Kerala

Taking advantage of a holiday weekend Tor, Kevin and I decided to explore the highly recommended state of Kerala in the southeast part of the country. Our journey began with a short flight to Cochin where we then took a cab to Alleppey. Kerala is known for its backwaters (http://www.backwatersinkerala.com/) and the culture rooted in them. We rented a 2 bedroom private houseboat (with a cook, steward and captain) to explore the backwaters and then drop us two days later close the southern beach town of Varkala. While on the houseboat we were treated with amazing kerala cuisine (made with fresh fish and prawns which we bought from fisherman who pulled up to the boat) , a slow crawl through lush surroundings of rice paddies, palm trees, exotic birds, vivid sunsets and curious locals, a peak into a culture that lives off of and cherishes their fertile land and many more gifts that appear when you slow down. National Geographic lists renting a houseboat and touring the Kerala Backwaters in their top 50 things to do in the world, and I wholeheartedly endorse their assertion. After a relaxing couple days on the houseboat we headed to the beach town of Varkala. Varkala is a small village that is majestically positioned on a 3 mile strech of cliffs smiling down on Arabian sea. We spent our time eating fresh seafood, relaxing on a blacksand beach, and interacting with travelers and locals. Four enjoyable days flew by and then it was time to travel back to Hyderabad. Kerala deserves at least a week to really soak up all it has to offer.