Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Cochin and the backwaters of Kerala

We spent a couple of days exploring various aspects of the famous Kerala backwaters. This brief amount of time gave us a peek in to a life that left me fascinated and hungry for more. I'm sure it's just romantic idealization, but given my love for the water, this area seemed like paradise: a spider web water system, ranging from small canals barely 6 feet wide to the Arabian sea; long handmade boats of teak, sewn together with coir rope (rope made from the coconut husk), and preserved with cashew oil; fruit, vegetables, coconuts and lots of fresh seafood; and the wonderful, friendly, welcoming people of Kerala, whose excellent English skills just make everything more fun and interesting.

Hopefully a few pictures will seal the deal and leave you want more as it did us. http://picasaweb.google.com/marksnewell/cochin#

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