India interlude

Eight months after my August ’11 trip to India (May ’12, pg. 25), I went back on a mission trip to Nagercoil, near the southern tip of the country.

I asked Prudent Networks (Ste. 115, Ansals Majestic Tower, G-Block, Vikaspuri, New Delhi, 110018, India; phone +91 011 4158684, fax +91 11 41586740), whom I had been very pleased with on my previous trip, if they would design a quick, 4-day trip for me that included two nights in Kovalam and one on a houseboat in Kerala with a driver.

I worked with Jhumur (jhumur@prudentnetworks.com), and we came up with a program that a 63-year-old woman like me would enjoy and feel safe on while traveling alone.

The trip he created for me cost $525 plus $15 for paying by credit card. The cost was $110 more than it might have been because I requested that the houseboat used be certified “green.”

My trip began on April 14 when Mr. Praveen picked me up at my hotel in Nagercoil and drove me to Kovalam. On the way, in Thiruvananthapuram I took a tour of the Puthe Maliga Palace Museum, a beautiful, 200-year-old structure that had been the home of maharajas. I paid a docent in the palace INR30 (near 54¢) for a guided tour that was interesting and INR25 more to use my camera outside the palace.

In Kovalam I stayed at the Uday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel (GV Raja Rd., Samudra Beach, Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram 695527, Kerala, India; phone +91 471 248 5766, fax 248 1578). It was lovely, with three pools and a private beach; unfortunately, the surf was too rough to swim in.

The next morning, after I had a lovely buffet breakfast, Mr. Praveen picked me up at 8 and we headed north about 200 kilometers to Kerala and the Muthoot Houseboats (Changacherry Rd., Alleppey). Once escorted to my houseboat, I found I was the only passenger. The captain, a first mate and a cook made up the rest of the group.

I had an air-conditioned cabin with a bath. The boat had a large, area with chairs, a cushioned lounge area and a table, all with an open, 180-degree view of the surrounding water, rice paddies and the people carrying on their lives on small peninsulas of land. It was fascinating. Jobin, the chef, cooked delicious meals for me.

That night we tied up at a peninsula with other boats until the next morning. Because the trip was so short (21 hours), we did not go deep into the backwaters.

There were way too many houseboats on the water. In spite of that, it was fun to observe people washing clothes and pots and pans and to watch children splashing in the water. There were water taxis to take the local people to town, and in some areas they used bicycles.

Mr. Praveen picked me up in Alleppey and we went back to the Uday Samudra. This time, I had a room next to the pool and could see and hear the ocean. Unfortunately, that night I had a 4:30 a.m. flight.

Mr. Praveen took me to the other Kovalam beaches and I went for a swim while he watched my things. It was a little awkward; walking down to the water in my one-piece suit, I received many stares. Once in the water, I realized I was the only woman in a suit and swimming. Down the beach, there were a few women in saris, wet to their knees, playing with their children.

The lifeguards would not let people go out very far. The waves were fun, but it was too shallow to do any real swimming, and soon I was back at the car. I had to pay INR10 to rinse my sandy feet at the bathhouse.

Mr. Praveen dropped me off at the airport at 1:30 a.m. Too late, I found out I could have checked in online and printed out a boarding pass. Since I had only a carry-on, I could have arrived with that only 90 minutes before the flight instead of the usual three hours.

I love the contrasts and colors of India. We drove about 600 kilometers in total and I never got bored with the passing scenery of city and country life. I saw many churches along my way as well as Hindu temples.

There is a bit of thrill having buses and trucks bearing down on you in your lane only to swerve at the last moment. Cars and cycles in front of us would move to the right when Mr. Praveen honked, and he would slide through between those vehicles and the oncoming traffic.

MARILYN SANTIAGO
Port Angeles, WA