Day 36 - Joanna

This morning we had to get up at about 7 because we were being picked up to go on a boat trip to Munroe Island at 7:30. Of course Megan and I were running late because she forgot to set the alarm the night before and as a result we both overslept. Somehow we all made it into the autos on time and headed off to our boat. I can't say how long it took to get there but it was quite a way. At one point we crossed the river on a barge before continuing on land again. We stopped outside a house and met our guide, who showed us the canoe we were going in. One of the auto drivers came with us as he had better English than the boat "driver". I say "driver" because it wasn't so much driving as pushing the canoe forward using a long bamboo stick. They showed us trees and plants along the way and told us the names, but mostly it was quiet as we absorbed the peaceful atmosphere. It was remarkable, we couldn't hear any traffic at all. The canals we travelled along were quite small, and they wound through the villages, so we got a glimpse of what it would be like to live there. It was quite funny though, now and then we would pass under bridges or through tunnels and they were quite short so we would all have to kneel down in the boat and crouch so that we didn't hit our heads. We stopped briefly to have some chai and look at some plants in the gardens. Fun fact: pineapples DO NOT actually grow on trees, contrary to popular belief. They actually grow out of a kind of bush like thing on the ground. We also were shown a brand new canoe that had just been made and our guides explained the process a bit. We hopped back in our canoe and soon after the ride was finished. We thanked the man who took us and got back in the autos. On the way back to our accomodation the drivers took us to see the elephant that lived in a temple in town. It was funny seeing a huge elephant in the middle of civilisation, so that was fun. After that we went back to the villas and wasted the afternoon away. The day drifted, and I think that Megan and I in particular are pretty ready to go home. Two more days....