Sundown on the backwaters

Today I took the train from Fort Cochin to Alleppey to explore the backwaters of Kerala. The train trip was good fun and I successfully negotiated the intricacies of the Indian railway system.

This photo was taken during an evening walk along some of the minor backwaters. The main occupations round here are fishing and working in the paddy fields. The smaller water channels in particular get blocked with water hyacinth and have to be cleared when the rice is harvested as everything is transported by water.

It was fascinating to walk along and see where people lived and worked at close hand. I could smell fires, evening meals being cooked and incense burning. I could hear kids playing, goats bleating and televisions blaring out (even very simple dwellings had satellite dishes outside). There were soap dishes, toothbrushes and cooking pots laid neatly on the banks as the waterways serve as bathrooms and sinks too.