Kicking Back in Kerala

Story and Photos by Sandra Scott

Kicking Back in Kerala

“No one will ever believe this…” said my husband, sitting on our veranda 90 feet above the wide tranquil valley, “…sleeping in a tree! It will be hard to “top” this!”

Tree houses are just one of the unique adventures available in Kerala , India . Truly, it is as they say, “God's Own Country.” There are to-be-expected cities, forts, monuments, and temples but it is nature that makes Kerala so special.

The forts, monuments, and cities of India are fascinating but the intensive kaleidoscope of sights and sounds can wear one down. After seeing the traditional wonders of India , experience the nature by “branching out” and backwater boating in Kerala. Located in the southwestern part of India , Kerala is a narrow strip of land sandwiched between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats . It is a place to kick back and relax, and best of all, to feel at one with India .

Branching out

I use to dream about it - my very own tree house. Not just a makeshift tree house slapped together in a spurt of frenetic energy that waned with each hour, but one I could live in, one where I could survey the world from above like an ethereal spirit. Like most of my whimsical childhood daydreams, the tree house concept began to fade as I grew older, but one Indian, Babu Verghese, turned his dream into a reality with the building of two tree houses.

We had a choice of trees. A cane “elevator” that rises to the treetop by being counterweighted with a large water bladder provides access to one tree house. However, we opted for the tree house connected to a tree-enshrouded hillside by a hanging bridge that creaked and undulated as we crossed to my childhood dream come-to-life.

I spent the afternoon trying to read but was distracted by the expansive view of hills, mountains, and cloud-choked valleys that unfolded below me. It was so calm and serene that when two chipmunks raced down the spiral stairs from the room above, charged through our bedroom, and raced back up the stairs it gave me quite a fright. “Remember, this is their home not ours,” quipped my husband.

In the evening, the air freshened, and I drifted off to sleep with a lullaby provided by nature's mixed chorus. A long, low cry of a bird signaled morning's arrival. Quickly nature's symphony reached a crescendo and it was time to get ready for a new day. My husband grumbled, pulled the covers over his head, “Too bad we don't have some windows to shut out all this happy tweeting.” I reminded him, “It is their home, not ours.” Enchanted, I watched the white, fluffy wisps of mist dissipate from the valley before showering al fresco.

Breakfast was served Kerala-style with dollops of delicious food on a banana leaf plate. A typical Kerala breakfast may include putte (steamed rice with coconut), Iidali (steamed cake of rice and black gram), and sambar (vegetable curry) accompanied by puffy Kerala rice eaten with one's fingers. At breakfast I overheard another guest ponder, “Why did my mother tell me not to eat with my fingers when one-third of the world eats with their fingers? And, you know what? It is not as easy as it looks!”

Located three hours from Calicut near Vythiri in 500 acres of pristine tropical rainforest are the tree houses of Green Magic Resort, which is dedicated to ecologically responsible tourism.

Boating along

Kerala has hundreds of miles of backwaters where the building of levees and canals has reclaimed the land for rice cultivation. The best way to see the backwaters of Kerala is by kettuvallam, a houseboat made from traditional rice boats and covered with woven mats to resemble the rice barges.

I loved the tree house but from the moment I boarded my kettuvallam I was hooked. “I could live here – forever!” I told my husband. Our houseboat had two bedrooms and a large veranda from which I watched the easy backwater life-style unfold before me. In the morning children walked along the levee paths on their way to school, women washed dishes in the canal, and always there was the “slap-slap” sound of laundry being done.

During the heat of the day, we tied up in the shade to give the two pole men a respite. For us it was a chance to wander along the levees, visit shrines, buy fish for dinner, and chat with the friendly people. We walked to the ancestral home of Kuriakose Elias Chavara, now a Christian shrine where thousands gather to pray. My husband discussed the workings of the sluices controlling the water level in the rice fields. I stopped to visit a school.

“May I pole for a while?” my husband asked. “Joe,” our front pole man, with a mischievous grin, silently handed off the pole. After five minutes of struggling to power the boat, my husband, sweat dripping from his brow, handed the pole back to “Joe,” mumbling, “It's not as easy as it looks.” Joe's grin widened and his eyes twinkled in amusement as he poled the boat along in what seemed like an effortless task.

For several glorious days we glided along the palm-lined canals mesmerized by the scenes of village life. Our kettuvallam moved so quietly that we had time become acquainted with the people along the way. We waved to children we met at the school on their way to play soccer.

When evening approached we headed for the lake so as to be out of the canals during the night when the fishermen set their fishing nets. Water hyacinths drifted on the glassy water. Flocks of birds gathered in brush for the night, their songs competing with the music from the Hindu temples.

The fiery red balloon sun set, going for its bath they say. When the brilliant yellow, “cleansed” morning sun was well above the horizon we headed back into the canals for another wonderful day in Kerala.

For more information, including tree house and houseboat accommodations, check, www.keralatourism.org or call India Tourism at (800) GO-INDIA.

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