Alappuzha: Foreign tourists, who flocked to Alappuzha to cruise along its famed backwaters, were caught unawares by the Monday’s hartal called by the LDF to protest against Center's demonetization, but they were not ready to cocoon themselves in their hotel rooms. Instead, they explored ways to make the most of the empty streets to soak in the scenic beauty of the ‘Venice of the East’.
As the public transport system, including buses and autorickshaws kept off roads, they approached their homestay/houseboat operators and requested them to arrange scooters or bikes to roam around. The local operators were more than happy to help them.
In no time, they readied enough scooters and bikes, some their own while the rest owned by their friends. Many of the hotels charged rents ranging from Rs 250 to Rs 450 per 24 hours and held the passports of the tourists as collateral.
Most of the foreigners chose to head to picnic spots such as Punnamada, Pathiramanal as well as the beach on their hired two-wheelers to give themselves an opportunity to lap up the scenic beauty of the countryside and breathe in fresh air.
Taking note of the convenience involved and the low cost, the hotel/homestay owners are giving some thought to add the bike rental service to their package.
“More than monetary benefits, foreign tourists will be able to travel freely to several tourist spots in the region in a day’s time,” said a tour operator.
For the foreigners who have arrived here during the past one-and-a-half months, it has been a unique, once-in-a-lifetime trip so far, thanks to the sudden demonetization and now the hartal.
Alluding to a famous line from the Malayalam film Chithram, an operator said that some tourists even wondered whether there were more ‘interesting rituals’ like these!
