5.2.19

John went off for a run at 7.15am and at 9.30am we got a tuk tuk to the boat jetty.

We read about an 8 hour backwaters ferry to Kollam from a blog and it sounded like a fab way to see the backwaters. The fare is just 400 rupees each, expensive in terms of usual local ferries so although it’s a Government ferry it is mainly used by tourists.

But an absolute bargain compared with private companies who are charging thousands of rupees for 6 hour tours.

We’ve checked and there are buses that can get us home again.

We boarded after buying some snacks and are currently waiting to set off.

I think we might be the only people doing it as a jolly as the others have luggage so are obviously off to their next port of call from here.

We got seats upstairs at the front as we arrived early. We may well regret it as there are no cushions up here.

I am suitably attired with most parts covered.

We ate our snacks, onion bhajis and yellow rock cake which had a hint of ginger and lemongrass. I found a dreaded cardomen pod just in time. We didn’t think the round doughnut things were worth the calories but otherwise very tasty.

Bang on 10.30 am we set off on what was a fabulous day. The scenery is just beautiful and amazing villages and wildlife all along the way.

There was a bit of a palaver at the lock gates, the gates wouldn’t open. After about 10 minutes, and with our boat giving them a bit of a nudge it was sorted.

At 1pm we stopped at a little place for lunch. They were all prepared for us and silver trays with lots of sections were placed in front of us. They kept coming round with extra dahl and sambal. It was very tasty indeed and just £3 including large water.

The rice was amazing and unusual, big chunky grains from the local paddy fields and so beautifully cooked. When I cook rice it always goes gloopy.

Back on board we had 2 and a half more hours of loveliness, and dropped the Brazilian guy we sat with at lunch to the Internationally famous (although we had never heard of it) Amma’s Ashram.

https://www.amritapuri.org/ashram

Apparently you can stay there for a night for £2.50 including meals.

Shortly after that it was a stop for tea. I had read about this stop and had my coffee with me as I knew I would be gasping .

4 attempts of asking different people for hot water resulted finally in a cup of hot milk!

Back on the boat and we gave in and sat on the lovely cushioned seats downstairs. It was heaven on the bum and also it’s away from an incredibly annoying German man and his irritating sons. John has been very restrained all day.

There is such a mix of houses along the way, some very run down places that you cannot imagine people live in side by side with stunningly beautiful homes. Even the lovely places have people outside doing their laundry or bathing in the river.

We arrived in Kollam at 6.15pm.

What a beautiful relaxing day. Absolutely loved it.

And then the fun started. We went over the road to the bus station and showed the manager our app showing that there is a deluxe fast bus at 8pm, does it go from here? Yes. Fast buses every 10 minutes. Ok, but we still want the deluxe with real windows and everything.

So off we went to have dinner. First place took forever to find an English menu, we then decided what we wanted but a different guy came over and told us it was out of date and prices would be different. Rather than leave ourselves open to whatever we left and soon found the mall where Wok & Grill is, which John fancied originally from TripAdvisor. 5 floors, no Wok & Grill.

Settled on a chicken burger for me, not wanting any disaster on a long bus journey and vegetable kurma with vegetable biriyani for John. Delicious on both parts.

Went back in plenty of time for our bus, so confusing, mostly in hieroglyphics, but occasionally with Western alphabet too.

No sign of our deluxe fast bus by 8.10 so we got on the next normal one that said Alleppey on its sign on the front.

When the conductor came he told us it was going to Trivandrum, totally wrong direction.

We asked to be let off but there was a flyover and then we were dropped off just after.

We decided we would have to get a tuk tuk back to the bus station but a few feet ahead we spotted the train station. Deciding it would be a total waste of time we asked on the off chance. Yes. 8.30pm train. Fab 😊😊😊

2 tickets to Alleppey please. 90 rupees. (510 cheaper than deluxe bus). Result. Platform 2.

A train arrived, we asked at the Police desk next to us if he had any idea which carriage we needed. He said we couldn’t get on that train and a guy who spoke English explained its a special reservation one and next one coming soon.

When it arrived he explained that our ticket was a local one but to follow him and maybe they would ask us to move but he didn’t know.

We chatted for a while with the helpful guy. When we told him about the sign on the front of the bus he laughed and said it happens.

He was fascinated that we were travelling without a guide and not in a group.

Sometimes I’m surprised we are even allowed out on our own.

Of course sure enough a grumpy ticket man came, said we couldn’t be there and shooed us off waving us to go forward. A few carriages later, and scary open doors, another ticket officer said we could stand by doors until next station, get off and on again in the back carriage or pay extra to upgrade our ticket for 80 rupees each.

We opted to upgrade and he led us to some seats and wrote us a new ticket which became 200 because he didn’t have change.

He could have charged anything, by this time we didn’t care!

What a nightmare…!! Just wanted to get back now and so relieved we were on the right train, going the right way, and in the right carriage.

Our phones were almost dead by this time, so when we got off the train at 10.50pm we knew it wasn’t far and it was nice after sitting all day to have a 10 minute stroll and anyway we didn’t remember the address to tell a tuk tuk driver.

We followed the route we took in the tuk tuk when we arrived yesterday morning.

It ended up being a bit of a frog march because the pitch dark little roads felt scary and every time any one passed us I was sure we would be raped and pillaged.

Naturally we hadn’t followed the same route. I was sure I knew the way but John was adamant it was wrong.

Long story short he was right. It had been such a long day he either didn’t have the energy or wasn’t brave enough to gloat.

Such a relief to unlock our door at 11.20pm.