3rd March, 2016. Cruise aboard Kerala Houseboats.

This is another quieter day as we have a late breakfast and prepare following a town walk and exploration of the resort, for the late morning boarding of the traditional Kerala Houseboats / Riceboats for a 3 hour cruise through the beautiful still lagoons of the "Venice of the East" and enjoy a Kerala style buffet luncheon prepared by a local cook in the tiny kitchen at the rear of the boat.  We have 4 couples on our boat and spend the majority of the time up front in the well furnished lounge enjoying the zephyr breeze and then the lunch. 

Jeanette and I did cruise on a similar backwater cruise last year and again it was very enjoyable.  We would have benefited from having a local guide commentary, but that is a small criticism for what has been a superb lunch and afternoon.  The trip back to the resort by the Riceboat is adventurous as he knocks the wing front (decorative) off the front as he docks.  Little did we know it was a regular event and the front wing is joined onto the hull with a connecting rope which allies recovery. 

After a quiet 2-3 hours we assemble for a spectacular martial arts demonstrations by a group of young men showcasing the Kalaripayattu form of martial arts.  It represents the most comprehensive martial arts personal combat training system anywhere in the world. Perhaps the highlight of a stunning presentation was the flexible and somewhat unique weapon called the Kerala sword called the Urumi, which folds in a small circular belt worn at the waist before being unleashed as a frightening weapon of a long sword. 

Another interesting and very enjoyable day.  We dined at the lakeside villa restaurant and had a seafood meal.