Tryst with magical Alleppey

As an avid traveler or a humble tourist you may have visited the country thoroughly, but in case you have missed out Kerala, make no mistake – you may have missed out the trip of a lifetime! Admit it or not there is something special about God's Own Country – Kerala. Yes, in its truest sense, this state of India is almost like a different country altogether! I chanced upon an opportunity and this was almost two decades ago. For once, let's time travel and take you through 1999 when I was just another young lady and harbouring the recurrent wish of solo travelling, I must admit that Kerala greeted me with open arms.

I was at Alleppey and was at once awe struck having experienced the Alleppey backwaters seemingly magical and serene at the same time and in short – offering an experience of a lifetime. Over the years this place has really developed and now as I look back, in those days houseboats at Alleppey were not that famous as they are now. I believe tourists in those days were a little reserved and stayed a little aloof because of the dirt, insects and other issues. But, now the scenario has completely changed and changed for the better. Simply spick and span – they seem to be offering good business these days.

As a matter of fact, Alleppey is the most sought-after backwater cruise destination for visitors as it is linked to a number of bridges and canals. Touted as the most hip and happening place to check out when one is in this Southern state, the Alleppey backwaters is not that far from the Cochin Airport. Meanwhile, I simply couldn't help but notice unending stretches of palm trees alongside coconut trees, small lagoons and wondered why Kerala is rightly called the 'Venice of the East'! And, then something magical happened! Fresh seafood fritters were being sold and I had to taste one! I gleefully took my camera out and clicked several pictures. Those pictures are etched in my memory like tiny postcards. And, the mouth-watering pakoras were too tasty and on top of that some fresh coconut water provided me with the much needed aura before finally hopping into a motor boat.

All in readiness, our motor boat did start with a bang! I could watch those never ending waterways and the gorgeous islands located there. We were taken to the four islands located nearby and the setting sun turning orange, along with the slow, silent cruise had an immediate wonderful effect on me. There were other tourists as well on other motor boats. Just when everything seemed larger than life, a little incident happened that left us and others a little panic stricken. Quite abruptly, the motor boat that was smoothly cruising ahead of us collapsed midway owing to some technical glitches. We were simply stunned into silence, not knowing how to react but the rescue team reached the spot quite quickly and did a brilliant job.

Today as I kind of look back at my journey undertaken some two decades back, I realise that this kind of a cruise in such a perfect setting is indeed a dream come true moment far from the hustle and bustle of city life. And, also especially for anyone who has a taste for artistic stuff! Talking about artistic stuffs, the artist in me, for some time took the front seat and the teacher in me took the back seat as I witnessed nature painting the canvas with the swaying coconut trees, the green paddy fields, blue sky, flocks of ducks, seagulls, other unknown wild birds floating on the surface, and those beautiful water lilies striking a harmonious chord with one another!