Popy and St. Johns, Alleppey
Author: Anothertravelguide.com1 COMMENT
Alleppey is a narrow strip of land between the Arab Sea and the backwaters. Because of the numerous canals crossing the streets of Alleppey, it is sometimes referred to as "the Oriental Venice" by tourist guidebooks; however, there is as little truth in the nickname as in Riga's supposed title of "the Little Paris". Alleppey used to be the main port in Kerala before the privilege was taken over by Cochin. Today people normally go to Alleppey for two main reasons. It is the point of departure (and arrival) for backwater cruises on the legendary floating houseboat hotels. And it's also the place to by an umbrella. Now, that's an adventure in its own right. The two best known shops - Popy and St. Johns - are located in the same street and are unique in that both are selling umbrellas and nothing but umbrellas. Hundreds and thousands of umbrellas of every size and design, including outlandish umbrella-and-walking-stick-in-one kind of models. These days the fabric is imported from Taiwan but the mechanism is still the work of local masters. Popy and St. Johns are the two most famous umbrella shops in Kerala. And it's so much more than a tourist attraction: just like in many other tropical countries, the palest possible complexion is an unattainable dream for most locals, and umbrellas are bought as a protection not only from the monsoon but also from the sun.
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