Backwaters

It's raining hard here in Trivandrum and the roads are flooded. But the last few days were great. I'd still some money left, there was no work or anything else to go back home to, so I thought I'd explore the area around Trivandrum.

First up was the famous Kovvalam Beach, a former hippy hangout. For the first time in my life, I saw black beaches. In the distant, I also saw two blue sails, sliding gracefully through the Arabian Sea, into the reflection of the afternoon sun. Although no Maldivian would think much of the beach or the water, Kovvalam does have a certain charm. Then there are the many eateries lined up along the beach, serving seafood, fermented toddy, and other beverages.

Then I went to the Varkala beach, in the photo, which is less "happening" but more scenic to my mind.

But the best was the backwaters. I took a longer bus ride to do a shorter cruise on the canals on a local ferry and enjoyed every minute of it. The view from the backwaters really is different. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures because I was busy videoing. The starting point of the trip in Allepy, with the painted boats, reminded me of the canals in England!

The backwaters definitely need more exploration.