Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

Alleppey is a town in Kerala, which is in southern India. This area is known for its picturesque canals and backwaters. We rented a houseboat near this town, through a houseboat rental company which, incidentally, I found by reading your publication. This is a picture of one of the deck hands on the boat coming up from the water. He had jumped into the water to pull weeds from the keel of the boat. In this picture, I love the look of the different colors and textures: his hair and eyelashes, his skin, the water, and the coir on the side of the boat. (Coir fibers are found between the husk and the outer shell of a coconut. Coconuts are prevalent throughout this area of Kerala.) Most of all, though, I think this photo captures the naturalness, peacefulness, and beauty of southern India, a place where things do get done--but in due course and in rhythymic conjunction with nature.