As we traveled away from town, we left the rich, charcoal smell of burning trash piles for a humid river breeze. There's a lot of urban debris floating in the water near Kollam and the strong stench of freshly cut fish - but as you move further away the riverside views become more verdant and the water's surface is host to vibrant fishing-boats, jumping fish and floating coconuts, aiming to hit some shallows and sprout!
Although Jane & I stayed on the houseboat for a single day and one (MASSIVE) meal - the boats are often rented for days at a time. Our boat had a single bedroom and bathroom at our disposal, but many others have two stories and more private spaces for a vacationing family to enjoy. I saw many commercials about floating on Kerala's backwaters - and assume it's a favorite excursion for local tourists. Regardless, if you're in Kerala you MUST take one of these tours.
As in a previous post, communication is an ongoing challenge here - our boat took an unexplained stop at one of the crew's distant houses to deliver some empty bottles and we just had to watch and trust it's all good. When we needed to ask for water or discuss the facilities or nearby sights, we grunted out basic words and did a whole lot of gesturing in hopes of being understood. These techniques often fail though and the best thing to do then is accept knowing nothing and enjoy the beautiful sights, smells and tastes!