Into the Kerela Backwaters

Left Arambol early doors to travel by train for 14 hours from Margao in Goa to Ernakulam nr Cochin in Kerela. Paid over the odds for train so me & Ash were expecting some super swish train to pull into the station (we are slow learners). Train is identical to other train we took except this one is absolutely vile....has been travelling for 48 hours from Dehli and is deeeee-sgusting - 48 hours of grime & food rubbish everywhere. Not really drinking at the moment as with hang-over prob would have brought up breakfast on the spot. Thankfully they clean things up a little and the train journey goes by quickly with the help of some sweet Norwegian girls and an English couple. Arrive in Ernakulam at around 2am in the morn and thankfully have phoned ahead and reserved a room at a hotel named the Maple Regency. Unfortunately tuk-tuk driver is not entirely sure where the hotel is so end up lost in the early morning deserted streets. Start to worry that we might not actually make it to our hotel but run into a couple of cops who lead us by police motorcycle escort to the hotel and help us get in....actually feel quite regal.
Next day venture over to Fort Cochin by ferry - really cute town, very colonial and lots of art galleries and beautiful buildings. Not massive amounts to see but do spend a while watching the fisherman with their huge Chinese nets. One of the fishermen spots my camera and beckons me over to him. End up standing on the wooden Chinese net while the men are operating it....slightly scared yes but get some great pics for a small charge (nothing is free). The Chinese nets are really old (think date back to 18th century) and look like something out of sci-fi film. The guys manage to successfully catch a minnow....big catch! They are really pleased though - apparently monsoon season is when the fish flood in.
Next day take a backwater tour. Bus picks us up at 8.30am and takes us about an hour out of the city where we get on a house boat - really beautiful long boats that glide slowly down the river...this is absolute bliss! So peaceful and serene, time to just kick back and relax. The waterways are deserted apart from the odd fishing boat and house boat and all the land in view is a sea of coconut trees. We stop off at a village where we are shown aloe vera, cardamon, cinnamon, coconut tree's and a process whereby clam shells are crushed to produce calcium powder. So many shells but what happens to all the clams?! Find out later as they bring out clams mixed with ginger, cardamon, and other delicious spices wrapped in banana leaves....an explosion of the taste buds begins.
Float slowly further down the river and stop for lunch. Get served a traditional kerelan thali on the boat. This again is super special. Rice, veg stew, chili tomatoes, coconut beans, coconut pumpkin, and ginger raita. All the spices work perfectly together....divine.
We then move onto a smaller boat as move into the narrower waterways. Stop off to see local women spinning string out of coconut hair....ruined by the annoying Italian group who feel the need to clap them after they finish. Gay.
Next watch a guy whizz up a coconut tree and knock off about 20 coconuts. This is where find out that some Kerelan men don't wear anything underneath their sarongs.... Drink coconut juice and eat the jelly. A foodie finish to a relaxing and very foodie day - could get used to this.