India III: Alleppey & Fort Cochin

After Varkala we made our way up the coast to Alleppey, or rather, one of the many houseboats that leave from there. In Alleppey we rented a boat to take the three of us on an overnight tour of the backwaters of Kerala.

That turned out to be perhaps the best part of the whole trip.

It wasn't because any of us really enjoy sailing that much, or because the scenery was beautiful, although it was, or because of the amazing feasts the friendly staff would cook for us.

What we really loved about cruising around on the houseboat was the peacefulness. All the places we'd been in India before had seemed busy and loud, with a constant cacophony of everyday Indian life and people everywhere, so being somewhere private and quiet felt like a real treat.

Next stop on our trip was Fort Cochin, a bit further up the coast. The city's history as an old trading port very much showed, and the strange mix of run down European colonial architecture and colourful Indian chaos made it a very charming place.