INDIA TRAVEL NET

Ever had a meal prepared by the hands of a boatman? What marks it most is a simplicity, a lack of pretense. He is no chef, but he is the carrier of an ancient tradition of hospitality that equates the guest with divinity. This is why, in a galley barely larger than a closet, he is able to produce meals of surpassing delight.

A typical evening's fare may start with 'kootu', lentils and gourd, stirred with cracked pepper and tangy mustard seeds, then garnished with roast coconut shreds. Grilled karimeen could follow, fresh caught from the backwaters and marinated in red chilis and shaved ginger, chased with lime. Perhaps, if he can manage it, he'll proudly serve up a dish of the enormous local prawns, to go with the piping-hot white rice that arrives at regular intervals.

A spicy Chicken gravy serves well to fill you up, and the little dishes of pickles, limes and relish wake your taste buds up time and again, for more. You retire for the night to a queen sized bed. A fan, powered by the solar panels on the roof, whirrs to life. You are asleep, lulled by the gentle rhythms of paradise.

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