Backwaters, Hello!

🚩Arriving in Allapuzha aka. Aleppey by bus, it's chaos and we have no idea where to go for the houseboats. We stand there in the heat with our heavy backpacks. And now? There are small huts everywhere offering boat tours, and we're approached from all sides with "you want a houseboat? No problem!". However, we're looking for a boat that we can share with others and spend the night on... but how much does it actually cost? No idea! So, we asked a few tourists on the way, where exactly and how much it costs, etc. We followed their instructions "down the road, cross the bridge to the left and then follow the street. It's not far". Most of them also told us that today is a public holiday and most of the boats are fully booked or very expensive. Well, we have no other choice. Let's first find the dock and see what happens.

After what feels like an eternity, we finally arrive at the dock where all the huge boats and their Indian owners are. "Madame, where are you from? Want to go on the boat? Last place for you", with prices that are out of this world. These are huge boats for about 10 - 20 people and according to the Tourist Office, they are all fully booked. So why are they still being offered to us? Hmm, let's try our luck and negotiate! JACKPOT! Well, we're not exactly sure yet. We bought, or rather negotiated, a pig in a poke: We were shown one of the big boats with luxurious large rooms including a bathroom, with lots of bells and whistles. But when we mentioned that we weren't even close to being willing to pay the ridiculously high price, he showed us a smaller boat on his phone for about 3,500 rs/person, including lunch, dinner, drinks, overnight stay, and breakfast, which we would have to share with another English couple. It was supposed to leave soon, at 12 noon, so we didn't even have 30 minutes to stop at an ATM and get to the boat. A rickshaw would take us there, following the seller, okay! First stop: ATM! It's not working. No money in the machine! That's not unusual here. The individual ATMs (not many in each place) are probably only filled with 26,000 rupees (1 Euro is about 70 rupees), and when they're empty, they're empty. Tough luck. Come back another time. So, back in the rickshaw and off to the boat! Where is he taking us? Completely away from the tourist area, along narrow paths that are barely passable, between huts covered with laundry and sheets. One curve after another, without seeing what's coming from the opposite direction... Just the honking, which is a MUST here. If you don't honk before each curve, you're crazy and suicidal! Because honking once or twice means "Attention, I'm coming" to the oncoming traffic, as you can't see who's coming or to warn the people and cows walking on the road, since there are no sidewalks. The ride seemed a bit reckless to me because I didn't know if we were going to crash into someone soon :o After some time, we finally arrived at the edge of the river "Here Madame, 100 rupees" for the rickshaw driver. So where's the boat now? A few hundred meters along the river, there was our cute boat made of straw/bamboo-like material. Katarina and Thomas, a Swedish (NON-British) married couple, the cook, and our captain were waiting for us there. Niiiceee, let's go!!

We sailed along the coast where there were plantations and small villages. Lots and lots of palms, sunshine, and relaxation. We spent the whole day on the river, where numerous boats came towards us, mostly crowded with celebrating Indians who danced, sang, looked at us, and waved "Hello, hello! Where are you from?". We were a big attraction as 4 white people on the boat 😅hahahahah.

The best thing about this boat trip was the calmness and pleasant atmosphere that we shared. We had wonderful conversations with Katarina and Thomas about traveling, how much they enjoyed traveling, especially in Vietnam, their experiences, what they had been through, conversations about God and the world (literally), the recipe for happiness, love, and a happy marriage! So, for those wondering what the secret ingredient is for a happy and enduring relationship, it's COMMUNICATION! Believing that you know everything or having to please the other person in every problem because then you have peace is wrong. You should be able to talk about everything. Because you never know exactly what makes your partner sad and troubled, you don't always know exactly what he or she wishes for. You can't think that you know everything. And you should be able to share. After a long day of work... cooking something together, watching a movie cuddling on the couch, or simply discussing and sharing experiences or active events. It was wonderful to observe how happy they were.

For lunch and dinner, of course, we had delicious Indian curry. We were asked if we wanted it spicy or mild. Our tastes varied, so we agreed on medium spicy  ha! You thought! When I tried the chicken curry with rice, I started to cough, but it was delicious anyway. Well, the chicken wasn't the best, but the fish in the evening was even better. We also had chapati (bread or flatbread with which you dip into the curry because Indians eat with their hands), ladyfinger curry, and chickpea curry. Thomas also ordered some Kingfisher beers for the evening, and so we enjoyed ourselves.

In the early evening, when we docked because no traffic is allowed after dusk, we left our boat and walked along the canal. We passed all the small houses where the locals lived very simply and humbly, surrounded by fields and rice plantations. We let ourselves be guided by the loud singing, which led us to a small temple. The singing turned out to be a prayer. A man with bare upper body and an orange cloth wrapped around his waist lit candles and incense sticks, humming something to himself, and moved to the next figure (another deity). We entered the temple without shoes, of course, and calmly looked at the various figures adorned with flowers. Great atmosphere, especially the friendly and open way in which we were welcomed. And again the question "where are you from?" 

Back on the boat, after more wonderful and deep conversations, we slowly let the day come to an end and went to bed, when suddenly there was rustling and I saw cockroaches scurrying, aawwwww. The gecko that had crawled along the walls earlier was enough for me already .___. So, fan on, quickly under the mosquito net, close my eyes, and go! Good night 🌟