It’s hard to know where to start for India. This is one of the few countries I’ve been to with such rich diversity and atypical traveling experience. I arrived in Kochin India which is one of the main large cities in the Kerala state in the southwestern edge of India. The airport was definitely not up to the standards that I got use to in Dubai and in fact there was either no or poor AC in the terminal. The corridors were stuffy and warm.

I started in Fort Kochin which is the touristy and older part of Kochin. Giant fishing nets along the shore is a remnant of Chinese influence. These nets are owned by various families and are still in use today, although I believe it is more for the tourists than for actual catching of fish. While walking along the shore, I begin to notice how dirty and polluted this country is. I would later realize that Kerala and Kochin are both probably some of the cleanest, by comparison, cities in India.

From Kochin I took a backwater daytrip. The first half of the day we boarded small single file log boats that fit about 5-6 persons each. These vessels are powered by a single person using long poles to push the boat from the back. He guides us along the narrow, maybe a single car lane or less, waterways that run through various villages. It is morning as we slowly cruse through lush jungle-like vegetation and the sounds of birds singing, sound of water rushing along the sides of the boat and the slapping sounds of cloths against rocks provide the ambience of our journey. We drift by several women washing clothes by thrashing them against rocks and they look up and are not phased by the boat full of western tourists. I assume that these boat tours probably happen on a regular basis.

We visit several villages that specialize on a certain trade. The first framed spices and the locals led us around their plantations and showed us the various trees that provide the flavors and spices used in the local cuisine. Another village collected coconuts and used the meat, milk and even the husk. The husk is woven into a jute-like rope that is extreme strong. This is done by grabbing a handful of fibers and then twisting them. For lunch we stopped by an deserted island that use to serve as a mineral extraction plant that used fresh water clams. Here we had vegetable tali served on banana leaf and eaten by hand. Most of the restaurants in fort Kochin are quite westernized and provide utensils, so this was my first time using my hands to eat. It felt extremely awkward and strange.

The second half our day, we cruise the main waterways which are much wider and had more boat traffic. These water highways are about the width of a football field. We are all able to fit on a giant houseboat made out of woven banana leaves. More abandoned Chinese Fishing Nets are seen at the edges of the water. The waterways are lined with green palm trees and made for a real relaxing rest of the day.

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