Backwaters

With Alok departing us for the shores of Portugal, we decided to make a trip to Chennai to send him off with a night on the town. We took the Shatabdi Express train in Thursday morning and after getting settled in our hotel, spent the day shopping and eating. Anytime you can eat something other than the usual canteen food, it's a treat. Since we were going to be in Chennai anyway, we decided this was the perfect weekend to fly to Kochin and visit the famous backwaters. Friday morning John, Michelle, Maya, Anita and I hopped on a Kingfisher Airlines flight for the 1.5 hour flight to the other side of the country. A mere 2.5 hours in a rickety bus and we arrived at our destination - Allepey. They claim to be the Venice of the East, with an intricate network of canals which have become quite the tourist destination. Over 350 converted rice barges now serve as house boats, allowing tourists to enjoy the backwaters in style. We found ourselves a good ship, and I must admit, it was quite the treat lying around the boat, taking in the sights and eating the delicious food prepared for us. Very spoiled, I know.