Get on board - Backwater Ride

Here I'm standing in the "Allapuzha Boat Terminus" to catch my 2.30 pm boat which is expected at any moment to take us to the "Kottayam Boat Terminus". The vehicle came at the right time & all the passengers have taken their seat in the not so comfortable chairs (sorry benches). For those who couldn't able to find a seat took the near by pole not to dance but to hold & started to chat with their friends who are either sitting or standing besides them. In another 15 mins came the pilot of the vehicle with his host for the day. Thus on the signal (whistle) of the terminus marshal the three hour journey started.

Things I had noted down on the terminus.

• Seating arrangements for the waiting passengers.
• Detailed schedule of the various boat services to different parts of the State.
• Map of the complete waterway in the city.
• Separate cabins for the Terminus in-charge personals & workers.
• Small room of Tourist Information Center.

The waterway was flanked on both the sides by roadways which after 10 mins are gone. Now we are sailing on the backwaters of the city of Allapuzha and halting now & then, here & there to fetch more passengers. The conductor for the day has provided tickets to each & every passengers. I checked my ticket which read Rs 10. The journey is of 22 Kms & it's going to take me another couple of hours to reach my destination. Hmm not a bad deal.

I could able to see many private & public jetties and our boat was almost halting in all of the public jetties to fetch & drop the travelers. This backwater is used for washing clothes, vessels & also bodies not to forget the major use of transport. There comes a junction in the middle of the waterway where the only thing missing was a traffic signal. We are not alone in the waterway. There are other boats, ferries & house boats (inclusive of A/Cs) which are occupied by heavy pocketed businessmen & their nice hearted ladies not to forget the people from rich countries.

There are waterside shops such as "Tender coconut shop", "Cool drinks shop", "Mini-Super markets" & the "Restaurants". The route is also used by the local business people to advertise their products on huge hoardings either side of the waterway. After 2 hours of our journey we entered into a narrower waterway where on both sides there are houses & roads. There are bridges which gave way to our boat by opening their gates causing little inconvenience to the passer-bys. After crossing 4-5 such bridges came the destination Kottayam here we are asked to leave the boat or if wished could take a return journey on the same route for 10 more Rs.

I decided to take the road way which is a 1 hour journey back to Allapuzha on the same day.

Now to the interesting part. The photos.

Kottayam - Allapuzha

Caretaker cum Driver of a House boat named "Lilly Darling"

Yet another Luxury House boat. Tenants at the top

The Ticket book

Public Jetty. Passenger waiting to get in

Waiting Houseboats to get occupied

The Waterway

Bridge giving way to the Boat

Upcoming bridge on the greenly water

One of the private vehicles

Beautiful house on the way