Kerala - God's own country
I thought it was a well marketted punch line, till I criss crossed most of Kerala, myself. 
The only place I missed was Guruvayoor. I rushed through most of Kerala in about 8 days. I rushed through as if there was no comming back to this beautiful place. The routine was to get up early, catch an early breakfast and drive to the next place by lunch, seeing places enroute as well. Well, we did hire a cab and managed to not get tired, but still I miss the place not that I missed the essense, but that I long for more. I did not know that then, but having been to a lot of other places like Rajasthan, Coorg, Bandipur, Ajanta and Ellora, after my Kerala trip, I miss that tranquility. Not that the other places are of lesser interest, but they are different. Different like Vanilla Gold, Black Current and Butter Scotch ;), each has its own flavor - now you know why my BMI is northbound. Tranquility is Kerala for me. The kind of tranquility that you can get only from nature - the crip fresh morning breeze, the greenery around and breathtaking sceneries - the kind of things that elevate you to a different level of living and peacefulness.
Rajasthan, by contrast is man made, colorfull and vibrant.
These two are supposed to be the most sought after tourist destinations in India. I know there are a host of others and some of them yet to be covered by me. But then I will have to wait for some more time for those dreams to be full filled. I almost went to Goa last year but the torrential rains and unpredictable weather upset my plans. I would have still braved it but then I wanted to take my parents along and had to grudgingly bow down to the weather God's whims.
But going back to the Kerala trip; it is surprising to see what Kerala has to offer to the tourist, in such a small area. From the highest peak in South India - Anna mudi,
to thick forests of Perriyar (you can go on an exciting night trek into the reserve with armed gaurds), to the hill resort in Munnar (with Tata Tea plantations all over the place), to the beaches of Kovalam, the back waters of Kumarakkom and Allepy, to the Raja Ravi Varam's paintings in Trivandum, to the antique but still operational chineese fishing nets in Ernakulam, to the Onam festivities with the snake boat races (I missed this, but saw it on TV), to the rituals of Guruvayoor, the list goes on. Its been more than two years but my memories are still fresh. Some of the following photos are only a sample of what Kerala has to offer. Some day, I will go back at a much liesure pace....
The only place I missed was Guruvayoor. I rushed through most of Kerala in about 8 days. I rushed through as if there was no comming back to this beautiful place. The routine was to get up early, catch an early breakfast and drive to the next place by lunch, seeing places enroute as well. Well, we did hire a cab and managed to not get tired, but still I miss the place not that I missed the essense, but that I long for more. I did not know that then, but having been to a lot of other places like Rajasthan, Coorg, Bandipur, Ajanta and Ellora, after my Kerala trip, I miss that tranquility. Not that the other places are of lesser interest, but they are different. Different like Vanilla Gold, Black Current and Butter Scotch ;), each has its own flavor - now you know why my BMI is northbound. Tranquility is Kerala for me. The kind of tranquility that you can get only from nature - the crip fresh morning breeze, the greenery around and breathtaking sceneries - the kind of things that elevate you to a different level of living and peacefulness.Rajasthan, by contrast is man made, colorfull and vibrant.
These two are supposed to be the most sought after tourist destinations in India. I know there are a host of others and some of them yet to be covered by me. But then I will have to wait for some more time for those dreams to be full filled. I almost went to Goa last year but the torrential rains and unpredictable weather upset my plans. I would have still braved it but then I wanted to take my parents along and had to grudgingly bow down to the weather God's whims.But going back to the Kerala trip; it is surprising to see what Kerala has to offer to the tourist, in such a small area. From the highest peak in South India - Anna mudi,
to thick forests of Perriyar (you can go on an exciting night trek into the reserve with armed gaurds), to the hill resort in Munnar (with Tata Tea plantations all over the place), to the beaches of Kovalam, the back waters of Kumarakkom and Allepy, to the Raja Ravi Varam's paintings in Trivandum, to the antique but still operational chineese fishing nets in Ernakulam, to the Onam festivities with the snake boat races (I missed this, but saw it on TV), to the rituals of Guruvayoor, the list goes on. Its been more than two years but my memories are still fresh. Some of the following photos are only a sample of what Kerala has to offer. Some day, I will go back at a much liesure pace....
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home