We slept quite well, although we're woken quite early by someone leaving the farmhouse and then people working in the kitchens. But we had to be ready for 8.30am anyway when we would be getting breakfast.
Breakfast was again served to all the guests together which was great, and again was a huge meal with lots to choose from. After breakfast we packed our bags and then waited until around 10.30am when our boat was ready. The boat has a closed in bedroom with bathroom attached in the middle of it, at the front it had to deck chairs and a small table and behind them a dining table and two chairs. At the back it had a kitchen. It was great, we set off quite quickly after getting on, There was a man at the very front of the boat punting with a huge stick and a man at the back doing the same, no engines on this boat. We went down a river and passed the other couple in the other houseboat. We saw lots of Indian people going about their every day lives on the river. A lot were in small boats fishing by themselves or even in the water pulling their boats along. The scenery was amazing too water everywhere surrounded by palm trees. It was so peaceful and the quietest we have ever known India to be. We got to a part of the river which was very open and headed towards the land on the other side. We then got off and were taken on a walk through houses and across to a beach where there were loads of fishing boats. A boat was just coming in with their catch. There were loads of men waiting to see what they had brought. They filled baskets full of fish and brought them ashore, a guy with a book and a pen then seemed to be selling them there and then. The baskets just kept coming! We also saw a catch of prawns come in too. This was great to see, we were then taken back to the boat where we set off again and got to the middle of the river where the anchor was put in and we settled for a while. We were then served lunch, it was fish, rice, chapatis and lots of side dishes. Again way too much food but very delicious! We were then given watermelon to finish. We were stuffed so went back to our chairs to relax and take in the views. We had stopped for quite a while to give the two guys who power the boat a rest. When we got going again we went back down the river the way we came although this time we had a couple of beers at the front with us! Schools must have finished at the time we were on our way back because there were a lot of groups of school children waving and saying hello. They also asked us for pens, we guessed pens must be expensive for them to buy or are in short supply, if we'd have known we'd have brought a pack. As we got to the river and could just about see the farmhouse the guy at the front asked if we'd like a turn at punting, we both took him up on the offer, it was really hard! James was quite good at it though. We stopped back at the farmhouse at about 5pm where we were offered a canoe to go out on the river on. We took up this offer and went out on the water in quite a large canoe and a small paddle each, we just went up and down the river and back. We got back into our boat and they had got some supplies before we set off again for the middle of the river in front of the farmhouse where we put the anchor in and where we would stay for the night. Just as the anchor was put in, the guy at the front pointed out an eagle up above, in fact there were five if them. They were fish eagles and he said it was 6pm so they would be fishing, just as he said that one of them made a dive for the water and came back up with a catch! We sat lounging on board with our books and watching the Chinese fishing net near by. At about 7.30pm the guy from the kitchen came for us and took us to the kitchen to show us what he was preparing for dinner, he was making coconut rice cakes and let us have a go! He showed us everything and then said dinner would be ready soon. We went back and dinner was ready only 10 minutes later. It was a small whole fish each, rice, the rice cakes, side dishes and poppadoms. Again way too much food but really good! We had got changed into our long clothes because of Mosquitos and they had brought some incense coils to keep then away and we sat having a beer reading our books again. I don't think either of us have ever felt so relaxed ever! Two of the guys left the boat in a canoe for the night and one guy stayed on the boat at the back to sleep. We went to bed and slept very well!