Almost lost and rendered
inconspicuous in the stirring narrative of Arundhati Roy’s “The God of Small Things”, the famed
backwaters of Kerala left a mark in my imagination, and eventually
contributed to my fascination and obsession of visiting the country of India.
After the travel Gods blessed me with a two-fold opportunity to venture into
this culturally rich and often misunderstood nation, I have also – at both
times, managed to witness the sultry setting of these famed backwaters – where
the unforgettable characters whom Roy has created; shaped their own ‘social space’, and nurtured the bonds
between each other to deepen.
Capping off the Month-long ‘Finally India’ trip
After an arduous 27-hour
train journey from Mumbai where I spent most of my time lying on the upper bunk
of a three tier bed, re-reading Paul
Theroux’ ‘The Great Railway Bazaar’,
we arrived at the port city of Kochi almost paralyzed with fatigue and non-lateral
movements. I stretched my hands and feet as the dizzying spell of endless
honking and merciless street activities blitz our senses from all corners.
Typical India. “We should be used to this
right now” I told my friend Aileen. “Yes,
Marky but aren’t you tired from that long train ride?”. It was by far, the
longest train ride of my life and I’m quite sure Aileen never had a lengthier
train journey during his foray to Europe a decade earlier.
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| Locals shows how the simple process of 'Coir' making. (Coir ropes made from coconut fibers) |
With exhaustion setting in,
we took it easy that day. The next morning though, we were introduced to the
backwaters of Kerala.
The Backwaters of Kerala
Consisting of an
intertwining set of brackish lakes and lagoons situated parallel to the Malabar
Coast in southern India, the backwaters of the state of Kerala is made up of
five major lakes connected by canals and supplied by the waters coming from 38
rivers. The collective tranquil waters then flow through almost the entire span
of the state.
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| A local shovels a stack of clam shells used to produce lime powder |
Navigating through the
countless numbers of watercourses along the backwaters will take you to
innumerable small towns tucked under a blanket of thick rain-forests and leafy
fields. No wonder, Roy’s characters blossomed under the appearance of this
steamy paradise – thus accompanied by her immensely moving narrative, made ‘God of Small Things’ one of those
memorable novels where the setting lingers on in your head long after you have read it.
Coming from the enormously
populated cities of Kolkata, Varanasi, New Delhi, Agra, Mumbai and frying at the desert
landscapes of the state of Rajasthan – the tropical setting of Kerala proved to be a
welcome departure to the scenery we were starting to get both accustomed to and
grow weary from.
Under a Canopy of Trees and Over a Tranquil Water – Off We Sail
Joining a dozen other
tourists, we boarded a Kettuvallam – a traditional Kerala
houseboat characterized by shiny smooth wooden hulls and thatched roof covers. Slowly gliding over the almost steady waters, we passed through narrow waterways where the plants and flowers on both sides
appear so close I could almost touch and smell it. The whole morning, we
charted off over glass-still waters while the sun rays knifes through the gaps
of tree branches from above. By lunchtime, an authentic Kerala meal was served
to us. Eating with bare hands, I savored until the last bite, notwithstanding
the spiciness that starts to burn through my mouth. The lasting memory of my first
foray into the backwaters of Kerala consisted of a chill morning and the quiet humming
of the birds and the stillness of the waters. A part of me wished we could have extended more time to further familiarize with the tropical setting of Kerala – but pressed with time, as we were reaching the
tail-end of our month long India trip, we left the next day and boarded a plane to Kuala
Lumpur.
PART
TWO
#KeralaBlogExpress: Second Time’s a Charm – Alleppey Backwaters
Exactly a year later, I
found myself on a plane heading back to India for a two-week jaunt across
the state of Kerala along with 28 travel bloggers from all over the
world. As part of the second edition of #KeralaBlogExpress, we threaded through
the whole state of Kerala for 14 days and included in our itinerary, was an
overnight stay at one of the famed Kettuvallam houseboats that sails the
Backwaters.
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| Sunset over the Alleppey backwaters |
Since the backwaters of
Kerala stretches to a number of cities and towns, the part we explored took us from
Alleppey and into its nearby towns. Composed of pockets of fishing villages along the way, our
grand houseboat sailed the whole afternoon uneventfully as it took us to some of the most scenic parts, best typifying the simple living and tropical setting of Kerala.
Once again, as I see locals
from the distance carrying baskets of fish and farmers tending to their crops,
I remember the lovely characters in Roy’s “The
God of Small Things”. As the sun slowly faded into the reddening sky, I
hear Maria declaring aloud “Oh my, the
sunset is looking so beautiful”. Maria is a pretty petite girl who hails from Greece and
along with Filipina beauty; Mica, the three of us completed the cast assigned
to our houseboat. Our home for the night comes spaciously with a dining area, a small living room,
crew’s stations and separate rooms with its own bathrooms for the three of
us.
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| The three of us: Mica, Maria and Me |
It was more or so five days
into our two-week trip and this was the first time we got to know each other.
During the two-day Kerala backwater cruise, I got the chance to significantly learn more about both Maria and Mica. During meals, we engaged in lively conversations about our plans, and revealed some stories about our past romantic adventures. In-between, we hanged out - spaced out at the loveliness of our surroundings.
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| The backwaters is everything for the locals; their source of livelihood, water and main thoroughfare to go to markets and neighboring towns. |
If the sunset over the
backwaters made Maria gleam in delight, the sunrise we awoke up to the next day
was equally spectacular. Buoyed by the soft ebbing and flow of the still
waters, the reflection of the rising sun created this visually pleasing glow of
a fusion of colors. Striking in each, blending all to create a stunning
scenery - I pointed my camera and clicked a few to frame postcard-like images.
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| Similar Boathouse to ours |
Hearing nothing but the low sound of the boat’s engine and the quarks
and chips of the ducks and birds, I joined Maria and Mica at the front deck of
our house boat; seated still, we stared ahead amidst a thousand thoughts
running through my mind, all of which dominated by love, peace and light. As if on cue, the poetic motion of the place starts secreting its effect – it therefore; imbibed a romantic
notion into my head and in-between stealing stares at Maria, who would smile back each
time she catches my eye, a wonderful thought rested through me.
Backwater Romance? Unfortunately None
Although no romantic sparks
would form between us, I felt like the three of us created a friendship stronger
than I would share with the other participants of #KeralaBlogExpress – and even
though this was my second time in the backwaters of Kerala, it gave me a
different permanent remembrance I would forever associate it with; of a romance
that never took off or may or maybe - will blossom along the way in the coming years. No one can ever tell for now.
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| Maria :) |
It remains to be seen if the
narrative that streamed through the tranquil and crystal-like waters of Kerala
would usher a conclusion as lyrical as the charmed prose of Arundhati Roy’s
writings.
Thank you to Rainbow Cruises for our lovely House Boat. This trip is part of the Kerala Blog Express 2.
