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After the attack of the leeches, we move on to the Kerala backwaters in the very south of India Kerala literally means 'Land of the Coconuts', and when you go there you can see why. This is going to be a homestay, which means that we stay in an actual person's house. Our hosts have the very un-indian names of Thomas and Matthew, and we're actually staying in their sister's house, her name is Maria, and ironically, she is currently living in Manchester - working as a nurse - what a small world! Kerala is made up of a series of waterways, and small canals, it's like Amsterdam with palm trees, and the only way to really get around is by boat. All the houses are built right at the waters edge, with acres of paddy fields behind them. This however means that in monsoon time, all the houses usually flood, and the Keralans are well used to walking round in ankle deep water - personally, I couldn't handle the wrinkly toe look.
In the evening, we go out on one of the traditional canoes, used in the backwaters, it's completely dark, and the only light we have is a small lantern, and for once there's no traffic noise, because car's and the like are unable to travel around here. In the eerie darkness, our host Matthew sings traditional keralan folk songs, and the two other oarsmen join in on the chorus, the music is haunting, and coupled with the darkness, it's quite a moving experience.
All the food during the homestay is cooked by the family's mother, and I have to say it's totally delicious, coconut rice, palm wrapped fish, keralan potatoes, and lots of other stuff that I wasn't really sure what I was eating, but definitely tasted great.
During a precarious walk round the narrow pathed canals, which I nearly fell off on numerous occasions, we got to see a coconut tapper. In Kerala, they have a drink that's called 'Toddy', it's basically coconut alcohol. The tappers have to shimmy up a tree - I can't believe how fast that bloke hiked himself up there, then they tap the coconuts ie: put into the coconut some sort of tube; they leave it there, and come back to it a few days later, and what they pour off is the coconut juice. As soon as it hits the air, it starts to ferment, and that's why toddy has to be drunk the same day, otherwise it keeps fermenting, getting stronger, and eventually goes rancid - how bizarre would that be, alcohol poisoning from a coconut!!
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