Houseboat Through Alleppey Backwaters- My Experience

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”

I, being a travel enthusiast, decided to drop a pin on my next destination- Alleppey. That was a week before, and now, I have some beautiful and tactile memories that I’ll be cherishing my whole life. Accustomed to the busy schedule of college, I decided to take a break from all the noises and clutters of the monotony of life and get out into the azure sky and waters and lush green trees.

And that’s how I decided to land my drop pin on Alleppey- the Land of Backwaters in God’s Own Country. Getting down at Alleppey, all I could do was to breathe. Breathe in the fresh air and feel it, surrounded with greens on both sides of the roads. One could fall into a trance after visiting this place. Like all other districts in Kerala, this place also resembles the traditional way of living. But, what makes Alleppey stand out is its backwaters. The geography of Alleppey is similar to that of Venice. Both regions are below sea level. To traverse the unseen, the best mode of transport one could avail from here is the houseboat.

The cruise on the houseboat in Kerala takes you into another world. It lets you follow an untraversed path through the center of the water body. It is a picturesque scene. You have the blue sky on top, and the waters beneath reflect the sky. On the sides, you find coconut trees leaning towards the lake as if they are soldiers to keep us guarded. The sparkling clear water seems like a mirror. Each strode of the houseboat made more ripples that felt like I was passing through a crowd, and people were paving the way for me as a sign of respect, and I loved it! The cool breezes gave yet another chill.

The blazing sun didn’t matter anymore. Only the azure sky and the sparkling water, that was all that was needed. Maybe, we won’t like such an experience when it is adjoined to our routine. But, once or twice in a while, such an experience is an obligation, I must say. To calm ourselves from this ever ending routine, we need these waters. The serene environment gives us peace of mind. The burbling sound of waters dissolves all the surrounding sounds and makes our ears wonder where all the cacophony just disappeared. And our eyes experience a whole new life. Our hands and legs feel a unique atmosphere.

The backwaters reminded me of how simple our lives can be with just a couple of simple decisions. All the complexities in life could be eliminated only by looking out into this beautiful gift of God. At once, we feel like touching the calm waters, dipping our face deep down into the lake, savoring the seas; it’s all just a part of our mental ability. What we feel and what we do can sometimes be two different extremes. But, at a point like this, our feelings and actions are simultaneous as well as merged into one another. The cool breeze hitting on our face seems like one bunch of icepacks thrown to our faces.

We enjoy every bit of an experience because we know the sad truth that we’ll not be enjoying this once we are back into our reality. Talking of the food, it was out of the blue. The fish, freshly caught from the lake and dry fried. The aroma of the fresh spices and the crispiness of the fish all take us into another land. The hospitality of the Alleppey natives was overwhelming and refreshing.

Nevertheless, Indians hold onto “Athithi Devi Bhava.” Speaking of the people, they consider everyone as their own and welcome with whole hearts. Once they start talking about Alleppey, they won’t stop. They are proud and happy that they are the natives of that place. The karimeen pollichathu, the white rice, the spice-filled curries, all fill up our hearts and stomach to its full. All this adds up to their hospitality and the natural hospitality of Alleppey.

The colors that camouflage into its own makes us fall in love with their place. The colors seem like the colors in the palette. The scene looks just beautiful. All at once, what we see, hear, and feel, all merge into one, and that feeling is heartwarming. Wherever we are, enjoy what we have. Be it the college or picturesque places like this; to stay happy, we need to be pleased with what we have.

After cruising through the waters, I got back to my same old monotonous and busy life, but with a fresh new start and a clear mind with an added hope of getting back to Alleppey. Let’s see the good in everything. I took Cruiseland Houseboat in Alleppey backwaters.