resembles nothing as much as being in the opening scene of an adventure movie set in some exotic location about a hundred years ago. They have so little in common with the steel, concrete, and glass world I inhabit that a sense of unreality pervaded my experience of them.
We launched at noon and wound our way through peaceful channels, passing tiny villages and houses by the waterside. For lunch, my cook served wonderful Kerala food: fried fish, masala potatoes, and distinctive Kerala rice, with its short, fat grains. In the evening we tied up in a lagoon for dinner and to spend the night. Sleeping under mosquito netting added to my sense of adventure, as did waking in the night to the feeling of the houseboat buffeted about by a torrential rainstorm.
The following morning, we set out at nine and before long, Vembanad Lake, the largest backwater lake, opened before us. We zipped across it in the cool morning air to dock at Kovilakam, the lakeside resort where I would spend day four of my Kerala adventure.
Days 5 and 6, morning:Periyar
With my driver, Unni, at the wheel, we headed away from
Kovilakam. Several hours into the trip, I began to notice a change.
Tropical scenery was gone and the terrain became mountainous. We passed
waterfalls and herds of water buffalo, traveling downward as we climbed
upward. We were in the Western Ghats, the mountain range that runs down the
western side of South India. About mid-afternoon, we arrived at the Periyar
Tiger Reserve.
Cochin Harbor photo by Lorre Weidlich.
An hour and a half later, I was on a boat cruising Lake Periyar, attempting to sight wildlife on the shore. The day was overcast and misty. The lake, which is man made, was beautiful. Dead trees stuck up out of the water, some with birds sitting on them. I was sitting on the upper deck enjoying the view and the ambiance, when, about 20 minutes into the cruise, the rain began. From the back of the boat, umbrellas were produced, but as the rain got heavier, we all moved