The town of Alleppy was much more crowded than we anticipated, sigh, but a day-long cruise on the canals soothed our nervous systems!
Lots of rice fields and open space and fresh (but HOT) air. Have I mentioned it is hot??? 95 degrees and about the same humidity.
We took a large boat through the wide waterways and disembarked to walk to a local home for breakfast. No roads go to these villages - most travel is by boat or narrow paths.
This was our canoe for the day!
Fellow travelers being rowed around with us.
Villagers waiting for the next ferry.
And here it is! All aboard.
Floating by shamelessly peering into the lives of the villagers - so peaceful. Washing the clothes....
Washing the dishes ....
Washing the baby. All that soap can't be good for the water quality, but everyone seems pretty healthy. We even saw one fellow wash his face and then drink from the canal. Good gut biome!!
After a few peaceful hours we returned to the same home for a traditional lunch served on banana leaves - makes my environmental heart sing!
A leisurely walk back to the big ferry past the women working the rice fields. Smiling through the heat while I am melting and scrambling for any small bit of shade I can find.
Glenn gets a beard trim on the way home at the local "saloon" - what a splurge at 75 cents!
That evening to get cool (have I made it clear how hot it is???) we head to the beach which is crowded with people fully clothed wading in the water. The women here are particularly amazing. They are either dressed in long pants with a long dress past their knees PLUS a scarf or in a tight short blouse and wrapped in a sari which is several yards of material, often silk or polyester. Not to mention the Muslim women completely shrouded in black. I sweat just looking at them!
We walk in the village on our way back to the hotel and see these amazing lights which we think must be a carnival in town. But no, it is a Catholic church, Indian style. Flashing neon lights and chanting. Not sure if a blog can support a video - but let's see!
Two nights later we were staying at a hotel at the beach and saw all the villagers cleaning the sand paths and setting up altars. We learned that it was the 10th day of a celebration in honor of San Sebastian and that a parade was coming!
Here comes the parade!!
And here is the lovely family that served us tea as we waited and included us in their celebration.
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