Into the Backwaters

Kerala’s undisputed main attraction is its “backwaters”, an extensive network of lakes, lagoons, and canals that develops for hundredth of kilometers inland between coconut palms and rice fields. And in Alleppey we rent a local boat and spent a day (and a night) exploring this labyrinth.

Perhaps deceived by the descriptions in the guides we read before the trip, we expected the backwaters to be a very pristine and wild environment. In fact it is deeply anthropized, with villagers that have built houses on every embankment, strengthened every bank, shaped canals almost everywhere…

But far from being disappointed, we were on the contrary very impressed by the capacity of these people to adapt their lifestyle to this environment, and, at the same time, to shape and transform this environment to adapt it to their needs…