Alleppey = Beautiful

Alleppey is beauty personified. A local told me that the name Alleppey literally means beautiful, but whether this information is factual I cannot say. Regardless, it is hard to convey the full extent of my enchanting surroundings: the vibrant hues of the flora and fauna, the exuberant people, and relaxed vibe of the town. Marco Polo hit the nail on the head when he famously described Alleppey as the “Venice of the East.”

Arrival in Alleppey

Shawn and I arrived in Alleppey a few days ago. Alleppey (Alappuzha), like most Indian cities, has multiple names, which are often used interchangeably by locals and tourists alike. When the British Raj (“Reign”) ended in 1947, a process of the renaming of Indian cities began, which continues to the present day. Although renaming cities closer to their Indian origin is in essence a “reclaiming” process, several proposed renamings have created controversy and many Indian people still call cities by their Anglicized names. I guess old habits die-hard (I especially found this to be true in Mumbai, formerly Bombay. If you are a local and have lived in the city most of your life it is almost always Bombay… and lets face it Bombay just sounds cooler).

Alright, enough of the history lesson, I digress…