There are always many reasons why the people pick Alleppey whenever they feel like experiencing the backwaters. the thing about the Vembanad is the amazing scenic delights it offers to the people where they get to sight the most surroundings. This is also what attracted me where I had seen Alleppey in several movies but had never really been to the place. This time, I had 10 days in my bag from my vacation from Dubai to Kerala and I had decided to visit the place to enjoy the reminiscing view of the backwaters. I reached Ernakulam and had been picked up by the driver who drove me all the way to Alleppey. A small reunion had been planned where few of us had been coming together from college for a casual meetup. One of my friends home was also located there where I reached and got hosted. Everyone reached and we were off to the backwaters where we had been looking forward to the Boat which reached on time. We got into the fancy boat which was more of a house as it had a bedroom, washroom and Kitchen in it and was quite spacious.

The Kerala houseboat package began and the guide who took us around the whole boat and familiarised us. All of us had been quite excited about meeting each other that all of us sat in the open hall and began talking. In the meanwhile, all of us were served with coconut water for drinking which was quite a relishing factor that helped us quench our thirst in the summer of Kerala. The never-ending stories went on and I took my camera to capture the moments. The cruise had been every smooth where I also kept staring at the sight that we could see from the boat. The sunlight suddenly dimmed and the coconut trees that were on the bank of the lake swayed with all its strength. We knew that we were experiencing it all sitting in the middle of the lake. The cruise was more than just exciting where I had never been to the place and the friend who belonged to the place began giving us all possible information regarding everything that we get to see in the place. The guide also added in and soon, all of us became a mini version of Wikipedia as we had been blooming with information.

The guide said that we were about to reach the first stop on our cruise where all of us got down to sight a small village on our way. We walked a small distance and got to see people who had been waiting to sell things to us. The residents of the place had also been there where they had been getting fish and groceries from the vendors. I had been more attracted to the showpieces that were being sold there among which I purchased a few as I thought about hanging it up in the house would only adorn it more. And after spending some time there, we got back into the boat and the cruise went on, so did the talks. In the meanwhile, the guide said us our lunch was ready to be served and we could sit down on the mat that they had put. It seemed like we were going to have some good amount of food, as well as one by one, the guide and the cook, kept the dishes and the banana leaves were laid in front of us. The food was served where we could sort of predict that it was tasty with the aroma that had been coming.

We relished the food for the famous Alleppey fish curry with cut mango curry and made me the happiest person the boat along with the fish that had been fried keeping inside the banana leaves. It was quite the best time that we had been spending together where in almost an hour, we finished all the food that had been served to us. The guide was an old man and we thanked him big time for the food and also sneaked some tips from him that would help us big time in cooking. All of us got into the bedroom where we thought we would relax for some time and watch television. When we were back to the hallway the guide had set up a carrom board for us which we could play after we had visited the next stop. And the stop that had been on our way was where we could get to see the birds as that was what Pathiramanal Island was famous for. We got inside and began walking where the surroundings had been lush green. On reaching we got to see a floating restaurant there and also got to see the birds where they had been chirping probably something about their visitors.

We could not really name any of the birds there as we weren’t familiar with them. It all seemed to be local as well as migratory birds as per what the guide had told us. We loitered around with a cup of tea and then got back into the boat. The cruise began backward and we were now waiting for the sunset to happen. Almost all of us knew that we were in for a good match of carroms which we enjoyed as we sat there. In some time we also got to enjoy the essence of the journey as we got to sight the sun setting into the beautiful lake. It was one heck of a view where we had been quite happy with the journey that we had been taking at the place. After a while, we were to reach our the point from where we had started. And that was about it where I had planned to stay in my friends’ house. The guide had been the best company for us and we thanked him for the good service that he and the cook ahead provided to us. A Kerala backwater package had hence been accomplished at the place where I could finally tick out something from my bucket list.