and ivory carved walls of the Hall of Victory. After visiting the fort, we crossed the street and climbed a hill along an old defensive wall, escaping the busy scene around the entrance to the fort. From this serene setting we watched the sunset over the fort and surrounding palaces and structures and could understand why this state was given the name Rajasthan, meaning “land of kings.”

Click on the photo below for our Jaipur album.