Jan 23 - 26, Kerala backwaters, Kovalam, elephants, and a piece of heaven by the Arabian Sea

Canoe tour of the backwaters. We were late for ours because two rickshaw drivers argued over us and we missed our group’s departure by a couple of minutes. Our western minds started analyzing and pondering over alternate solutions, meanwhile our driver walked across the village in search of someone with a cell phone, miraculously found an actual canoe guide, who in turn called Kerala’s Tourist Office and settled his fee. Off we went in our private canoe for two. Nothing is impossible in India. 

Bananas of all shapes and sizes, each with very distinctive taste, some almost orange as if infused with mangoes. 

Glazing over water surrounded by the surreal. Cashew, mango, and black pepper trees, pineapples, bananas, and star of all - coconuts - used for cooking, boat building, fiber, coil, and oil. Kerala literally means “Land of Coconuts”.   

water lily necklace - boat guides can be real charmers

canoes made without any mechanical connections - only tongue and grove, coconut fiber and sand

floats, gods, elephants, drums, and a sea of people 

we were lucky enough to join the festivities - elephant festival in town nearby

This has been our backyard for the last two days...

...sitting under palm trees with nothing but endless water as far as the horizon. We’ve met a great couple here, Lisa and Anmol, who would have made Delhi seem like paradise have we known them sooner. This is southern India we were in search of. How will we ever leave?