On day two at KLR, we departed by our coach to take us to our waiting boat - larger than the motorboats we had toured in yesterday. This time, we were going to travel out into the lake, again seeing the floating carpets of green, dotted with lavender and hot pink. We came to fantasize about the wonderful and restful life of the people here. These canals served as inland waterways through a patchwork of rice paddies. We are not talking of tiny, individual farmsteads where rice was being grown, but huge, nearly endless spans of green fields of rice. All the while, we were seeing the thatch roofs of houseboats. These were appropriate to be here, since all of these houseboats originally were rice barges, used to carry rice - millions of tons of rice - out the waterways to the harbor in Cochin, to then be shipped around the world. Even though rice is still a product of the area, it is no longer the king of crops, so to speak. Today, to some degree, we re-traced our journey out on the lake, but far more extensive views of this huge inland sea!
We were coming to understand more that where we were is not so dissimilar from the bayous of New Orleans - reclaimed land, planted to rice, with homes and shanties along the shoreline, with built-up pathways, not much wider than required for two people to walk along together. Seeing both men and women, stepping into the water, right out the front doors of their homes, bringing their clothing or kitchen pots and dishes to wash. In addition, they were also bathing and brushing their teeth, sometimes scooping handfuls of water into a glass and drinking it. Not our cup of tea, I imagine, but it works for them. Seeing women almost sacheting along the paths, shielding themselves from the sun with black, or sometimes colorful parasols, seems to speak of the gentle and grace-filled lifestyle here. So imagine for a moment, living along a waterway, in front of rice paddies or coconut groves, being able to "go to town" only by boat crossings... romantic? To us maybe, but these people are such hard working, industrious people, who subsist on little, but seem to be blissfully happy and content.
Travelling along one of the waterways, Solange, who was sitting on the top deck of the boat with me and with Frankie Holness, wore her straw "boater" jauntily perched on her head. We rounded a corner, and a tiny gut of wind took it and sent it out into the middle of the river! Our pilot stopped the boat, but when he pulled it to shore, and walked down the path to gallantly retrieve the chapeau, he was greeted by three tethered cows, grazing on some grasses, and turned back, not ready to face cows who could not have reached him if they tried! I think he simply did not want to venture into the water, amongst the lily pads, and hyacinth bunches!
We stopped along the way for coffee and tea, at a tiny outpost, and then re-boarded the boat to our next destination.
Pulling up alongside a pier, parallel to the shoreline, we were greeted warmly by a lovely woman, Anu Phillipskutty. She is the proprietor of Phillipskutty Farm. This serene guest house with cottages, also offers the day tourists a wonderful look into the past and a great lunch. We were treated to refreshing drinks, and a walk about the farm. Her late husbands grandfather had been a part of the reclamation of the lands and the family now owns about thirty-five acres of land. The entire plot, as well as the island, sits six feet below the level of the lake. They farm coconuts, mangoes, bananas, as well as vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon (they were actually drying some bark off the cinnamon tree out in the yard on a newspaper). She and her mother-in-law and her two children manage the property and warmly greet guests. One thing that struck us all is the great number of churches - Christian churches, that are evident in the area. Christianity is very prevalent in this part of the country.
Following a restful and delicious home-prepared meal, we then departed by dugout canoes to the mainland, where we met our coach and returned to KLR for a peaceful afternoon and evening. Houseboats tomorrow!
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