Kerala Trip Part 3 - The Backwater cruise!

Day 3 (contd) :

Links to Part 1 and Part 2

To say the backwater cruising was amazing would be a major understatement. We completely enjoyed the very novel experience (to us). We also had a very pleasing and attentive crew on board.

We were first welcomed with fresh tender coconut water. It was so gratifying after the heat :)

Soon after that, we gradually settled in and slowly started to unwind and needless to say, the atmosphere was absolutely wonderful and did exactly that.. helped us relax..

After an hour of cruising, the boat was anchored for lunch. I believe, it is a rule to stop and not to cruise while having food. The food was absolutely delicious. The preference for food (veg/ non veg) should be communicated in advance.  We were ravenous and all of us including Jillu devoured the food :).

The menu:

3 kinds of veggie dishes each with combination of several vegetables

Sambar again with a lot of veggies

Rice

Pappad.

Fresh and thick Curd, just the way Jillu loves it :)

As all 3 of us are veggie lovers, the lunch was simple, but delicious :)

And then, with food induced drowsiness, it was  heaven to just laze around and enjoy nature's beauty at its best ! The calm waters, the peaceful silence only interrupted now and then by chirping birds, the lovely greenery that is so soothing to the eyes and endless water everywhere all around you.. Need I go on ?

I will just allow it to seep into you through these images !

Get ready, Sit back, relax and enjoy the visual treat ! And better still, imagine you are in the boat and just sink it in!

See the Clothes line between the trees ? :)

And, oops ! sorry for the interruption ! But just wanted to say that this infinite endless tiny stretch of land with trees is totally man made ! Absolutely marvelous isn't it ? All the plantation in the midst of the back waters is man made !

And what you see above is a boat station ! Apparently, there are regular ferry services to carry people from one place to another !

And while we were taking in the serene beauty of the back waters, what else did we do ?

We waved "Hi" to several neighbors who happened to share our surroundings and who passed by us

I was so scared for the kiddo ! But they obviously weren't !

And then, Sriram thought of the lovely idea of making boats for Jillu. So, ahem, yours truly, (naane dhaan) rose to the occasion and made small paper boats! 

We let the boats one by one into the water 

and watched them whoosh away!

And guess what ? daughter and Dad got to drive the boat as well ! So lucky na ! 

And Jillu got to play with her fav puzzles a well !

And then it was time for the crew to find a place to anchor the boat for the night as the dusk was settling in slowly!

Continue to watch this space for the beautiful sun set in the next part !