More from the Holiday Snaps and Sunsets Department… Its nearly two months now, but I paid a quick visit to Kerala to catch up with some friends who were visiting back before Christmas.
First it was a couple of days in Varkala – a popular hang resort amongst backpackers – and then it was on to a boat trip through the Kerala backwaters.
The backwaters are a network of brackish lagoons, lakes and canals on which you can potter about in a converted rice barges. With rice farming, fishing and some tourism, there’s actually quiet a population living out amongst the lakes. Might have to get myself a canoe, but expect I’ll be back to explore.
As it happened, before heading back to Madurai from Kochin (Kerala’s largest city) I managed to catch an air & sea show by the Southern Command of the Indian Navy. No sign of India’s newest aircraft carrier, but they still managed to blow stuff up and show off some of India’s finest military aircraft (with names I don’t remember of course – apologies plane-spotters).
Wikipedia on Varkala
Wikipedia on the Kerala backwaters
Wikipedia on Kochi
Info on the Indian Navy Southern Command
India’s newest aircraft carrier (ZeeNews)
The Slow Boat to Delhi 