Trip to Kerala during monsoon was a dream which remained in the planning stage for years but materialized only when my friend from Kerala mentioned that she would be traveling by train with her family during summer holidays, and she offered that with other tickets, she would book my ticket as well. It would be a fun journey through the beautiful Western Ghats in the month of monsoon, I was told.
Well, things do not go as per plan or as being told... Ever!!
My friend and her family had to change their plan and by then another Tamilian friend decided to join us from Coimbatore, accommodation was booked at different places, along with my return flight to Delhi.
Hence, instead of canceling my ticket I decided to go ahead with the trip to God's own country by Train.
The daunting part was the 40 hours plus journey by myself. Longest Train Journey Ever in my life!!
Once, the train crossed Rajasthan/Gujarat, the landscape changed completely.
Beautiful Konkan railway route is a joy to behold. Sights are amazingly beautiful. Had a few families with lots of kids around me who kept things busy with their antics throughout the long journey. During monsoon, trains usually run late (ours was late by just four hours!).
Calicut/ Kozhikode
Train finally reached Kozhikode railway station around 9am. The city is peaceful, not very crowded and friend's brother's house was a beautiful villa. Post heavy breakfast, we went to the Calicut beach.
Very few people and even less hawkers. Probably Monday 11am is not exactly the most ideal time to be on the beach. From the beach, we went to explore the local market and in the afternoon post lavish lunch of Malabari Biryani and fried fish we started for Wayanad.
Wayanad
Wayanad is two hours drive from Calicut, here we stayed at a cottage at Lakkidi Village resort (away from the main road) the resort is beautiful, it was evening-ish by the time we reached. We explored the resort which had a flowing stream , sports room, swimming pools and just about everything one could wish for on a relaxing holiday. Early morning the cacophony of birds woke us up at 5.30am.
We ordered a heavy breakfast and went for sight seeing around Wayanad which is now also famous as Rahul Gandhi's constituency. There were many posters of him around the area.
We went to a dam area which had a natural park and few other adventure sports' options.
From there we went for a guided tour of spice garden where we were shown the spices from their infancy-to- tree stage of growth and were explained their benefits by a gentleman who also carried umbrellas for us as it kept drizzling and kept switching during his lecture between Malayalam and English for my convenience. We came back to the resort, had lunch and then went to see a lake which did not appeal much to our senses' as we had already seen too many amazing water bodies during the journey by then.
Next was the traditional Ayurvedic Kerala massage followed by a steam bath.
By evening, we started back for Calicut as we had a train for Alleppey next morning.
We reached Calicut in the evening and decided to visit my Friend's siblings. They all had amazingly aesthetic homes also, marvelous sense of hospitality.
The awesome food/meal is usually accompanied with warm water and sometimes boiled with saunf or some other digestive ingredient in it. Old age traditional wisdom still being practiced in most homes and eateries around Kerala.
Our morning train was late (during Monsoons most trains run late, my lesson from the trip!) so we went to the beach again and then visited friend's sister who served us delicious appams with egg curry for breakfast. Alleppey journey was long as train was delayed, we reached in the afternoon. I lamented the fact that I had only eaten two appams in the morning!! Our Tamilian friend had already reached Alleppey and was waiting for us.
Alleppey/Allapuzha
We reached in the afternoon and stayed at a home-stay at Alleppey. We went to Allapuzha beach in an auto which was a little far from the city. On our way back, we did some shopping around Allapuzha.
For the morning, we had booked a sunrise ride of Shikara. We got up very early morning and the boat ride was worth it.
One of the best mornings that one could ask for. It was quiet and peaceful. Almost spiritual, as our spirits soaked in the sights of nature and people living around the lake.
Kids going to school in the boat, construction materials being transported on boats, women catching fish for breakfast/meals for the day and the sun rising up from its slumber through the clouds only to disappear a while later for a drizzle. Rain made it even more amazing as I recited Faiz (with English translation!) to my Malayali and Tamil friends. "Aasman hadd e nazar ...
They returned back the favor with some bhajans in Malayalam and Tamil classical music. Some of the houses around the lake are evacuated during monsoons as the water level rises. The problematic aspect was that the houseboats and other boats running on diesel/petrol pollute the river and also throw their garbage in the water.
Post this amazing morning at Alleppey, we had a brilliant breakfast of Idiappams and stew. Morning at Alleppey was truly a blessing.
We started for Munnar from Alleppey and as it turned out it was almost 6 hour journey as we traveled from plains to the hills.
Munnar/Chinnakanal
Munnar is at the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu with one side of hills bordering Tamil Nadu. Munnar has rolling hills covered with clouds and tea gardens. We reached around evening and the temperature had dipped to around 11 degrees. It was pleasantly cold and we needed blankets for the night. Our friend had booked for us accommodation at a place which was an hour away from Munnar, Chinnakanal (meaning little canal) and we went to have fresh food at a eatery- named Johnson's after its ever smiling, chatty owner/cook (dhaba in North India and Thattu kada in South India) a place which seemed very popular with a view of tea gardens. We had fresh dosas with lemon tea for dinner.
Next morning was a treat. We went to Johnson's again for breakfast of dosa, vada, idli and tea/coffee. Our friend's friend (employed at Chinnakanal) had promised us that he would take us to his favourite places.
We drove even higher and reached Suryanelle Tea Garden Estate and Factory. The Estate was set up by the British later bought over by the RPG group. We were given caps, masks, had to wash our shoes before we entered and photos were not allowed inside the factory.
Our guide showed us how the leaves are dried then processed into various types of teas. The aroma was splendid as was the tea that we had there, one of the best that I had ever had!
Their tea is mostly exported but also sold in retail to various tea companies who then brand them. They also provide dust for cola companies (Pepsi/Coke) for color.
The Estate was beautiful covered with clouds and mist. It was literally a walk in the clouds.
We came back for lunch and had a simple awesome Kerala meal at a restaurant near our stay.
Post lunch we started for a journey which was to a place in the jungles even higher up prone to elephant attacks. We were told how locals have been killed and precautions to take, if elephants are spotted crossing the way. We saw some people on the way who were burning forest for land encroachments.
The wilderness led to a place which had a stream flowing and small puddles, of fresh water. It was almost like a private pool as we splashed water on ourselves and then to dry ourselves lied down on the rocks under the sun.
From there we went further up to a village of Muduvan tribals who were the dominant community at Munnar before the arrival of the British. The village was a neat little settlement under a big rock, followed by a temple and then the neat rows of colourful houses started. The wood for usage is usually collected from the forest and kept at a common hut.
The drive back from the village was pleasant and full of beautiful cloud covered hills and water bodies.
Dinner was a six course meal hosted by our friend at the Sterling resort. We had shifted to Sterling in the morning. Morning breakfast was a buffet at the resort, as we started for Munnar from Chinnakanal post breakfast in our friend's car.
At Munnar market, we shopped for some homemade chocolates, tea and spices. I even inquired, if there is possibility of a job at the tea plantations and was informed of an opening at tea Estate owned by the Tatas (wow!). Our Tamilian friend left for her hometown and me and my friend started for Kochi in the taxi which was around four hour drive from Munnar town.
Kochi
We stayed at Angamaly near the Kochi airport as I had an early morning flight next day for Delhi.
From Angamaly, Fort Kochi was 40kms. We had booked a taxi for sight seeing. Ernakulam is one of the major commercial districts of Kerala. Like any other big city full of traffic and rush hour jams, similar eatery chains, crowded malls and similar urban architecture of tall buildings.
It started raining and after two hours we reached Fort Kochi where it was raining heavily and sea looked quite rough. Fort Kochi, Chinese Fishing net area and then Marine drive left us disappointed after the sights of Alleppey and Chinnakanal.
We had our dinner at the famous Lulu Mall and the "urban" life was back with a vengeance.
The famous hospitality was again at display as our home-stay host dropped me at 4.30am to the airport, at no extra charge.
It took many days of journey to experience the natural beauty of Kerala and then half a day of urban chaotic life of Kochi before the journey back home.
We traveled from North to South Kerala, met amazing people had awesome food every where.
People and economy still had not recovered from the crisis they had faced due to floods in 2018 but that did not deter them from being hospitable or cheerful.
The socio-political scenario of Kerala is an inspiration for us North Indians. There were no BJP/Modi posters but of Left/Congress parties :)
Kochi eased me into the shock that Delhi would have been post Alleppey or Munnar just like the two day train journey around Konkan had prepared for the shades of green and beautiful sights of water bodies of Kerala.
I loved Kerala for its natural beauty of course, but also for its cheerful people, delicious food, hospitality, weather and politics!
