When we were still bf-gf, Fafa promised three things when we visit Kerala: Houseboat, Toddy Shop and Munar. Though I am still waiting for the Munar and Toddy part, he did take me to an overnight stay in a houseboat in Alleppey during my first Kerala trip.
Alleppey Houseboat
In the late morning, we left Fafa’s home and boarded the houseboat around noon in Allepey. Though I had seen plenty of Houseboat scenes in Indian movies, I still didn’t know what to expect. Apparently, the houseboat will keep moving through Kerala backwaters, only docking in the night before starting again in the morning for a few hours before dropping us back to the same place it picked us up the day before.
It was a gloomy day, making the whole scenery even more beautiful. So it was I finally understood why Alleppey is called The Venice of India.
I spent most of my time on the boat taking pictures and chit-chatting with my parents-in-law using my very limited Malayam.
I also gasped thousands of times to admire the sight in front of me. Not realising hours had passed with us floating on the water without a real destination. It was easily one of the most tranquil days of my adult life.
Kerala Backwaters
In between, we stopped at a few spots in search of Kerala Toddy, but no luck on that day. We also stopped at a fish stall by the water, where my FIL went to pick the freshest fishes that would become our dinner menu that night.
Then there was a bridge, made famous by the Tamil movie Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa which was set in Allepey. Though I loved the movie, I didn’t remember the scenes in detail, so it was nice when the staff on board pointed it out to us. I remember making a mental note to watch the movie again, thinking I’d appreciate it even more now that I have seen the natural beauty of Kerala backwaters the best way possible from the houseboat.
Interestingly, on that day, most of the people in other houseboats were Indians. I expected otherwise, but glad to see fellow brown people enjoying their own country’s backyard.
The Meals on The Houseboat
If there was even a 1% part of me that didn’t love the houseboat completely, it was gone when they served snacks soon after the boat was undocked. It was a plate of Kerala banana fritters with a cup of chai. It was a perfect companion for a drizzly afternoon floating on Kerala backwaters.
Around 5 PM, the dinner preparation began on the boat itself, accompanied by Indian music blasting in the background. The onboard staff were busy cooking the fish father-in-law bought from the lake-side fish stall earlier. We sat around the table an hour later and feasted on the freshly Kerala-style seafood meal. There were fried pomfret fish, tamarind curry, Aviyal (mixed vegetables with shredded coconut), papadam, chutneys and white rice.
The last meal on the boat was on the next morning. We woke up to a typical South Indian breakfast, idli and sambar, waiting for us on the table.
Til Next Time
At night, right before dozing off, I told Fafa that I’d love for Appa to stay overnight in the boathouse someday. It seemed like an experience right up his alley. I spent the rest of the morning after on the houseboat taking pictures and enjoying the beautiful sights of Kerala backwaters before they eventually dropped us back to the land.
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Spoilers- just Munnar to go and I would have delivered on all my promise.