In Your Face, Houseboat

Before I get into today's adventure, I realized I forgot to mention that we also saw dolphins yesterday from the sunset cruise. I didn't know India had dolphins, but I was pleasantly surprised. They were just like regular dolphins, but they really seemed to like curry and would say things like 'timings' and 'prepone.'

Today began in a bathtoy-sized speed-boat ride out to the middle of the backwaters of Kerala somewhere. We even went through a lock that divides salt water from fresh. It was super fun, as you always felt like you were going to fly off the boat. To remember the experience, I got myself some wicked forearm burns from having the sleeves of my shirt rolled up. I look like I'm wearing wonder woman's arm cuffs.

We don't know how he got us there, as there was nothing but fishing canoes and palm trees to mark the passing distance, but the captain of our little boat managed to find the traditional Keralan houseboat on which we'd spend the afternoon. We were expecting to meet the houseboat at some sort of dock, but it was just parked in the middle of a lake, one of several lakes in the backwaters that had their own houseboats. Again, unclear how he found ours.

When we got on our traditional Keralan houseboat, which we had all to ourselves, we learned that traditional Keralans had two floors, two bedrooms, a sundeck, functioning bathrooms with showers, and a tv with a DVD player and five speaker surround sound. In other words, traditional Keralans had it rough. We sucked it up, though, and started cruising the backwaters on the houseboat among some truly unbelievable tropical scenery. We stopped about half way to have a Keralan meal in the lower level dining room, which was served on Banana leaves instead of plates and eaten with fingers (until they suggested we use the spoons they provided). It was delicious.

When we resumed cruising, we noticed that there were several other houseboats sailing the backwaters, but everyone elses houseboats seemed to have Indian families instead of two white people and an asian. Curiously, every time we waved and took a picture of them, they waved and took a picture of us. I don't know why we are so fascinating.

We passed the remaining time on the boat by gossiping, listening to Beyonce's Single Ladies, and playing Mad Lips (Operation Edition). The whole experience was totally unreal, beautiful and relaxing.

We got off the houseboat down in the town of Allepy, where we met a driver who took us back to the hotel. When we got back, we decided to take a swim in the pool, and on our way out noticed one of the staff members was busy messing with some decorative rocks in a box on a table. When we returned at least half an hour later, several more staff members had joined in the fun and were also messing with the decorative rocks. We later asked the hotel's bartender what all that fuss was all about, and he confirmed that they were, in fact, decorative rocks. I fear we may have had a communication issue. Tomorrow I will take some rocks, as they must be culturally significant.

That's really it for the day. Tomorrow we take a train to Kovalam (a town further south in Kerala) to relax at a different resort. Rachel, Wayne and Ben will meet us Saturday. More to come.

Monkey count: no change.