India (Day 5)

  Today was kind of unexciting so this will be a short entry.  I did a boat tour of the  Alleppey Backwaters.  They are basically canals that run through the countryside.  I unfortunately couldn't hear our guide, so I can't really tell you more than that.  haha

   It was a two hour driver there and back with a two hour boat ride.  It would have been totally boring except one of the dependent children sat next to me and we talked all about vikings, communism, problems in the American education system, and why groups of people go on strike.    Very smart kid!  He reminds me of my brother when he was eleven.  Some of the life long learners joined in and it was a very good conversation.

   

   The backwaters themselves were pretty.  There was lots of greenery, thought not as much as on the banks of the Amazon River.  The really interesting part was watching people who lived on the shore.  It felt a bit strange peering into their lies like that.  They guide assured us that they were used to it, but I still don't think I would want strangers peeking in my backyard all day.  

 

The best part was that on the way there, there was a random elephant walking down the road!  I was so excited to see one, because I had opted out of going to the nearby elephant place because I had heard they mistreat the animals.  Don't want to give money to a place like that.  Our tour guide stopped the bus and we all filed out and got to see and pet the elephant.  It looked and felt very different from the African elephant.  The Asian elephant's skin was much softer and more squishy than it's African cousin.  Very cool!

 Not much else to say, just some pictures.  :0)

   

These are house boats for tourists.  

And rice fields!