Travl Update - A road trip across Karnataka and Kerala

I am on a four day road trip that took me across Kerala and Karnataka on a brand new Automatic Ford Fiesta given to me by Ford India for the trip. The route is Bangalore - Saklespur - Puthur - Vittal - Bekal - Kasargod - Kateel - Moodbidri - Agumbe - Teerthahalli - Chikmagalur - Belur - Hassan - Bangalore. Staying in an absolutely stunning property of Vivanta by Taj at Bekal Fort. Pure Bliss.  

The colour of a Monday Morning Blue - Birding in Ashtamudi

Did your Monday Morning Blue look like this ? I was cruising down the Ashtamudi Lake when I saw these birds on the Chinese nets

The force of the cascades - Feeling Alive is Awesome

There can be no other feeling more wonderful than dipping your feet in cold , running water and feeling the spray on your face as the cascades knock you down with force . Try bathing in a waterfall , when the rocks are slippery and the water almost lures you to a different world. There is nothing more exciting and energising in life .  You throw your hands in gay abandon and let yourself be purged by the milky white waters rushing through the cliffs in mountains and descending downwards to join a wayward river.

My earliest memory is a bath in the Courtrallam Falls, often referred to as the Spa of South India. With the Western Ghats bordering it, the mist of Agasthiyamalai in the background, the waters of Courtrallam is formed through several rivers that have their source up in the hills and they bring down with them medicinal properties. There are nine waterfalls in all here, but the three main ones are the Old Coutrallam, the Five Falls and the Main Falls. I was barely a child when I went to Courtallam as our native village is down South in Tirunelveli, barely an hour away .

During my recent visit, I drove down to another beautiful falls, called Manimuthar, an absolutely stunning scenic spot, lost to man . A few monkeys and some locals join me as I let the waters rejuvenate me .

Waterfalls either come with a fancy name or they do not have a name at all. In Kodaikanal, the tourists are familiar with Silver Cascade, but deep inside the mountains is a fall that has taken the world of advertising by storm. This waterfall was one of the earliest to be branded and we walked through rain and hail to experience the force of the cascades.

Recently I visited Goa and saw an entirely different side to the beach country. Goa is not just a destination – it is a state of mind. I travelled into the deep forests in Goa and hiked around and came upon this cascade of waters. Not all waterfalls are famous or have a name, but sometimes its the experience that you remember. We spotted snakes and birds and listened to the hooves of gaurs who thumped around the rocks as they left. In Mollem, we crossed two rivers and a wildlife sanctuary and climbed up rocks to see the milky white Dudhsagar Falls , but that will soon be another post.

One of the most gorgeous waterfalls  down South is the Athirampally Falls bordering Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The mist, the spray, the foam, the rainforests, the mountains in the background – Athirampally is absolutely gorgeous as she takes a fall into the valley below. We hiked up and crossed the border and saw the Vazhachal Falls gently tumbling down the rocks.

And finally the Chitrakoot Waterfalls in Chhattisgarh. Now, this is an experience I can never forget. The fury of the cascading waters was echoing in our ears as we woke up to see the massive waterfalls greet us from our rooms.

We took a boat and went right below the massive waterfalls and let ourselves be completely drenched . The spray hit us, the foam blinded us and the sound was absolutely deafening, but what an experience ! Something that needs to be soaked in.

More alive is awesome experiences include Shimsha in Karnataka ( I am yet to visit Jog), the Corbett Falls up north and of course, the Hogenakkal Falls in Tamil Nadu . 

Travel Tuesday - Getting poetic in Athirampally

Our forest officers are poetic as well. I was driving through the dense Athirampally - Vazhachal forests , when I saw this board , dedicated to Frost's Stopping by Woods on Snowy Evening

The boats and boat builders of Chellanam

Xavier doesn’t remember when he made his first boat . He says he was probably a teenager when he learnt the craft  from his father more than four decades ago  .“ In those days, every family in Chellanam used to make boats “ he reminisces , looking wistfully into the small canal that borders his house and flows along the village. Small wooden boats float aimlessly in the waters, tossed by the winds. But Xavier’s Kerala has changed over the many decades. Now there are just a handful of people eking a livelihood through this small scale industry in Chellanam, a small hamlet located close to Kochi.

Synonymous with boats and backwaters, no picture post card from this part of the country is ever complete without the quintessential portrait of the fisherman in the backwaters . These country boats or vanjis have been the lifeline of the locals living here. Kids going to school, vegetable vendors selling their fares on the boats, fishermen with their nets , almost every house had a boat .” It is not the same anymore, “ says Xavier.” Only fishermen come to us these days, most villagers have left for towns, hardly anyone needs them anymore , “ he adds . Xavier makes about four to five boats a month and manages to earn  just a few thousands from them .

A parakeet screeches close by as bright orchids light up his shed. Planks of wood, coir threads are scattered around unfinished  structures of boats  .  Only one of them is almost ready and is waiting to be polished with “ fish ghee” which keeps it water proof. The remaining small boats are in various stages of completion.

 Xavier explains that an average boat is about 12 feet long  with a width of three feet and he shows me the hull . Planks of local wood called Aanjili” or Artocarpus hirsutus are tied together with coir and coconut fibre , which are stuffed in between to prevent water from coming inside. He says that the boat would take about a month to be ready .

 

A few houses away from his shed is John’s unit which specializes in making large boats based on orders .There are more hands here as John proudly shows his biggest boat, a 40 feet long with a width of nine feet . Nestling inside is a very tiny boat.” Just a showpiece, do you like it , I can sell it for Rs 3000,” he says.  I politely decline as John explains that the bigger boat will fetch him two and a half lakhs, but the costs he says are fairly expensive.

Elsewhere John’s grandchild is wailing, as his daughter distracts the child by showing him around the unit. “ It is our family tradition and we will continue to make boats ,” sums up John as his grandson picks up a small plank.  As we drive past Chellanam, a group of kids wave out to us while  they sail away on their boats.

This story was published in my column Inside Story in The Hindu.  

Say it with flowers - Onam Greetings to all

Happy Onam folks. It has been a while since I visited Kerala and here are some beautiful orchids  from there. I was walking around some small villages around Kochi when I saw some lovely gardens and most of these orchids grow wildly and naturally there

2011 Flashback - Green at Athirampally-Vazhachal Rain Forests

When I went for the Rain Forest Expedition with Kalyan  Varma to Valparai, I wasnt prepared for the onslaught of rains. We went into the tropical rain forests of Vazhachal and Athirampally, the green blinded me , along with the deluge . If you like my posts and photographs and would like to travel with me , join me on Facebook 

2011 Flashback - Tripunithura - A cultural and royal connect in Kerala

A sudden trip to Tripunithura - the palace town in Kerala where every house is a palace and every person you meet is a royal descendant . Walk by the streets and you would hear the rhythm of chenda and kathakali performances from every door.

My story on Tripunithura was published in my column Inside Story in The Hindu .

If you like my posts and photographs and would love to know more about my travels, please join me on Facebook

2011 Flashback - In Munnar

On January 2011 , I was here

As a guest of Nature Zone in Munnar, Kerala watching the mist furl and unfurl

If you like my posts and pictures and if you like to travel with me , say hello to me on my Facebook page :)

Skywatch - Sunset in Fort Kochi

I went a bit berserk with the sun set shots in Fort Kochi . They are not what you would call picture perfect or romantic, but I loved the contrast they portrayed

For more beautiful skies around the world, do visit Skywatch

Cochin in 140 characters

It is always fascinating to retrace your steps after you finish a journey and look back at the moments. I tried live blogging in my last post when I was on a train to Madras , but this time, I was rather active on twitter. I was in Cochin for little more than a day and it was quite an experience ..Just to give you a flavour of the trip , I have stringed together the series of tweets that I posted in the last 24 hours . I  have of course left out the conversations that i had with many as it gets longer - you can follow me on twitter to get the complete story .. here you go for now -  A day in Cochin narrated in 140 characters

Prelude - Day 1 (Madras /overnight in train )

21st May  , Madras (Chennai)
lakshmisharath  Chalo Cochin for the next 36-40 hours #travel

21st May, In the train (Trivandrum Mail)
Now my ears are bombarded with only one nasal language - Malayalam ; will be like this wonly for the next 40 hours

21st May, In the train (Trivandrum Mail)
Co pax says a firang was so happy with the food served in his friend's restaurant in Fort Kochi that she gave gold bangles to the hostess

Day 2 - Cochin

22nd May, early morning  from the train (Trivandrum Mail)
Freezing cold inside the compartment . Didnt realize that fan was on and I dont use blankets

22nd May, Still in the train (Trivandrum Mail)
Very foggy here - looks like its rained a bit ; Im getting off at Ernakulam tho (@Angamalli Railway station )

22nd May , Still in the train (Trivandrum Mail)
If you want to visit Kalady, the birthplace of Adi Sankara, you need to alight at Angamali .Its also very close to Cochin airport #traveltip

22nd May, Still in the train (Trivandrum Mail)
Morning folks, its raining in #kerala, Periyar river near Aluva http://yfrog.com/gyw1ujjj

22nd May, Still in the train (Trivandrum Mail)
Trains late , we shd have been @ Ernakulam by now - just left Aluva, train stops for a long time at every station

22nd May, Still in the train (Trivandrum Mail)
Raining - the green looks greener #kerala

22nd May, Still in the train (Trivandrum Mail)
#Kerala needs to do somethg abt ensuring trains are on time ; very few tracks says my co pax ; no point promoting tourism if you cant arrive on time

22nd May, Still in the train (Trivandrum Mail)
When we halted at Edapally 10 mins ago, there was no one at station - not even a chaiwala, now I see a handful of people. We are still here

22nd May, Ernakulam Town Railway Station
Welcome to the town where you are certain to get ripped off  - only in #kerala, one pays Rs 450 officially to a cab for 10 kms & its not prepaid

22nd May, Cochin
The more I travel in #Kerala, the more I realize that its a huge tourist trap - people,places, experiences- everythg abt it is Touristy

22nd May, Cochin
And Im abt to enter the most touristy of all places in Cochin - Fort Kochi

22nd May, Cochin
Checked in at Napier House in Fort Kochi , a quaint villa which is more than 200 years old , originally owned by a Dutch #kerala

22nd May, Cochin
Love the wooden staircase #napier house

22nd May, Cochin
Im at BTH (Bharat Tourist Hotel ) #lunch

22nd May, Cochin
My cabbie & another driver were watchg a movie in their Indica DVD player while we were lunching - seraichale was the film #kerala

22nd May, Cochin
Veg food in #kerala is a delicacy - very few restaurants even in the key cities serve veg food - in the highways, its next to impossible

22nd May, Cochin
Board on a lampost in Cochin - "Specialist in Sexually Diseases! Contact ..." #kerala

22nd May, Cochin
Theres a toll booth near Cochin that charges Rs 7.5 return #kerala

22nd May, Thripunithura
At Thripunithura - the Hill Palace was huge but I had to give it a miss, as I had another appt elsewhere #kerala

22nd May, Thripunithura
Watchg young boys learning the "chenda" in the temple at Thripunithura #kerala

22nd May, Thripunithura
Interestg aspect of Thripunithura is that most buildings are palaces and people live here even today #kerala

22nd May, Thripunithura
The sound of "chenda" is reverberating in my eardrums - what a vibration and there are just 4 students here, 3 of them boys

22nd May, Thripunithura
Just visited a 250 year old palace in Thripunithura, there were just 2 rooms in it - one has some precious murals and portraits on walls

22nd May, Thripunithura
I hv heard them in Guruvayoor temple and now sitting in the chenda class, the ground below me is shaking with high decibel levels #kerala

22nd May, Thripunithura
Watchg a rehearsal of a kathakali show by an all women's team - they may not hv costumes, but its power packed - performance in Blr nxt week

22nd May, Cochin
Traffic jam at Fort Kochi- no place for pedestrians . Horns screeching #kerala

22nd May, Cochin
Both @aaroo4 and I were quite surprised to see the cop do an alcohol test on a cabbie #cochin #kerala

22nd May, Cochin
Nice desi khana @Dal roti , Fort Kochi

22nd May, Cochin
Extremely disappointed with Malabar house , Fort Kochi as they didnt let us in , claimg sm corporate group has booked the restaurant & lounge #kerala

22nd May, Cochin
Also disappointed that my fav kashi art cafe in Fort Kochi has shut down for vacation & off season period - so have several cafes #kerala

22nd May, Cochin
Nice to see firangs enjoyg desi daal roti food - just two Indian couples around #fortkochi #kerala

Day 3 - Cochin

23rd May, Cochin
Morng Cochin , pity its been a short visit, but your trains are running full and hence Ive got to fly early ; catch you next time #kerala

23rd May, Cochin
Got a cabbie who doesnt know how to go to jew town fm fort kochi - he says hes fm alleppey ; gps to rescue #kerala

23rd May, Cochin
What a weird cabbie - hes more worried abt me payg parkg rather than checkg the vehicle cmg fm other direction - banged into him almost

23rd May, Cochin
Some amazing frescos in the Dutch palace museum - of deities and scenes fm epics - highly recommended #cochin #kerala

23rd May, Cochin
Finally I make it to Cochin's Synagogue after several attempts - usually land on Fridays or Sat when its closed to the public #kerala

23rd May, Cochin
Only 15 families of Jews still live in #Cochin - the lady @synagogue says they are tired of talking to people esplly journos #kerala

23rd May, Cochin
Just saw an #Amma-ul hoarding in Cochin celebratg the "Chennai Super Queen's " victory - now will the Kings win ? #kerala #Tamilnadu #amul

23rd May, Cochin
Still on MG road Ernakulam, got to reach airport by 1230 and the cabbie is crawling - wondering if I can make it #kerala

23rd May, Cochin
You dont call it a highway when you hv autos blocking traffic and sm innumerable signals enroute to airport #kerala #cochin

23rd May, Cochin
Spoke to the airport guys and bought sm ten mins , but I think we will make it well within the stipulated time #goair #cochin #win

23rd May, Cochin
Boarding people - see you in a while in #bangalore

Epilogue
23rd May, Bangalore
lakshmisharath Planning a post - Cochin in 140 characters on backpacker - fun to read them all over again...

So what do guys think ? The trip/the post/ the tweets - do give me your feedback 

A morning with the birds - Thattekadu - Part 3

The Periyar river faded out of our view as we drove down the forest and entered the Salim Ali bird Sanctuary. Shaji stopped the car and a thin ,petite woman with a very warm smile greeted us ." I am Girish's mother, " said Sudha in crisp English , welcoming us to her abode. "  It was one of those moments that make you warm up to a perfect stranger and I  realized that it was the first of the many impressions that Sudha made on me during the trip.

A simple house stood right inside the sanctuary . We got out of the car and stretched. Mittu, the stray and family pet sniffed us over as Sudha single handedly lifted our luggage amidst protests and deftly climbed the steps to the first floor. " I will show you to your room." A clean hygenic room with an attached bath and balcony awaited us. "You freshen up madam and I will take you to Girish . "

As we munched some biscuits over tea, Sudha uttered a volley of  Malayalam to Shaji. I smiled and murmured , " Malayalam koccha ariyum"  That broke the ice..I was one among them. Girish's grandmother and Sudha almost hugged me , while his wife smiled..Its amazing I thought, how a few words of the native tongue is enough to break the ice. I cannot speak the language, but could understand a bit of it, hailing from neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

Anyways, tea and biscuits were over and we were back in the car with Shaji and Sudha . Sudha was a livewire . " I am very busy madam - this is season time, many guests , " she said, adding as we passed a government school " This is my school, Ive now adjusted my time with another teacher."Some locals exchanged pleasantries as Sudha went on to say how she juggles a homestay, a school, work in the sanctuary and even catering. " I was just a housewife madam, till my husband passed away ," she said nonchalantly. She and her husband who had been living in the sanctuary had a tea shop and they used to ferry people across the Periyar .  " And I can be a bird guide too, " she added, pulling out a small binoculars and looking through the trees as we stopped in the middle of nowhere.

We followed Sudha through some wilderness which led to a rubber plantation in the middle of nowhere. The morning fog had just lifted and we could see the sap being tapped in the trees, while some rubber was left to dry. Suddenly Sudha said , " This is where the elephant chased me ," Even before Sharath and I could react to that line, Sudha was way ahead of us, nimble footed, climbing up a steep slope  and crossing a huge tree that has fallen on the ground. Her thin frame and high energy hid all of her 55 years as she looked at us in childish amusement.

I looked around and realized that I am in the middle of nowhere.  Even if an elephant charged at us at this moment , we would probably have no where to run.." Dont worry madam, no elephants now..I can smell them if they are close by, " . Her confidence and energy was a complete contrast to our nervousness and slow gait.

” Madam, come fast, “ whispered Sudha, unable to contain her excitement. She stood on a small hillock and looked upwards towards a tree, squinting through her small binoculars. We quickly joined her as she murmured with a grin ,” You are so lucky...there is a crested goshawk up in the branches. “

To  my uninitiated eye, I could  only see a  maze of branches, until one eye peeped down at me through them. The large bird of prey glared at me a bit with its bright eyes , the rufous streaks and bars visible on its chest . It looked at us with one eye first, the other hiding behind a tree.

I took a couple of photographs and boldly moved a bit forward. Birds can be very touchy and sensitive to movement and they often seem to hate being photographed.  The crested goshawk looked down at me, almost making faces when I tried another picture . Finally one more glare and I left it in peace as Sudha whispered it was time to head to the rock.

We walked a bit more and joined Girish and the Scots and I heard the bad news first. " You just missed the Asian Fairy blue birds. the pair gave us almost 15 minutes in this lantena bush, " I shrugged, happy that I saw the crested goshawk, a lifer for me. However we spent the next one hour glued to the rock and the birds were just flying above our heads. The forests broke into a dash of colour and music as the branches came alive.

The plum headed parakeet and the malabar parakeet arrived as well.We saw three varieties of orioles - eurasian golden, black naped and black hooded .

We spotted  the male and female scarlet minivets and the small minivet.

There was a pair of green imperial pigeon cozying up in the trees, racket tailed drongos creating a racket, golden fronted leaf bird adding a dash of colour, black headed cuckoo shrike amidst the leaves ,white bellied treepie and the rufous treepie calling out to their mates. The bulbuls were not so far away - we spotted the grey headed bulbul, ruby throated bulbul, yellow browed bulbul.

 I cannot recall every little bird that we spotted, but we did see more than 30 different species that morning. We set out a bit later from the rock and walked inside the forests until Girish signalled us to stop. We bent down from a clearing to see a dash of colour standing amidst the branches. There was the malabar trogon and before we could even count the colours, another flew right above our heads. We followed it until we spotted a pair flitting around in a tree..

They were a bit far for my camera lens to reach, but I was happy to get a wonderful sighting of the bird. We waited for a long time so that they would come a bit closer, but they just refused to oblige us. A malabar giant squirrel took our attention for a while, until we saw another pair of trogons again - this time a little bit closer, but just managed a few record shots.

 Sharath meanwhile got bitten by a leech while, I who was paranoid about them survived despite wearing only floaters. Time had just sped past us as hunger pangs reminded us that it was well past our breakfast hour. We hungrily returned to the homestay as Sudha immediately greeted us - " Madam- Trogon ? Oh ! you are so lucky !" With this refrain,she treated us all to some appam and some vegetable curry.

Getting to Thattekadu - Part 2

December 31, 2010 - Sometime after 4 : 15 am
Location - A compartment in a train

Lazy limbs were being stretched as groggy heads moved in mindless stupor. I opened an eye warily only to find the compartment virtually empty. The kid seated below me was wide awake, gazing at me, while her mother combed her hair and adjusted her dupatta . I moved my neck cautiously to sense any pain, but all I felt was the numbness .

As the train came to a grinding halt at the Ernakulam junction, it was the contrast of life on either side of the tracks that first hit me. The harsh lights of the platform pierced through the compartment , shaking us of the lethargy. Inside the train, life was just stirring , while in the station, life as we know it - the pursuit of money, hunger and ambition was already set in motion. Small tea stalls were up and running, coolies were jostling for space with each other and auto drivers were already bargaining with passengers to take them home . As luggages were being hauled and dragged out of the train, the platform was a scene of bustling energy.

Girish, our host and bird guide at Thattekadu had arranged for a pick up for us from the station as Kerala was still reeling under a taxi strike. Shaji and his brother Ravi greeted us warmly , adding that we should have got off at Aluva. It would have saved us an hour almost, including the journey to Thattekadu, they mentioned. We made a mental note of it and drove down the dark roads of Cochin towards the forests.

Cochin looked very touristy , replete in the Christmas spirit. There were stars everywhere and the churches stood out , lit in the darkness. The city was just waking up. Even the local flower shops around the temples were up and colourful with lamps around.

We left the city and stopped by at a small local tea stall in a village. I gulped the warm black tea and looked at the motley of men who had gathered around . Some were reading the newspaper, while others had just finished the second cup of tea and were waiting for their breakfast - " puttu " , a steamed rice and coconut preparation .

As dawn broke, we reached the Salim Ali bird sanctuary and stopped by at the Periyar river which was veiled in a white fabric of fog. Girish met us by the river side with a group of Scotsmen who were avid birders, gazing at the Ashy wood swallows , which were on the wire by the river side. It was my first sighting for the day, but technically a hurried sighting as I barely got out of the car . But there is more to come as the day began .

Realized its Skywatch time already and so I think the foggy skies from Thattekadu are my contribution..To see more dramatic skies, visit Skywatch 

Where would you like to be this Monday morning ?

And its Monday already and you must be getting ready for work..But given a chance, wouldn't you like to be elsewhere, like for instance these foggy forests of Thattekadu across the Periyar river in Kerala

Breaking the jinx - Thattekadu-Part 1

I promised myself that I will write long lengthy travelogues this year on my blog, especially when I am just done with my trips..so, here I am with the first leg of the Thattekadu journey. A short , concise article on the trip was published in The Hindu , Metro Plus today. Anyways, here is a little preamble before I actually get on to the travel bit

It all started with Murphy of the good ole laws fame. He had entrenched himself rather firmly into my life and knowing my penchant for travel planning or the lack of it, he decided to wield his powerful weapon - the laws. So when the last minuter in me turned into a methodical planner, Murphy could not deal with it. He came in disguised in many forms, including ill health and at the end of it all, five trips planned in December were all cancelled and loads of money filled up the railways coffers. Ironically Thattekadu was planned twice out of those five Murphied trips.

 And now for the drama - I was lying in bed all of Christmas with a painful neck that was diagnosed as the early stages of spondylitis ,with a ticket in hand for Goa . I refused to give in and fought till the last hour only to realize that Murphy had won yet again - But the drama queen in me surfaced. A mini tantrum and rant ensued and hubby and friend booked the last two tatkal tickets to Cochin on the 30th without an idea of what next. Frantic calls to Girish , an advocate bird guide, a gentle persuasion by fellow traveller Vamsee who was staying in his homestay  ensured that I had a roof over my head for a night. And then , came the news of the transport strike in Kerala and I almost gave up my plans as there were no cabs to pick us up at Cochin at 4 am and take us to Thattekadu. Just when I thought that the railways will make some more money through yet another cancellation, Girish arranged for a pick up and finally the jinx was broken. I still had other issues to resolve like the stay on the second night and my return ticket, but at least, I had jumped out of my bed with a bag in tow and got  into a train to Kerala .

Waking up to a new day and a new year in Munnar

I was staying in a tree house in a beautiful property called Nature Zone in Munnar , Kerala on New Years Day and the day gave me some breathtaking views of the sky ..The morning mist gave way to bright blue skies only to be covered by mist again. Staying in a tree house at 6900 feet above sea level, I woke up to the chirping of birds in a dense coffee and cardamom plantation where strawberries and passion fruits grow in abundance...So here is my first Skywatch contribution for the year from the first destination of 2011

To see more brilliant skies visit Skywatch 

Where would you like to be this Monday morning ?

I would like to be where I was yesterday - tea gardens of Munnar in Kerala . I was staying at Nature Zone resort for a night at a tree house, watching the mist rob me of the views..Although the property is located inside a  cardamom and coffee plantations that give it a dense forest feel, you see some spectacular views of tea gardens as you go up the bumpy mud route towards the resort.

Where would you like to be this Monday morning ?

The destination this Monday is Athirampally Falls in Kerala ..wouldnt you prefer to pack your bags just now and leave ?

Skywatch - Churches on the highway

As you drive down the highway in Kerala, one sees many monuments  and I was particularly fascinated by the different churches..

You find the architecture a bit different from the usual churches that we see in different cities and they also represent various sects - from Latin Catholics, Roman Catholics, Syrian Christians, Jacobites, Protestants and more..

For more exciting skies around the world , visit Skywatch