Houseboat

Touring the Kerala backwaters on a private houseboat was one of the coolest experiences of my life. I had a crew of three men, Babu the captain, Jacob the chef, and Goboli the assistant. They were all very nice and accommodating. Here is the boat:

The scenery was gorgeous - vast green landscapes and miles of rice paddy fields.

Of course, my favorite things to see are people and their homes. The people who live on the backwaters do not have access to roads - they use boats for all transportation. They use the lake water for everything from brushing their teeth to washing their clothes.

Here is a woman washing dishes:

And some fishermen:

We stopped for a little while in a village. The paper lanterns are Christmas decorations for sale.

I bought a coconut to drink from this shop. The shop owner hacked off the top and put a straw in it.

I'd never seen an orange coconut before, but I see them everywhere in the trees in Kerala.

I took tons of pictures on the boat, but I can't post them all here because I wouldn't be able to upload the post!

Hospital boat

Kerala - December 22-23, 2012