Trivandrum Travel

Mr. God (if there is one) has efficiently busted my plan to visit ‘the God’s very own country’ for quite some time now. But this time, Work (The Demon God!) finally dragged me to Kerala (which as you might already know is also known as God's very own country). To be honest, I have only just seen the tip of it though (literally!)

My flight landed in Trivandrum on a pitch dark evening. The first thing I noticed while Ubering to the hotel was the big bright green chilies hanging in bunches in the street side vendor stalls - waiting their turn to become pakoras! Ah now that I remember those, I regret not remembering it on time, whilst I was still there! :(

Might have missed the Chilli Pakoda, But didn't miss this Kingfish Tawa Fry. Still drooling!

Kanyakumari

The morning next to my arrival, I found myself getting driven to Kanyakumari. I know I know… It’s a dragged drive of 2 hours straight. But as the car hit the road, I found myself enjoying this city cruise. Once we were a little outside the city, it was even better. The roads were very clean and the road sides were very, very green. You can never have too much green! I was loving the ride.

Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Kanyakumari Temple

But disappointment struck when we reached there and I found myself at the back of a very long queue. Not able to see where that queue leads to, it was one sweaty, smelly affair! Testifying my stupidity yet one more time, I was there right when the Sun was hot, conveniently missing out the Sunrise or the Sunset. It was scorching, I could feel every inch of skin burning! (I can still feel it!) After a long and grumpy wait of 2.5 hours in the queue, we were about to board the boat that would take us to the Vivekananda Rock, just a few metres into the sea. I didn’t understand why after waiting in a queue, everyone felt the need to start a stampede just before getting on the boat! But all of that angst vanished when I set my foot on the Rock. The Sun was still hot but the breeze from all sides was soothing. There is a monument on top of the rock. This serves as the main Vivekananda Rock Memorial. There is also a temple dedicated to Goddess Kanyakumari. The best bit was a little meditation hall at the base of the monument. When I entered this hall, my eyes took a while to adjust to the darkness and quietness inside. I sat there for a bit, closed my eyes and was almost on the verge of dozing off! It was that peaceful indeed.

The Vivekananda Rock Memorial - View after the boat ride to the Rock.

Having walked around this rock, we kept marvelling at Swami Vivekananda’s immense rigour to have swam this part of the rough sea to get to this rock, to have climbed up this rock through its slippery mossy edges and to have spent 2-3 days & nights there, meditating and attaining enlightenment whilst the huge waves might have splashed around the rock from all the sides! It is something extraordinary, a miracle beyond my imagination. My respect for this great personality just increased ten fold, yet one more time.

Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea & Indian Ocean - A perfect Merger!

Once back on the mainland, we walked further ahead and came by a rocky shoreline. Lots of people were enjoying a splishy-splashy afternoon in the sea. We found a quiet corner and sat there, overlooking the sea, the Rock in the distance, wondering about which particular rock bit could be considered as the southernmost tip of the country’s triangular section (the southernmost tip of the country is actually in the Nicobar island) and then devouring a juicy succulent mango sprinkled with some chilli salt and a bag of peanuts from a street side vendor! Perfecto. This part of the beach was very quiet, except for a few crows who kept budging their necks to steal a share of our peanuts.

Khatta-Mitha (Sweet n Sour) Mango with Chilli Sprinkles.. yum yum!

Poovar

After spending almost the entire day at Kanyakumari, we started our drive back to the hotel at around 3:30ish in the afternoon. When the car was running through a shady sleek road, our driver mentioned, ‘that’s poovar on the side’. We peeked, but couldn't see much. ‘Should we have a quick look?’ And just like that, we got out of the car and found ourselves standing in front of the Poovar backwater. I have heard so much about Kerala backwaters and the scene in front of me did a complete justice to it.

Serene Backwater at Poovar

The person in front of me didn’t do much justice though. He quoted INR 8000/- for a 2hours boat ride in the backwater. I don’t know what made him think that under my shabby look, I could be that rich! No point in bargaining - we thought. We nodded negative and turned around to go back to the car. And just with that simple gesture, the quoted fare came down to INR 2000/- magically! Even that seemed a bit pricey and with no local friends around, we were a bit out of depth. But we gave in and got in the boat.

While cruising through the water...

We cruised through the winding water surrounded by long slender coconut trees, heaps of mango trees and so many others. The boat took us to the beach where the backwater meets the sea. We strolled around the beach, watched the sky turn golden and then orange. The Sun set in the distance and we tracked our way back through the steel grey water of the evening. If I had time, I would probably go back there once again, just to be a bit more familiar with the silent turns of the meandering water and the muffled sways of the trees.

Took another turn there...

Work & Play!

The rest of the week went by in a whirlwind of activity. I met my team - the team with whom I have spent days and nights and sometimes even weekends over virtual mediums, was finally in front of me, after about 2 years; courtesy Covid. In spite of working for digital transformation and being in this world of digitisation, it’s funny (and ironic) how satisfactory it can be to meet people in flesh and blood as opposed to some pixels on screen! I loved going to work every day there, meeting people, sharing a good laugh. Be it the Banana chips I was welcomed with on the first day in the office to the Filter Coffee that was brought in a foil pack to save me from the yucky vendor-coffee in the office to the adhoc trip to the beach or to the Silk shopping in the major shopping street in the city with our product owner or those lavish lunches and the office tours that the team endearingly took me to, I felt extremely loved and blessed.

Kovalam

Kovalam !

It was one afternoon at work, suddenly few of us started white-boarding - what should we do this evening! Turns out, the flowchart on board led us to Kovalam beach! It was pitch dark when we arrived at the beach after an eventful Uber ride. The sequence of the event was such that - we got a drop off at one road junction and then decided to book an Uber. Only one of us knew Malayalam, so that helped because the driver couldn’t be convinced for the ride in any other language (or so it seems!). Finally, a deal was struck - the Uber was cancelled - but the driver agreed to pick us up (from wherever we were! We were on the highway somewhere in front of a SBI stop!) and drop off at Kovalam and then again pick us up from there and drop us off at the hotel. Well, all set and done. We waited for another 15-20mins after which the car arrived and the first question the driver asked was, ‘Where are we going!’ Isn’t it too late for that question, bro!

Fish on Display - at one of the Shacks in Kovalam!

Anyway, like I mentioned earlier, it was already super dark when we got to the beach. We were only about to make out the white foams on the water when a wave splashed in the otherwise dark canvas. The other side of the beach was lined up with extremely busy shacks - shacks with a whole variety of fish on display, proudly showing off their catch of the day! We picked a big red snapper and in no time, the bright red gorgeous looking fish turned up in our plates, fully covered in Kerala spices and fried shallow in a tawa!

And we chose the Red Snapper!

Pushing our sympathy for the fish aside, we gorged on it; except our only vegetarian friend who sat in a corner and had some veggies (She is always going to be special as she is my first ever Keralite Vegetarian acquaintance! A true contradiction in herself! :D) The vibe in the shack was pretty cool - tawa fry fish, sea breeze from the limitless darkness in front, white sparkly foams and beer bottles covered in newspapers! (apparently, liquor is not legal there, but I’m sure the police know that!)

Now we killed the fish! :/

We paid a visit to Kovalam once again on our last day of the trip. This time during the day. We climbed up the rocks and the big boulders at one end and also the Lighthouse at the other end. The best part of this day was a long idle chat in one of the shacks, overlooking the sea and sipping cold coffee and lemonades. We watched a few people running along the beach, getting some cardio done whilst we slumped in our comfy chairs, munching finger food. The usual crows paid us a visit, looking for french fries and fish fingers. The idling continued…

Lazying at Kovalam...Pic Idea - Rana

Varkala Beach

On our last working day of the week, our entire team set off for an evening in Varkala Beach. It is a tiny hamlet with a beautiful beach skirting the cliff that adds to the rugged, green vibe of the place.

Varkala

I read that this place is famous for an ancient temple, medicinal water springs, also an ashrama but as you can imagine, none of that fit into our itinerary for just one evening. Priority assigned on going down to the beach and gorging on some more sea fish in one of the shacks. The beach was gorgeous with its green and brown outline of the cliff. As soon as I arrived there, few of us went down the beach for a bit of splish splash. An end of the week winding down in such a scenic place is always perfect. We watched the sun go down on the beach and then retired to our shack for an evening full of chit chat and rolls of laughter.

Sunset at Varkala. Pic Courtesy - Ligin

Padmanabhaswamy temple

On my last day of the trip, after spending the entire day in Kovalam, I thought of checking out the Padmanabhaswamy temple which was only a couple of KMs away from the hotel I was staying in. I had to wrap a saree around my waist (men had to wear a dhoti) - it’s a mandate there. Conveniently, you can buy these sarees or dhotis just outside the temple. There was a little lake in front of the temple and the golden reflection (as all the lights were lit in the evening) on the water looked beautiful. The architecture of the temple was magnificent. I loved its long corridors and intricate wall designs. When I set my foot in the inner chamber of the temple, I had the feeling of being transported to a different era altogether. It had a strong mystic vibe in the air and everything looked straight out of some period movie. I was quite pleased having made that choice about visiting the temple but when I came back to the hotel, I learnt that our client, being a non-resident of India (and possibly for being a non-Hindu) was not allowed an entry inside. Apparently, this temple is considered as the richest place of worship in the world (source Wikipedia). Sadly, it didn’t feel so rich to me after I heard about the incident.

No, this isn't the temple! :D Just a church I liked on a random city stroll..

And that's a Wrap!

All in all, it was a good trip, jam packed with work, site scenes, events, fun and food! If I am being very honest, I haven’t really explored Trivandrum. I did go to Kovalam, Varkala, Shangumugham Beach, Poovar, Kanyakumari, Padmanabhaswamy temple and walked around the main streets of the city. But nope, I haven’t really been there. I haven’t walked around the city till my legs throb, I haven’t really sneaked into the green outliers there, haven’t quite soaked in the waves of the many different beaches there and so much more.

Until we are back again!

Next time, (if there is a next time), I would love to go back to Trivandrum. I would want to spend a while in Varkala (that has been my top favourite in this short quick trip!), explore all those medicinal water springs and Ayurveda massage centres there; I would want to cycle my way through narrow green roads to Poovar and all the hidden unknown backwaters of the area; Oh, and the next time, I will definitely carry SPF100+ sunscreen so I don’t have to burn again. Ouch! :D

Misty Arabian Sea at Night - Varkala. Goodnight :)

What Not To Do In Puri !

Now, I am sure, most of you know Puri like the back of your hands but this is for those (un/)fortunate few who don’t and also for the ones who like to put up with my non-stop whining...here I am back from a quick weekend getaway to Puri and I’m bursting to vent out.

A Full-Moon Night at the Beach ^_^

1. The first in my list of what not to do in Puri would be - visiting there on any public holiday, long weekends and especially the Odia/Bengali New years! If you are one who loves a good, chirpy crowd, feel free to go ahead but if you are one like me who gets easily scared, better step back. You might find a massive % of our ever growing population squeezing their way to this hugely popular tourist destination! 

Nonetheless, it has been ages since I have been to a beach and ages since I have done an overnight train journey (courtesy: super duper flying machines!), so I was kind of looking forward to it. I do love a wild sea!

Beach Buzz at one end !

2. Now, second in my list would be to throw out a word of caution on visiting the famous Puri temple, one of the char dhams of India. Enter at your own risk, people! 

I was there this year on the 15th April (which marked the beginning of the Bengali New year and was the day after the Odia New Year) and I can tell you this much, I have indeed been gifted a new life! It's a miracle I came out alive. It's a miracle that I could be squashed from so many different angles at the same time and still manage to breathe! 

It was a grinder! Once you go in, you can't turn back. You can’t force your way back with an ever swarming crowd coming at you with a tremendous zeal from the opposite side (unless it’s a Rohit Shetty movie of course!). So what do you do? You go with the flow and then you're ping-ponged around by a mob set in a chaotic whirl. After a good while of sweat-breaking, body-rubbing, flesh-pulping exercise, you will find yourself thrown out of the temple by the motion of the crowd. You then search for all your body parts. If everything is still intact, you're a miracle on your own! 

I don't know if I felt Jagannath's presence or not, but I definitely felt Darwin's. Survival of the fittest indeed! 

3. If you visit Jagannath temple in Puri, don't just focus on the squeezing game. Take a pause, let it go and marvel at the astounding architecture that stands before you since the 10th century. Mythological stories and significance aside, you got to give in to the humongous creativity, design, aesthetics, technique, strength and determination of the people who made this possible. 

My cousin was telling me how he avoids visiting this temple as a mark of a protest against extremist Hinduism. This temple doesn't allow visitors of other religions! It's shocking and shameful really - how extremism in any form destroys the essence of an otherwise beautiful spirit. Whilst Hinduism in most of its ways preaches liberal, thought provoking harmony, this extremists’ approach just ruins it for all.

Anyway, after gaping at our ancient architectural excellence and experiencing Darwinism for a good part of the day, I re-confirmed my existence by satiating myself with a grand veg thali in The Grand veg restaurant, just by the side of the temple complex. Much needed.

The Serene Side of the Beach...

The rest of the afternoon and the evening saw a pleasant beach walk right from the Lighthouse (at the serene far end of the beach) to the Swargadwar crematorium (Gateway to Heaven; You could actually see the burning in process.) and all along stretching to the end of the Golden beach - from the quiet to the happening part of the town! This is definitely recommended. My top tip would be to walk in bare feet, breaking the waves, along the waterline. :)

You worship the God in the temple, I surf the waves.

The Hilly Solitude - Day 14

It’s amazing how you can visit a particular place innumerable times and yet you keep finding new surprises. Or maybe it’s just me! So, I was walking along the Camel back road again this morning and I noticed - there is this particular house on the valley side which has got a life-size chess board decorated on its terrace! So, each of the pieces are at least 3-4 feet in height, so I assume you would have to carry them over to play your moves. How cool is that! Even though I have walked almost daily on this road, for the past fortnight, I still love it. Hence followed another walk down the same road this evening. I was just aimlessly strolling on the Mall road and suddenly met Dhruv. Had a quick Chick-Chocolate special Spanish hot chocolate with him. Then I went on to enjoy my solitude and found myself slurping up a wild mushroom soup whilst looking over the valley. I was back in the Camel back road. Again. Every time, a new bird, a new flower, a new tree or even a new house definitely welcomes me here. A tiny monkey hanging from the electric wire made me laugh out loud this time.

A silent promise to the whispering Oak

And even if there is nothing new; even if it is the same snow peaks in the horizon, the same old oaks, the same curvey valley, I am still equally amazed. The big tower from the top of Landour looks down on me, the Nag tibba peak calls out...I feel wistful...I'm sitting in the Hawa Mahal now and I realise, I have fallen in love with everything in this little town of Mussoorie - the queen of the hills. It has started growing on me and I don't want to leave! I was sat on the terrace this afternoon, soaking in the warm sun, looking at the swirly roads, smiling at the overpour of greens and the restless chirping, counting the quiet blessings of the mountains and I knew I can’t say goodbye…

A vented-bulbul couple on the Camel Back Road!
Loads of other black birds, flinches, barbets and laughingthrushes
escaped my silly camera...

The Hilly Solitude - Day 13

Winter was at its fag end when I had arrived. And Spring was kinda creeping in. As I sit on the terrace now, I see the pink and white blossoms have taken quite a character. Spring is not yet at its full bloom but it has certainly arrived with a grandeur. Just from the terrace itself, I can see a number of finches, songbirds, barbets flying around with their gorgeous wings. The white and purple and fluorescent butterflies have joined them as well.

Aadu ke phool (Peach Blossoms) in front of the cottage

It's a mixed feeling today. I want to go home and be lazy but I want to go to Landour too and walk around till my legs throb. I want to sleep in my own bed but I want to watch the quirky creatures in the Camel Back road too. I want mom made food but I want the yummy bakery too. I want too much! :D

A chocolate downpour to cheer myself up !

My right knee is extremely sore from the last few days of marathon walks. It’s a rest day with a crazy work schedule. Unlucky 13 it is. Home calling and yet, a heavy heart still seems to wander around...

The Hilly Solitude - Day 12

I woke up a bit late than usual (courtesy Dhruv's bidding-goodbye movie late last night). Rajesh knocked on the door, with sleep in his eyes, 'ma'am chai?' A dearie, he is. I had told him off the other day because he was late and Mussoorie mornings are not the same without Rajesh's special ginger tea. The Sun was at its full strength today, basking the streets of Mussoorie with a vibrant energy. I found myself walking towards Landour, again.

Mussoorie Mall road in the morning...

As I was climbing up the initial steep of the road, my eyes were drawn to a sudden swift movement in a corner of a oak. I strained my eyes to observe but there was absolute stillness. I could see nothing but the oak and it's leaves. I took a couple of steps further and again there was a flutter. I stood very still now and watched. A little owlet sat in one of the branches! He looked very sleepy and comfortable. Ah, the sweet sweet thing. He fluttered his neck a little again and then fell into a stillness. Maybe, he's dreaming, who knows!

Valley view while climbing up the Landour hill

I took the path straight to the bakehouse today. I was craving for their bakery items and nothing beats a good brunch. Needless to say, I ate like a pig! I shook off any sneaky feeling of regret by thinking, 'well I'm walking real long distances each day. I need calories.' Whatever makes you happy, really! If you are a foody pig like me, do check out this fabulous article - Landour's food culture!. It has every gastronomical gems you might be looking for!

Landour Bakehouse

I, now, know all the popular trees and the flowers in the area - buraansh (rhododendron), banjh (oak), chir (pine) and as I was taking pride in it, a bunch of reddish-orange spiky flowers appeared at the next turn, bursting my pride-bubble. I asked a local if he knew the name. He smiled and nodded a negative. I guess there's a charm in not knowing as well. You see, whatever makes you happy ;)

Rhododendrons all over!

A car speeded by with a loud persistent honk and a heavy beat music! When you are in an environment where you can even hear the leaves fall and the plants spit, what's the need to honk?! Honestly, if we all could just slow down for a minute and practice patience, the world can be such a quiet and peaceful place! I don't understand people playing loud music on trek or these leisurely walks either. Don't you want to hear the mountains?

Ah the quiet of Landour!

I met a group of 3 while pottering around. They were all solo travelers and now have become friends. We exchanged a few smiles and moved on. The day was coming to an end. I walked down the Landour hill, through the Landour bazaar and walked all the way through the Camel back road. I sat for a while in the Hawa mahal, the light was low and pleasant now. A couple sat in the next bench and were reading a story book together. It made me smile. Nostalgia. I got up and then went up and down the Gun Hill and then to and fro the Mall road to mark the end of the day with all my favorites. Feels like visiting every place one last time and then just one more...

The Hilly Solitude - Day 11

It is a love story - every time, every season, every moment I’m in Landour. I have been to Landour before and I was in Landour today and I will be in Landour again. I know I have a piece of my heart tucked in those whispering oaks and long slender deodars, the steady slopes and the lonely turns, the rustling leaves and the soft gentle breeze, the chirping birds and the cheeky monkeys. I know I have a piece of my heart tucked in those hilly swirly paths of Landour and I know a piece of this place is tucked deep inside my heart.

Just doing what I love best...idle strolls :)

I have been to quite a few places, have fell into a whirlwind of adrenaline rush and romance in those high snowy slopes of the Kedarkantha, have been charmed by the mystical flowers in the Valley of Flowers, have felt acutely spiritual standing in front of the mighty Annapurna massif, have felt magical getting lost in the European lanes and etc. etc. But when I come to Landour, it's like a sweet subtle love story woven between those gnarly barks of the trees, the homely flowers in the corners and the serene tree shade in every turn of the clean brick path. It reminds me of the South Downs Hills in England, for some reason. Even though there is no practical similarity between the two places, I guess the feeling is the same - cozy, comfortable, undaunting, sweet love.

Just be :)

I walked around Landour, mostly tracing similar paths I have been before ( Feb 2021 - Lazy@Landour), but at times sneaking into a few unexplored lanes (got warned by a growling dog when I almost started walking into the Doordarshan TV tower campus), sometimes watching the little birds which are at abundance at the start of this spring (got watched by a bunch of red-bottom monkeys in return), sometimes getting lost and wandering off to a nearby village (got back in the right track with a help of a patrolling army officer), sometimes sat with a coffee looking at the snowy Siwalik range doing nothing, sometimes smiling at the new blossoms and the big trees (do you ever think of Deodar as a tree sprawling its many hands as if trying to maximise the surface area for soaking warmth?), sometimes just stopping and listening to the trees whisper in the soft breeze and sometimes just pausing to let the big Langur cross the way.

Coffee with Kedarnath, Badrinath and the Bandarpoonch trio!

Gastronomy is as important as love! Hence, I had to make my way to my all time favorite - Rokeby Manor. I had been fasting since this morning so that I can hoover up their entire kitchen store. I think I did justice because my walk after the meal saw an extremely slow pace to adjust to the sudden heavy input to the tummy.

Feast at Rokeby Manor!

I’m already missing Landour as I climb down the hill and walk back to my cottage. I have to be back here again…one day, some day, maybe tomorrow?

The Hilly Solitude - Day 10

As I walked back to the cottage in the dark, I stopped, struck in awe. The moon is crescent shaped today. A thin crisp glowing white outlines the bottom half of the moon. But if you just stare at the moon for a few seconds longer, the entire circular shape of the moon is visible under an uncanny misty dark gray shadow. It’s as if clearly letting you know - that it’s there, the full circle of it and it's keeping an eye from behind the veil. Maybe, this is how it always looks like but I have never noticed before. And I stood there marveling at this moony hide-n-seek whilst the chilly night grew chillier.

While walking on the Camel Back Road,
where a carpet of rhododendrons adorned the path
& I also spotted the blue-throated green barbet..!

It’s amazing the things that you notice when you pause or slow down for a bit. And hence, walking definitely is the slowest and yet the most pleasurable experience. Well, I hate driving (also I can’t drive), so I am biased - I confess. But even then, you can’t deny the magical revelations you have when you walk. Like this crescent moon’s full shape in the dark or the bright green blue-throated bird (blue-throated barbet) at the top of the tree that I noticed when I was walking by the Camel Back road, yet again. I stood by the railing and kept watching the bird as he kept shaking his neck sideways and up and down. A couple walked by, smiling at me sympathetically - like I’m either lost or retarded. Well, I am both, so I don’t mind.

My phone struggling at it's very poor attempt of clicking a snap of the barbet

As I entered the cottage, bidding a goodnight to the moon, Doodle greeted me, wagging his tail rapidly, with his two fluffy hands holding on to my knees. As I walked in, he kept holding on to my legs and got dragged in with my feet. Awh, the sweet thing. I never knew I could get so mushy by a dog’s wagging tail.

Doodle!!

It's the end of Day 10 of my hilly solitude. It’s the first in these 10 days that the snow caps at the far end eluded me with a big blob of cloud shutting them out. Even then, the misty fresh breeze blew, the brown-green creases prevailed, the deep valley caved in and so did the green-blue barbet, the crescent moon and a strong aromatic coffee on the terrace...Let's see what tomorrow brings :)