God's Own Country

Who thought it would be a great idea to put people...on a boat...overnight?  WHO?

I did this not once, but twice. 
Sailboat (Australia).  Houseboat (India).

Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on ME.

Kerala is known for its lush tropical backwaters, aka, a network of lakes, canals, estuaries and deltas of 45 rivers that combine and drain into the Arabian Sea.  So the brilliant idea was to join three senior citizens for an overnight ride through this self-supporting aquatic ecosystem in the Indian springtime.  No doubt, it was gorgeous.  Peacefully gliding along vibrant verde rice paddy fields and rows and rows of coconut trees.  The wind flowing through my hair like a bollywood movie, the full course South Indian meals, rice, rice and rice, lukewarm beers, playing cards and novel reading, all without a care in the world.  The three-sided view flourished with vegetation, locals bathing in the waterside, clothes-line laundry, lime green houses and other houseboats floating by with unique architecture, honeymooners, families, and Indians waving at each other in communal harmony. 

All sounds perfect. 
Twas perfect. 

Until it was time to use the twa-let.  Or eat in the moonlight with one gazillion gnats and flies.  It seemed utopia, almost, but then again it's India.  You love it, you love it all, but there's always that one piece astray, one hair sticking straight up, one pant leg too high, one stain, one odor ghastly off, one foot in something or somebody else's piece of shiznit. 

So, moral of the story. I do recommend the houseboat. But I do not recommend attempting to sleep on it or stay overnight. Particularly, if you strongly believe that sanity is a beautiful thing.    

Addendum: Unless you find yourself on a luxury boat with J Lo or the Queen of England, do not also spend the night on a sailboat off the coast of OZ as the lack of bathing water along with significantly aromatic toilets pushes one to desperately seek to leap off the boat into deep waters without the skills to swim.

No less, as a Pisces and an optimist, floating along waters, with a few precautions taken, equals moments heavenly.