The Backwaters of Kerala

The homes, boats and scenery slip by silently as we coast through the backdrop of the lives that inhabit these waters. We are not the only houseboat on the water, nor are we the only foreigners, so the locals do not even give us a second glance. It's peaceful, and beautiful, out on these waters. The network of communities lining the canals and waterways seem just like other Indian villages, only they inhabit narrow spits of lands and the only vehicle traffic is on the water.

As we pass through one such village I hear the melodic Call to Prayer competing with the sound of clothes being washed along the banks. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. The sound of wet fabric hitting the rocks. I watch a solitary canoe glide by noiselessly.

We anchor for the night on a tiny, palm lined spit of land between two waterways. Silence. We enjoy a sumptuous South Indian dinner and share a bottle of Indian wine as we watch the sun slip below the clouds on the horizon.

We wake in the morning to find the adjacent waterway filled with lotus flowers that have opened in the early morning light. White flowers and lily pads as far as the eye could see, palm trees lining the perimeter. The beautiful silence of early morning (so this is why people wake up early!) I feel far away from India, far away from home. This brief, delicious silence is the quietest time we have spent, and probably will spend on the sub-continent. A short journey in our houseboat will bring us back to the heat and bustle of reality and steer us toward our next adventure.