Vacations are something every single one of us look forward to with a lot of excitement. Some of us plan it meticulously while other like to do it impromptu. While some of us like to spend our vacation visiting new places, experiencing new cultures and tasting new cuisines, for a few others it is going back to the same location every year and enjoy a relaxing time either pursuing their hobbies, interests or simply resting and not doing anything that constitutes a routine.
Most vacationers probably fall under a combination of the categories mentioned above. There are times when you want to take the time to smell the flowers and enjoy a relaxing cuppa tea and take a leisurely stroll, while at other times one would love to sit back and relax with a favorite book or movie.
Visiting family is one other kind of vacation that those of us that live far away from the home we were born and raised in tend to experience. Much as we love these reunions and opportunities to bond with family and old friends, we come back home feeling far from rested and wanting to take another vacation to recover from the most recent vacation.
Most times, the vacations that I enjoy the most are a combination of all the ones mentioned above. Thanks to a relatively long break in India this past December, the OH & I along with the two brats were able to steal ourselves for a week away from all the activity surrounding home and family. I wrote about one part of that vacation here.
Here is another part of this vacation and the wonderful time that we had on the houseboat that was our home for a serene and relaxing 24 hours. When the OH & I signed up for a day on the houseboat, we knew precious little about what we were getting into apart from what we researched & googled prior to the trip. The first part of our journey was a combination of quiet days mixed in with a series of activities to treat the eyes, ears, mind and palette. We ended our vacation with a day on the houseboat. To say that this was a beautiful culmination of a wonderful vacation would be fitting. After days of getting up to be one time for some activity or being on time to make the most of the breakfast buffet or making it on time to the boat ride at the Wild Life Sanctuary, it was absolutely blissful to settle into a boat that offered all the luxuries needed for a relaxing vacation.
After completing needed paperwork, the four of us boarded our houseboat along with four other crew members who would cater to our needs over the next 24 hours. From personalized candlelit dinners to afternoon cuppa chai accompanied by freshly made munchies, we were pampered the whole time. If the OH & Raul craved for some seafood, fresh catch of the day was just a minute stop along the island we passed. If Meg wanted to have the fresh salad the chef put together for lunch, he was only too pleased to make it all over again for dinner. If we were in the mood for some authentic Kerala cuisine, that was on the cards as well. Want to bite into a mango off the mango tree? Just ask and the crew members are only too happy to take you with them and grab these delicious ones fresh off the tree. Want salt and chilli powder to go with it? Presented moments later on a platter for yor pleasure.
As if good food is not enough, the boat offered an idiot box with surround sound and the works to enjoy a movie after a rather heavy meal. Want to rest those eyes after the heavy meal and two hours of watching TV? You just need to take an extra few steps and you are in a bedroom with a comfy bed for a mid afternoon siesta.
In addition to the above creature comforts, the sight of the breathtaking sunset and sunrise were moments to relish. Just as interesting to see were the boats that operated as school buses, paddle boats maneuveredby local residents to deliver milk, newspaper and other basic necessities. We spent a laid back morning watching the families go about their daily routine, kids run to make it in time for school and a host of other normal routines people go through each day.
A few hours later we were dropped back on land and we made our way to the airport for our flight back to our family. A few pictures from the joyful day…
In front of our boat, the Dream Cruise
The OH busy getting tiny mangoes off the mango tree
Our bedroom on the boat
Raul doing some homework
Below: Our candlelight dinner 
The school bus
The crew negotiating cost of seafood to be cooked in the boat.
