Trip to Kerala
[Dec 22-28th 2012]
This was one of those 'mandatory year-end offs' in office & I had a quick plan to visit Kerala aka Gods' own Country. A 'quick plan ' to me..usually means that 'late stage' in trip planning when one doesnt have any train ticket available :( --too bad ..ideally I would have loved to travel by train .. after all its more about the journey than the destination any-day! As all the seats in the direct flight from Pune-Kochi were taken already, had to make our way via bangalore. Anyway ..the upside to traveling by air could be .. I'd get to spend more time in Kerala in this week-long trip!
The halt at Bangalore airport was about 3hrs ..so we decided to take a stroll outside the airport --& were glad we did. It was around 8:30 in the morning and just along the taxi stand there is this 'Parking Cafe' --thats open 24x7.
Having lived in Bangalore earlier --a similar cafe outside the old airport was our savior for tasty yet cheap food past midnight!
Piping hot idlis at the parking cafe -Bangalore Airport
Where do we get a 5-rupee coffee these days?
& thats Hot Coffee -Kannada style -inside the airport premises
breakfast with amazing chutney n sambar
Day 1:First glimpses of Kochi ..around Fort Kochi: The Chinese fishing nets
Checked-in at Heritage Methanam and the hotel was just beside a lake -away from the city life --few fishing nets, few canoes & lot of chirping birds around.
Day 2: Post breakfast, we started off early in the morning to a bird sanctuary in Thattekkadu, Palamattom, which is on the way to Munnar. Munnar wasn’t on my priority list at least this time [..maybe because I’ve lived more around tea-estates & hill stations than anywhere else :p !] Distance from Fort Kochi to Palamattom was about 75kms. En-route we got to sample the best filter coffees ever brewed ..and some of the best dal wadas which were just out of the frying pans
Day2: Reached Soma Birds Lagoon -they have an apt tagline: where bird's go for holiday!
We didn’t need to visit the nearby bird sanctuary ..as the resort was full of different species of birds. There were few ornithologists and photographers to let you know any details if you'd be interested ..
Indeed birds holidaying here ..in tranquility ;)
The black pepper tree ..for me this was the first time to find one ..got some along
spotted some turkeys -in the wild
On the way to hanging bridge ..
tried some carrot pickle from the tuck-shops-it was good!
up close and in-control of a fishing net!
The hanging bridge at Inchathotty --supposedly the longest in this state
The coffee plant
A turkey ..roaming free in a village
The cocoa plant
The bay leaf plant
The pineapple plantation
Day3: Shades of green: backwaters in Alleppey -Vembanad lake
Lake Vembanad is a large freshwater lake, stretching from Kochi to Allepey -resulting from the merging of three rivers -Periyar (Kochi), Meenachil (Kottayam) & Pampa (Allepey). The lake could be somewhat saline when shutters of the dam at Than-neer-mukkam dam are opened. However, it is said that the water becomes fresh again due to the mangroves -roots of which absorb salt.
Veiw from the houseboat
mid-day halt for snacks
One of the best traditional Kerala food we've had was in the houseboat
Looks like the end of the road..but there's a left turn!
One of the must-explores in Kerala: To learn about duck farming from the locals.
Didn’t have a very good zoom..these are all ducks!
..the sunset from the boat
Closer view: while the boat is docked for the evening
Day4:View next morning ..later in the day we were at a homestay in Kuttanad -quite close to alleppey
The homestay was near Champakkulam in the Kuttanad region.
R block is a huge paddy growing area in upper Kuttanad. All the paddy growing regions in Allepey and part of Kottayam district are collective;y known as Kuttanad -lying toward the south of lake Vembanad. The uniqueness of this region being the paddy fields are situated below sea level surrounded by walls! When water is required for cultivation, it is let in through the gap -made in the walls & pumped out when not needed. Also, I'd read this in an area where one can enjoy the pure toddy (coconut beer) and relish some nice fish & seafood preparations like karimeen fry.
Check out this milk peda in in of the tuck shops ..
Day4: Relaxing at the kuttanad backwaters homestay
A simple home-stay where one can choose different activities from canoeing, fishing, village walks, cooking lessons etc --chose nearly all of them!
A canal which was common to most homes --used for transport using a canoe - for fishing as well
Coconut water being served straight from the farms..
Traditional Kerala lunch --with tuna fish and chicken fry
Ok.. I caught 2 fishes with this rod & let them back
More backwater boat-ride to visit nearby places
This guy was sailing on what seemed to be a cooking vessel!
Good to be here on the Christmas Day
Visit to the anchor for a snake boat -historically used for transport during war times
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St. Marys Church
Partial view of a snake boat-If titanic was a boat it would have been this one!
Toddy -in the making ..made a quick halt to learn more about the' process'.
Kitchen inside a Toddy shop
Of course, got some coconut toddy to taste!
A typical cabin in a toddy shop -each cabin seats about 4-5 people
Typical Kerala breakfast: Puttu (not something i'd readily like)
Day5: On the way to Mararikulam ..autorickshaw being ferried to cross the river
At the mararikulam beach -The Sharukh Khan of Malyalam movies -- Mohan Kumar was shooting here
Chilly chicken was real tasty and full of green chillies + the appams -very impressive food at 'Dine at Park' on the Cochin-Trivandrum highway
sand-art at the marikulam beach
Mararikulam beach
The booking done through makemyrip.com got canceled at the last moment. Stayed at a homestay in Mararikulam -nice yummy food - freshly prepared to your liking!
watt an idea for an organic flower-pot!
Mararikulam beach
Day 6: Karakorum -Waterscapes
Some history: An essex missionary Mr.Henry Baker came to Kumarakom for missionary work in 1818. His son, Alfred was attracted by the fertility of the land here, and being interested in farming he acquired some land from the Maharaja of Travencore -turning it into a farm of paddy & coconuts. In 1947 when India got Independence, the land ceiling act was passed in which plantations were exempted from acquisition - so he converted this land into a rubber plantation. IN 1978, this property was sold to Karnataka Tourism. KTDC shaped up the Kumarakom tourist village in which waterscapes is situated (courtesy: ..written on table mats at this resort's restaurant!)
View of Vembanad lake from waterscapes
Outside KTDC -a restaurant offering local food
Butterfly park inside KTDC Kumarakom
some snake got rid of his old clothes..
Locally grown tapioca for sale
Fish thali at the local ethinic restaurant for 45 rupees!
Karimeen fry
Day 7: Traveling back to Pune
John's has definitely made umbrellas happening and cool - their outlet inside the airport lounge. Bought some locally-made chocolates at the airport -yummy!
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