Our first stop was to visit a coir factory cooperative, where coconut husks are transformed into ropes and mats. The machinery used harks back to a preindustrial era with hard physical and repetitive work required. We learned that there used to be 180 workers employed there, on our visit there were only a dozen or so still there.
A short stop for drinks followed, with the welcome addition of a quick paddle in the sea. We then visited a church, which had originally been built by the Dutch in the 16th century. There are now two church buildings on the same site, the older and smaller historic building and a larger and modern new church. The church grounds were full of statues depicting scenes from the new testament.
As we got closer to Alleppey the opportunity for some proper beach time arose and was indulged in by all. Some of us ended up more pink than others at the end of our refreshing pre-lunch dip. After a relaxing lunch we headed to our accomodation for the night, a couple of more traditional guesthouses - though it was sad to be split up, experiencing such different and interesting residences was another great experience. After refreshing showers all round we headed along Alleppey canals to the beach in time for a magical sunset to conclude the day.
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