Alleppey Houseboat - Sail in the lap of Serenity!

I always thought sports inspire me to write the most and my best. These days I'm realizing that nature does that as well. Seasons and scenery can play that trick on me too!

If you are a scenery lover and if you can afford, you must at least once hire a Kerala Houseboat for a day's trip in the Alleppey back waters. The tariff might appear huge before you enter the boat. At the time of leaving the boat after the trip, you will carry invaluable memories for your life time. I especially suggest you hire a boat with upper deck. It costs thousand bucks more yet it's the best place from where one can enjoy the scenery on every side of the boat. For non vegetarians, number of options are available at lunch and dinner, which is cooked and served by the attendants in the boat. 

As I've always heard people saying that Kerala is god's own country. with a lot of expectations I started the trip in the back waters. Every expectation of mine was met exceptionally well. Except one, hundreds of houseboats surprised me, rather amused me, way beyond the expectation of mine that there will be couple of boats around, that too may be! There were boats long enough to accommodate a joint family, or a business conference or a college students' troop. Foreigners were there all around. They appeared enjoying to the core!

Greenery on my left and right hand side many a times made me run from that side to this side. I must say I did never mind that running. The green fields next to the canal banks were the special attraction. There were villages along side the canal with each home having few brick steps into the waters in front of it. They do all their jobs with water there, not literally all but most of them. Most of the women whom I saw standing there and doing their preparations for that day's lunch were holding some or the other type of fish in their hands. I wonder how much percentage of Kerala population is vegetarian! With the greenery all around, I was a busy person doing the photography all the time. Nonetheless, the serenity was superbly enjoyable. I realized I had so much peace within me, so much joy within me, and so much love for nature within me. As I laid on the cushion in the upper deck, I saw the blue skies above and felt the floating movement from below. That experience was outstanding. You forget everything about you for a moment and you just enjoy what's happening right then, right at that moment! This does not happen every time in life. 

The sunset from the boat on the canal bank was the moment of that memorable evening. The scene of the sun rays on the waters appeared as if I was floating on gold! I sat down, enjoyed and clicked the scene of sun setting between the coconut trees! Later I thought, that might be a kind of once in a life time experience! Rain did not spoil the day. It did rain heavily during that night. Tens of houseboats were seen parked on the bank. When I saw them under the lighting of the lightening and thunderstorm, for a moment it felt as if I was pulled into the set of a Hollywood movie. Amazing experience it was. 

Those twenty three hours were lived wholly. Whopping love and goodness was felt from within. What if life can be of that type everyday! It's not practically possible unless you work out so much on yourself. Well, good that we can at least buy it for sometime. The Sail in the Alleppey houseboat and in the lap of Serenity will remain in my favorites' list for my whole life.