India 07.01.2010 Kerela

on the boat!

We got here eventually. If the driver was a little conservative in the speed stakes yesterday - today he was essentially a pensioner. Driving through the bustle of the city to the laid-backness of the waterways - ok...so there are cars everywhere still.

On the hiway to Kerela he didn't get into 3rd gear, people were just going insane driving around us. The car even complained.

We almost made it to the houseboat on time, but Eve is on a quest to have a Bloody Mary, so we had to find tomato juice. We went up and down the road near the canals to the shops looking. Each shop was more unlikely that the last. We eventually came to a "V Mart" super market. yay!

They had everything BUT Tomato juice (and dental floss - darn). o we cut our losses and bought some lemonade and to go with our hard won Vodka. 

We had asked our driver yesterday for 2 things Tomato juice and red wine. Instead of the many many shops in Cochin he decided to wait until we were in the boondocks to start the search. not a planner. It wasn't so succesful.

The Government approved bottle sho[ps are only one small step above hillbilly moonshiners meeting around a campfire.

We eventually pulled into a hotel with a restaurant as a last ditch effort and just bought a bottle from the bar.

there was  100 billion markup but we didn't care by then we needed the booze.

All was forgotten by the time we got to the houseboats.

oh the decadence.

We're on a split level hotel with a staff of two.The Captain and the Cook. The boat has a licenced capacity of 16 - so there's room.

We have just finished our lunch as I write this. Only 5 dishes...what a rip off. 

Where's my massage.

It unbelievable.

We're floating in the middle of the lake now, but extends out to the horizon in almost all directions. Occasionally we pass another boat and give them a casual wave.

Listening to Michelle Shocked signing "Got No Strings" from the album of Disney songs. it's as "on the Bayou" a moment as I could imagine.

Now I think a nap is in order while while we float lazily down the river.

KFS.