What maps can't show, though, is the internal complexity. The Kuttanad is India's most crowded region, with village after village tucked away in palm groves, lakes and tributaries. If you counted rivers and internal waterways, there is probably more coastline here than in the rest of the entire country. Still, you're hard pressed as a visitor to notice. Giant rivers or plantations appear around corners, only to silently and suddenly disappear as your craft change perspective.
Palms grow to the shore and everywhere to a uniform height.
Occasionally, the ocean or a railroad comes into view. Mostly, though, it's two men collecting fish or delivering coconuts in boats that haven't changed in ages. Despite the seaside location, most of the Kuttanad consists of freshwater. We were lucky to be traveling by boat that day. Six thousand worshippers had arrived in Kollam and were negotiating for the bus trip to Mata Amritanandamayi , home of Sri Mata Amritanakid Devi, one of India's few woman gurus.