WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SPRING 2014
This issue features stories that illustrate a range of emotions. From death on the Ganges River to the joy of renewal in Utah, the stories in this issue are entertaining and thought provoking. WDT takes great pride in our wonderful writers and gives them the rare opportunity these days to write in-depth length stores rich with information, detail and personality. Our many thousands of our readers have come to expect this kind of travel journalism and if you’re reading this, you probably do too. We’ve grown again with this issue, publishing more than 90 pages of solid editorial content. We’ve grown because WDT is fortunate enough to attract some of the very best travel and food writers in the industry. In this issue, the talented writers who have contributed since our inaugural issue last year are joined by some veteran talent making their WDT debut. Among them are two Brits, Mark Moxon and Amy Laughinghouse, evocative writers who can make you laugh out loud or maybe just reflect.
This issue features stories that illustrate a range of emotions. From death on the Ganges River to the joy of renewal in Utah, the stories in this issue are entertaining and thought provoking. WDT takes great pride in our wonderful writers and gives them the rare opportunity these days to write in-depth length stores rich with information, detail and personality. Our many thousands of our readers have come to expect this kind of travel journalism and if you’re reading this, you probably do too. We’ve grown again with this issue, publishing more than 90 pages of solid editorial content. We’ve grown because WDT is fortunate enough to attract some of the very best travel and food writers in the industry. In this issue, the talented writers who have contributed since our inaugural issue last year are joined by some veteran talent making their WDT debut. Among them are two Brits, Mark Moxon and Amy Laughinghouse, evocative writers who can make you laugh out loud or maybe just reflect.
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THE BACKWATERS OF<br />
KERALA<br />
Easing into India on the M.V. Vrinda<br />
photo courtesy Kerala Tourism<br />
Story & Photos by Priscilla Lister<br />
We eased our way into India by cruising<br />
slowly on the backwaters of Kerala.<br />
This state in southwest India is another world from the teeming<br />
cities of that country’s northern regions. It remains a<br />
rich agricultural region that earned early fame on the Spice<br />
Trail, attracting traders from the West as long ago as the third<br />
century B.C. Its commercial<br />
capital, Cochin, known as<br />
the Queen of the Arabian<br />
Sea, possesses one of the<br />
finest natural harbors in the<br />
world. And its scenic backwaters<br />
have been one of the<br />
nation’s favorite getaways,<br />
which Indians call “God’s<br />
own country.”<br />
Surely there’s no better way<br />
to ease out of jet lag and begin<br />
the journey to this fabled<br />
subcontinent than on a rice boat, a popular vacation pastime<br />
in these southern waters. So we chose the finest rendition<br />
available, the Motor Vessel Vrinda, operated by Oberoi Hotels,<br />
which brings a new level of luxury to cruising these canals.<br />
Traditional teak rice boats ply these waters to carry crops like<br />
basmati rice, coconuts and spices. Some of these boats simply<br />
harvest the empty oyster-like shells that cover the bottoms<br />
of lakes, which are then used to make local cement and<br />
gravel products. And increasingly these days, their distinctive<br />
woven-reed roofs made from coconut palms now commonly<br />
shelter floating inns.<br />
The M.V. Vrinda is modeled after<br />
these traditional rice boats,<br />
but adds significant elegance.<br />
It houses eight commodious<br />
staterooms on one level, with<br />
dining and patio facilities on<br />
the second level. On the outdoor<br />
third level, the Vrinda’s<br />
roof, we sat on cushions or<br />
chairs and simply watched this<br />
quiet tropical world drift by.<br />
Every staff member on the intimate<br />
Vrinda was exceptionally<br />
caring yet unobtrusive. And the meals created in the galley<br />
kitchen by an amazingly gifted crew began our adventure<br />
with Indian cuisine. The cuisine of Southern India is distinctive<br />
from that in the north, and naturally features abundant<br />
fish, coconut and those famed spices.<br />
44 Wine Dine & Travel Spring <strong>2014</strong>
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