ALAPPUZHA: When they picked up paddle with their hands, they forgot the blue of tragic terror strike that devastated Paris a couple of week ago. Their minds were excited within a couple of minutes as experienced professional rowers belong to Kuttanad joined them.
As many as 90 tourists in two snake boats coupled with Kuttanadan oarsmen enjoyed their baby steps of paddling. The race, which held with two rounds, selected a team for a symbolic victory.
The race started in around 2pm and tourists rowed the snake boats more than five kilometers on the waters of Pamba River with two rounds and it lasted for an hour.
The tour was organized by Tupperware, multinational direct sales company, and they came to Kerala as part of their company's sponsored week-long trip.
Mr Xavier Rosso, the leader of the group, said that it was the first time they were enjoying a snake boat race. "We had heard about the Nehru Trophy boat race at Punnamada Lake.
When our company offered the trip, we suggested Kerala which is blessed with abundance of backwaters. Our country is cool having any backwaters experience and coconut trees," he said.
"I came to know about the Kerala and its houseboat cruising significance as I visited northern part of Kerala including Rajasthan and Delhi last year. We made a KSRTC bus trip in the interferers of Kuttanad and enjoyed maximum beauty of greenery. The rowing on the snake boat was unique experience we had enjoyed ever. We will leave Alappuzha for a bike rally in as many as 90 Enfield bikes" , he added.
The boats were rowed by the tourists with the support of the professional rowers hailing from Kuttanad. As many as 125 people can be accommodated to a single snake boat at a time.
All tourists participated in the race sitting among Kuttanadan rowers.
Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.
