Today after breakfast we drove down to the river in Kottayam and took a boat ride to see another side of the city. Sitting on the roof of the boat, we traveled about an hour, watching people wash clothes and dishes, kids swimming and playing games, others relaxing or working. It was amazing to see this side of Kottayam, a typically poorer side with small homes that bordered the rice fields where most of them worked.
We stopped after an hour at a small house on the river’s edge where we were treated to a drink from freshly cut coconut. It was a chance for us to sit and enjoy the scenery while our guide, Sabu answered any questions that we might have had.
Soon the relaxation was done and we got back on the boat for the hour long return. It was a great chance to sit in the breeze, taking in all that the river life of India had to offer. On one hand I was thrilled at where I was and what was going on around me. On the other hand, the homes and people that actually were on the river were in very poor condition. Even so, as we passed by, the people of those poor villages, especially the children would run out to see our boat pass by and wave at us with big smiles on their faces. It surprised me how happy they seemed in such deplorable conditions. But they were, and it showed, at least for those few short seconds that I was given a glimpse into their lives.
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