Tour of Allepy

DAY 1, Saturday 11th August 2007:
This time it was a planned and well executed short tour 2 Alleppy. Its around 71 KM from
Kochi and takes around 10 Hrs by bus from B'lore.
But our purpose of visit was for its spectacular snake - boat races held on the second
Saturday of August, every year @ Punnamada Lake in Alleppy. This competition - the Nehru boat race takes its name from India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who inaugurated in 1952. It is excitement all around as snake - boats , each manned by over a hundred oarsmen, cut
through the waters like wind. This time it was 55th edition of the race & 55 boats participated out of which were 18 snake boats.....A single snake boat(Chundan) will be measuring over 100 feet in length, with a raised prow. And needs 100-117 member crew...WOW thats a lot.....i need not say its a once in a life time must visit event.

Technical Specifications
Tracks – 4 tracks of 10 M. wide from East. Track length – 1400 M
Chundan(Snake Boat) :Amaram- 5 Persons ; Nilakkar-5 Persons
Total no. of team members- 111

The boat race gets away from 2 PM and ends @ about 6 PM ..well we had got a VIP pass
on the island Nehru Pavilion ...all thanks to our freelance photographer friend Salil who had
arranged it for us...... if u don't have a pass then don't even think of coming 2 this place ...well on
this day Punnamada Lake will b jam packed with almost people coming from various parts of the
world 2 visit the biggest boating event in India. Finally it was as usual the Kumarakam boat club
sponsored by SBI which won 4th time in a row....Well even the other boats had sponsors like cox
n kings, Thomas cook.etc...well now thats what i call Globalization. And the people capacity was
around 50,000.
@ around 7 PM v headed back 2 Alleppy town ...now was the time 2 have some Idiyappam
Kadala and Puttu well these r some of the famous dishes of Kerala which i never found in B'lore.
Then headed back 2 KTDC yatri nivas where we had stayed..its pretty economical place 2
stay as a room cost around 385 INR.
DAY 2, Sunday 12th August 2007:
Alleppy has large network of inland canals earning it the sobriquet "Venice of the east".
These large network of canals provide Alleppy its lifeline. Now it was our turn 2 see around.....so u got lots of option 2 move around Alleppy.... well the best is hiring a houseboat which may cost
around 7000 INR 2 about 35000 INR......yes and its worth it for a 24 Hr ride for 10 people......ya
u get 2-3 bed room house boat .....some boats with first floor having a balcony and some with
TFT screen n Dish TV in it. Almost all these house boats have kitchen as they take u 2 a 24 Hr ride they provide u with full time meals n snacks. And the best of all house boat what v saw was a big floating conference room....ya u get it with all the facilities even AC fitted in 2 a boat....

But we had hired a boat for 1000 INR for a 5 Hr journey 2 Vembanad lake towards
Chambakulam.......Its the Kuttanad area......The boat can b stopped anywhere u wish so our
forst stop was for Kappa(tapioca) & fish curry along with local Kallu(Toddy), is a thick white sap
that comes from the bud of the coconut palm. The but is nicked and receptacle strapped below it,
It fills up overnight & is collected in morning. The man who does it is known as the Toddy topped
and he is a good guy 2 know :-)
........Passed around some Paddy fields which lie below water level....in and around u will find
water ....boat......nature......water ....boat......nature......water ....boat......nature......water
....boat......nature......Its a good place 2 hang around from busy citi life......

Got back home packed bags n got back 2 Kochi by train ....now that 1 Hr Train journey can
also b memorable if u stand @ the door n travel.
Reached Kochi by 6PM and had 2 catch a bus back 2 my base B'lore.

Well these 2 days was truly a great experience in Venice of the east though it was my second visit to Gods Own Country this year.
The total cost of tour was 2150 INR inclusive of travel, stay n food.
Special thanks to Salil and Raijo for guiding the tour. Sai and Salil for these extraordinary photographs.