December 2012 

Alleppy (Alappuzha) SW India

Aleppy is often called the Venice of the East due to the canals that connect the waters known at the Backwaters of Kerala.  The canals were originally used to transport rice from rice paddies, spices to the coasts for shipping, general trade and people.  Now it is heavily used by the tourist industry.   It still is used for people commuting to the larger city to the south and between the villages on it's waterways.  

You can rent an ecological boat with a paddling guide, a boat with a small motor, or the large rice barges that usually carry  2-6 or more couples spending one or more nights at  stopovers along the waterways.

It was very relaxing and beautiful.

It felt like a lazy day down the river with so many boats going in 

all directions on sometimes very narrow spaces.

Water lilies floating on the water.  At first I thought it was something

 like weeds because they filled the canals but they are not 

attached and float along where ever the waves take them.

You can see all of the water plants with a large

 rice barge coming around the corner.

There was an entire row of these very large boats being built to carry tourists.  

Outsiders are concerned about the quality of the water and the

 pollution the added engines are causing to the area.

During one month there are dragon boat races.

Here is a picture of one of these long dragon boats.

All kinds of boats are on the water to carry any number of tourists.

This boat is actually a ferry that carries locals from this town to the next larger town.

I saw many of these over loaded boats but since there isn't many waves 

outside of the bigger boats, it was probably safer than it looks.

There is a very small strip of land that people have their huts and houses on.  

The canal is on one side and the rice paddies on the other.  

This little boy is in his school uniform flating a boat he 

crafted from discarded materials.

You can see just how narrow this strip of land can be.  

Taken from the canal, the rice patty is just beyond.

Foot traffic .

She is gathering grass for her cows.  She probably has two.  A mother and a calf.  The mother gives milk for the chai tea that is drunk by almost everyone.  When the calf is grown, it is probably sold to muslim's who eat the meat.  

Another house along the canal. They are all so idyllic.

The older, original rice barges. 

 They come complete with a captain and a cook and 

cost around $80 a night per person.

One way of steering the barge.

Rice harvesters in the fields. Tom D. this is for you.

Back in the little town with all the boats ready for tourists.