A day on the water

Today we leisurely awoke in our favorite hotel thus far, a resort called the Lake palace resort. After a delicious late breakfast, we departed from the hotel in Alleppy in luxurious houseboats.  The houseboats contained a large common area with a dining table, benches, and multiple bedrooms with bathrooms.  We enjoyed a delicious lunch on the water way prepared and served on the boat while observing the interesting and unique setup of Kerela, which comprised of houses and other buildings along the river with the river serving as the roadway and the major mode of  transportation.  After lunch, we arrived at a small port, where we disembarked the houseboats and reconvened on big canoes.  On the canoes, we traveled the backwaters of Kerela and had the opportunity to closely observe the amazing lifestyle of the people there as well as some wildlife.  After this, we walked to a local church, where we were able to see the birthplace of a Saint and have some quiet time in the Church.  After we finished this, we gathered on the houseboats again and set sail. While sipping on tea and coffee, we again paid attention to the  different lifestyle of the people of Kerela.  One of our favorite sights was a large group of small children (maybe 5-7 years old) all gathering on a "schoolboat" after their school was finished, which was both funny and so unique.  We also overheard the Muslim call to prayer in the towns as we drifted along the river.  Seeing Kerela really highlighted the diversity of India as a country on many levels. For one, the general layout of the town differed greatly from the structured cities we have visited like Mumbai and Madurai.  In addition, we witnessed three major religions at play: Christianity at the church, Islam while hearing the call to prayer, and Hinduism by seeing local temples from the boat.  The diversity within Kerela is a reflection of the many levels of diversity that exist within India.  When we were finished with the houseboat tour, we boarded the bus where we drove 1.5 hours to our final destination, Kochi, stopping along the way at a fabric store where some of us bought clothing.  All in all, today was a great day.