KERALA: Day 4, December 16th -- A tour of the backwaters of Kovalam, along with Poovar Island

Ahhh, what beauty, what tranquility! A peaceful boat ride on the famous backwaters of Kerala in Kovalam... on our own little boat. By "our", I mean Johanna, her friend Patricia, and myself. We hired the boatman and "set sail" on these inland waterways, through thickets of mangroves, palms and other vegetation, viewing many beautiful birds, and just soaking in the loveliness of nature on this 2 hour journey. This was truly the most peaceful and relaxing time I have had in India so far! If you ever go to Kerala, this experience is NOT to be missed!!!


Some boats, such as this one, are commandeered the old fashioned way, with a boatman using a stick to push the boat along. Ours had a motor, but our guide went slow enough as to not disrupt the wildlife...and also so we could enjoy the tranquility of this beautiful bit of nature. 
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Our boat! Still quaint and charming, to be sure!


We had a perfect morning for this outing...clear skies and still waters. This was a boon, since it had been raining off and on in Kerala...though mostly in the afternoons.  Apparently this was due to a cyclone off the coast somewhere in the Arabian sea. 


As is everywhere in India I have seen thus far, there is a strong faction of Christianity. Of course, in the country as a whole, Hindus and Muslims are greater in numbers. 


That boatman must have really strong arms!! He grinned at us as they passed us by... show off! I loved it! 

This bit of "island"--Poovar-- was hot and desolate, as you can see here. In fact, I failed to see what the attraction was at all! In the tourist literature, it touts a "golden beach"... hmmmm... okay...seems like a gimmick to me! What WAS there were lots of aggressive vendors, selling coconuts and other (mostly junk) food. I must admit, my coconut water tasted pretty darn good out there in the hot sun!!!



Gliding through mangrove thickets... so serene, really lovely... 


Passing by a quaint little village... 


A surprisingly colorful bird, this Kingfisher siting was a real treat. Sadly, it shares the name with the most popular Indian beer. Just figures!!!!


They looked like egrets to me, but think they had another name... the guide told us, but of course I no longer remember!!! 


Another tourist boat, heading our way...there were lots of them on the backwaters that day, but it didn't disrupt the peace and tranquility one bit. 


Another amazing bird, flapping its wings for us!




Back to Lighthouse Beach by about 1 p.m., we were hungry, so headed for a place on the ocean front that had an extensive menu and great view of the beach. Unfortunately, the food was WAY overpriced and not good at all. I had a "Thai" mixed veg and tofu dish that didn't taste like anything, truly...certainly bore NO resemblance to real Thai food! Johanna fared better with her Italian toast...and I think Patricia just got french fries and something else. (No photos of her, btw, because she did NOT like to be photographed!) 


The lovely menu and the view... the only good things about this restaurant, sad to say!


Johanna DID enjoy her fare... I was glad for her!

Fortunately, that night, I headed off on my own, back to Lonely Planet, where I knew the food would be good AND reasonably priced. I was NOT disappointed! The thali you see below was tasty and ample...good for two meals for me, of course! And the ambiance--looking out over a pond surrounded by palms-- rivaled the beach scene any day. 


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