Some people have told us Kerala is "India Lite". So far, I'm inclined to agree. Facing out of our bungalow toward a scene that looks somewhat like Baloo the Bear and Mowgli are about to float by heading toward "the man village", it's hard not to feel worlds away from the slums and children pooping on the streets.
Knowing that there's a world outside our resort, we went into town to see what "the real" Alleppey is like. While it is still nuts in the way that only India can be, it's not real nuts. It's more like peanuts – it's a legume.
Emily and I actually went our separate ways for the day as I needed longer to get up and going than she did and I had the blog to write. Emily was practically bursting at the seems to go and do and see – so she went.
In Mumbai, this would have worried me and I might have hurried it up to accompany her. In Kerala, things are different. Women walk around alone. People are extraordinarily kind and gentle. Most amazingly, the level and fluency of English is much higher than we experienced in Bumbai.
This may be a result of Kerala's 94.5 percent literacy rating along with 94 percent of the rural population having a primary school within one kilometer of their homes. People here are notoriously well educated and extremely easy to speak with about advanced and abstract topics – which again, was not often the case in Mumbai.
Along with being tops in education, Kerala claims the title of least corrupt state in India, best and most extensive road network and highest life expectancy.
Perhaps this extends from the region's historical and present role in the spice industry. Many of the spices you know and enjoy including cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, pepper and vanilla. However, its other major export is educated labor.
Much of the state's economic advancement has come through sending its highly educated and professionally trained population to other countries to work – including Persian Gulf states, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. By educated highly desired professionals, Kerala has been able to reap the rewards of its expatriates sending back large remittances, increasing their quality of life.
All of this has led to an odd dynamic between Kerala and other Indian states. We have talked to Indians in Mumbai as well as Nepalis who say that Kereleans see themselves as superior and are not welcoming. They will refuse to speak English or Hindi with other Indians, they say. They are like the French of India.
However, they seem more than happy to speak English with us and going around town today, both Emily and I experienced people who went out of their way and no personal gain to direct us and help us. When I inquired of a hotel if I could pay them to use their WiFi and perhaps eat at their restaurant and work, the man at the desk said, "We will make no fee for you to come and use our WiFi. Please come and enjoy the Internet in our lobby whenever you like."
At another juncture, I stopped into a gas station to see if they would make change for my 500 rupee ($10) note because I needed to pay my taxi driver who didn't have change for a bill that large. "How would you like that, Sir? 100's or do you need smaller notes? My name is Raja Matthew, what's yours? How do you like our town?"
He handed me the change, shook my hand and wished me a good stay. It was the nicest gas station visit of my life.
At an Internet cafe where Emily was inquiring about WiFi, the owner didn't have what we needed, so he gave her information on how to get to an electronics store where the owner there came up with a good solution to our Internet dilemma – buy a WiFi router and install it at the hotel. We may make a contribution to our beautiful hotel by giving them a WiFi router so we can enjoy its use and they can keep it for future customers. They have the Internet – they just need the right router.
The real stroke of kindness was that this gentleman showed Emily his top of the line WiFi router – and could probably have stopped there since we didn't have an issue with the $40 cost of it. Instead, he offered to check his stock and suppliers for one of the cheaper, generic routers that might cost half as much.
Where are we?!
The only really expensive thing on our agenda is a houseboat. Each and every one that passes – and there are more than 1500 of them operating in the Kerala backwaters – is amazing. From two-storey palaces with air conditioning and hot water heaters to simple bungalow-size ones – they are all beautiful and amazing looking. We have heard nothing but great things from many travelers. I saw one pass by our bungalow that had an upstairs deck with big cushions where a couple was lounging in the sun, watching the lakes, rivers and jungles pass by them. I want that.
The backwaters. "What exactly are they?" you may ask. Kerala has a system of lakes, rivers and wetlands that span from the ocean far inland covering much of the state. For thousands of years, people have used the waterways as their primary transportation infrastructure. Even today, water taxis connect many of the major towns and villages.
Over time, small canals were dug and exploited to connect to remote villages and to reach more homes. So, while a houseboat will take you around all the major waterways, you need a canoe to get into the narrow ones that lead to the traditional villages.
Today, we're going to do just that – take a guided all-day canoe trip to see small villages and then get-off and get a tour of village life. Touristy? Absolutely. But absolutely worth seeing anyway. Besides, the town of Alleppey is just average. The backwaters are extraordinary. I'd rather spend time looking for Baloo and Mowgli and checking to make sure Sheer Khan the Tiger hasn't returned to this part of the jungle.
