K: After our longest drive yet, we arrived in Alleppey on New Years Eve. Alleppey is the gateway to the backwater canals that are famed in the state of Kerala. We spent the first two nights on Lake Vembanad at the Lemon Tree Resort and our third night on a houseboat, touring the canals and villages in the backwater area.
The houseboats are modeled after the old rice barges and are something else. Each one is different in size, shape and layout. Some are double-decker, all are air-conditioned, some are open air, with or without terraces, all have electricity and private baths, and, in some cases, satellite TV. The houseboats are tailored towards couples and groups, with anywhere from four to fourteen people accommodated on the boats.
The day on the houseboat will be one of the highlights of the trip. Cruising along Lake Vembanad and the canals was a window into life on the waterways. The houses, for the most part, seem to have electricity but, of course, no running water. Families bathe and launder in the canals. But there are mopeds and bicycles zipping along the dirt roads. People walk the canal walls to work, and children play cricket in whatever available space they can find. Commerce seems to be mostly fishing and the paddy fields and some retail ventures. We passed small stores, restaurants, and, even, ice cream shops. We stopped at a fish market and purchased five of the largest tiger prawns that I have ever seen, and for a modest $25 dollars. They made for a very tasty meal, spiced so nicely by our onboard cook.
The food in Kerala is quite distinctive, and it is tremendous. The food is equally as spicy as elsewhere in India but the flavors are different. Maybe there is more tomato, more tamarind in the curry, and definitely the use of coconut is predominant. Specialties, which we have sampled, are fish curry and spiced fried fish. The rice is even different due to the hot climate--softer and puffier. The bread of choice has switched to paratha from naan. On the houseboat some of the best dishes were "veg": murg dal (stewed mung beans with loads of tamarind and spices), fried fish, tiger prawns with chili, garlic, ginger and masala, long beans with shredded coconut, and loads of vegetables mixed with shredded coconut cooked in coconut oil.
On New Year's Day at the hotel it was fun to watch a large Indian family dining out. As we were ordering local Indian cuisine, they were indulging in Western cuisine: french fries, fish and chips, and grilled meats. Funny.
V: It was a fun Happy New Year celebration at our hotel on the shores of Lake Vembanad! The festivities included games, Mardi Gras-style masks, dancing, and us running up to our room every so often to imbibe a little Kingfisher beer, as the 'spirited' festivities did not, though, include any spirits. In fact, the resort was--horrors--dry, so I was compelled to have a covert chat with one of the front desk guys, who then was able to procure and deliver to the room, under cover, some bottles of Kingfisher beer. We had to drink the beer in the room only, and, thus, we dashed to and fro during the New Year's dinner party. (First time I've ever done that, indeed.)
And we definitely enjoyed the houseboat night. There were, though, so many houseboats on the canals and lakes that traffic jams would occur on some bends and canal entrances. It was a little odd seeing so many boats with just two or four people on them--it seemed a bit inefficient to me, but I guess everybody wants their piece of the tourist dollar, so that's how it works here.
Kerala has been called 'the most socially advanced state in India'. It has a 91% literacy rate, the highest of any state in a developing nation in the world, infant mortality rate is one-fifth the national average, and life expectancy is 10 years higher than the rest of the country.
Kerala is, in fact, a communist state.
In 1957 the first freely-elected communist government in the world was established in Kerala. It is still going strong, advocating democratic-socialist principles that have led to state-wide initiatives in education, health, infrastructure, and, lately, an emphasis on tourism and the service industry that have led to improved lives for Keralans.
This place seems to not be very different from the other places in India, yet there does seem to be a feeling or a vibe that the people may be thriving a bit more, living a bit better than the other places we've been in India.
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