Exotic shores along emerald waters

Kerala the exotic land of emerald backwaters, elephant pets, Sabarimala pilgrimage and sumptuous food served on plantain leaves is an attractive destination to any visitor. Tourism generates revenue in the form of dollars as it does from other international currencies that flow into the land that even offers home stay facilities to the solitary traveller. The mystic destination with an array of attractions catering to every taste is true to its epithet God’s own country.

To me, it is home, a place filled with nostalgic memories since my girlie holidays spent climbing cashew and mango trees with the village urchins avoiding the disapproving glances shot in my direction. My memories are simultaneously laden with the pleasures of every sense, taste, sound, smell and sight. The luscious mango fruit we used to stealthily pick from trees lining any courtyard, the cows with the most adorable little calves, kid goats briskly taking off the minute you touch them, green fields of ripe paddy waiting to be winnowed, pepper creepers and pink complexioned coffee beans, the backwater snake boat races, the lasses in iridescent silk pavadas and trishur puram, sinking my teeth into yummy fruits, pineapple, mango, cashew fruit, jackfruit, papaya, and fresh vegetable from the kitchen garden and mango chutneys made from raw mango, white chillies, that challenge the very thresholds of the term, ‘spicy’ and delectable coconut from the backyard, the all pervasive summer smell of ripening jackfruit, mango, pineapple and cashew fruit. I even have memories of the skin on my feet being torn by thorny pineapple hedges leaving a trail of bright red blotches as we ran to escape the ire of those who had unravelled the mystery of the missing fruits. And how can I forget my trip to Trishur Puram where bejewelled elephants shwish sashay in their most radiant attire to the accompaniment of an array of fireworks or the excitement of the Vallam kalli races in majestic snake boats during Onam or the Kathakalli dances in the Temple courtyards surrounded by ladies in set mundu, the scent of jasmine in their long curly hair lending fragrance to my nostalgia. There are just too many scenes that I can’t extricate from the colourful experience spanning a couple of decades of my trips to Kerala.

The train journey to Kerala is simply picture perfect. Winding its way through the konkan ghats and coastline that curves around the sapphire Arabian Sea, the train might as well have been on a trip to fantasyland. You are literally impelled to breathe in the serene calm that is so omnipresent in these parts. It takes about 18 hours from Panvel to Cochin.

The day breaks with the traditional Suprabatham music that sets every foot tapping. Amidst the flurry of greetings and squeals by children and family who were at the station to pick us up, we plan our visit to the Cherai Beach. After a sumptuous breakfast of iddiappams and egg curry, we took off to the beach in 2 cars. The beach was beautiful and the warm sea ideal for swimming. We were lucky to spot the Dolphins taking part in their own high jump competition.

Later we visited the St. Francis Church, the Mattancherry Dutch Palace and the world famous Chinese fishing nets. Rumbling stomachs were then treated to a grand sadya at a hotel nearby. We also captured beautiful pictures of setting sun over the nets. In time we returned home to a traditional Kerala dinner.

The very next day we took off for breathtaking Munnar. We stayed for two days at the most popular and beautiful of hill stations in India and yet when we were on our way out, our eyes had to be peeled off the lush green blankets of tea plantations that covered the cool foggy mountains. These very mountains turn a pretty purple every 12 years when the Neelakurungi flowers bloom.

Our next destination, the Periyar wildlife sanctuary and Tiger Reserve was splendid with the boat cruise on the Periyar, scenic waterfalls gushing down the mountain and animals coming down for their sip of water, elephants, deer, peacocks and an array of the colourful-feathered variety from ducks, bluebirds, parrots, larks to flycatchers. We traversed the 1½ km walking track on foot where we spotted heron, darters, storks, teals and common egrets. Around mid November, the sanctuary turns into a transit lounge for migratory birds.

Then we drove to Allepey, an unbelievably bewitching paradise of mangrove forests, emerald green paddy fields and coconut groves interspersed with enchanting waterways and canals adorned with white lilies. Floating hotels (rice boats with all amenities) moving lazily over the water come in a wide variety of sizes from tiny canoes to houseboats capped by elaborate superstructures of bamboo and rosewood, paneled with mats of screwpine. We hired a kettuvallom, the traditional rice boat turned houseboat and that added magic to the experience. The night on the houseboat under the starlit sky was mesmeric coupled with the sounds of water slapping the boat and the soft bobbing motion on ever titillating waves. The boat waded past paddy, coconut groves and mangroves, along fresh water canals and rivers. Many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles live in and alongside the backwaters. Palm trees, pandanus shrubs, various colourful leafy bushes grow alongside the backwaters, lending a resplendent turquoise hue to the surrounding landscape. The kids tried their amateur hands at fishing while we chose to do some water skiing and wind sailing.

Sipping on sweet water from fresh coconuts while drifting along in the luxurious houseboats we felt relaxed and refreshed. As the houseboats glide over the Kerala backwaters at a leisurely pace every passing moment brings with it, a new sensation. A cruise along the mirror-still lagoons, picture-book lakeside, palm-fringed canals and shimmering rivulets of `God's Own Country' is the most enchanting holiday experience, you can imagine. With a cruise along the palm-fringed waterways becoming part and parcel of any holidayers' itinerary, the traditional kettuvallom has emerged as the mascot of Kerala Tourism.

Our trip would not have been complete without our final afternoon of ayurvedic massages. The uniqueness of each of our experiences in Kerala yet interconnected made this holiday the most memorable. After a grand farewell party we were transferred to the railway station.

Did you know?
The Vembanad Kayal is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 200 km², and bordered by Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. The port of Kochi (Cochin) is located at the lake's outlet to the Arabian Sea. Alleppey, "Venice of the East", has a large network of canals that meander through the town. Vembanad is India’s longest lake.

Did you know?
Kerala Rice Boats are a reworked model of Kettuvallams (in the Malayalam language, Kettu means "tied with ropes", and vallam means "boat"), which, in earlier times, were used to carry rice and spices from Kuttanad to the Kochi port. Kerala houseboats have thatched roof covers over wooden hulls. A standard houseboat, which could be about 100 feet long, can hold up to 30 tons, as much as three big lorries can. The hull, which is made of hundreds of fine but heavy-duty planks of jack-wood is held together by coir knots (not a single nail is used). This framework is then coated with a caustic black resin extracted from boiled cashew kernels. And it lasts for generations. The roof is made of bamboo poles and palm leaves. The exterior of the boat is painted with protective coats of cashew nut oil. The kettuvallam is motorised and is steered in deep waters by means of oars or a rudder. Long bamboo poles or 'punts' are used to propel the boat in shadow areas. The crew of a kettuvallam comprises two oarsmen and a cook or chef. Fresh food, cooked in inimitable Kuttanadan style is the rage with international tourists.