17th April 2014
A houseboat trip on the backwaters of Kerala wouldn’t be complete without watching the sunrise. I don’t recall exactly when we got up that morning, perhaps around 6am? I was the last one to step out of my room. Gio and Dina were already up. Tea and coffee of our choice was served by our chef before he went into his kitchen to wield his pots and pans for this morning’s breakfast: Omelette and toast with butter & jam, refreshing pineapple juice and some traditional Kerala pancakes (Madakku San) stuffed with a coconut/sugar/cardamom mix*. On the nose of the boat, we sat and enjoyed the breakfast, watched the sunrise and smiled to people who passed by in their own small boats. It was magical. And so silent. You could almost hear a pin drop. The cold blue backwater, whom we initially greeted goodmorning, slowly woke up to a new day and reciprocated our morning greetings with a warmth I wish I could wake up to every single day.
*The pancake stuffing was too sweet for my taste. Out it went. And in went the pancake.
