Kerala, God’s own country, is an Indian state, well known for its serene backwaters, palm-lined beaches, national parks and various other things. I went to Kerala with a group of friends for the long weekend having visited this state once way back in 2000 with my family. We traveled to Alappuzha (Alleppey) and Varkala in this tour.
We started off on 22nd Dec midnight in a tempo traveler. We were first traveling to Alleppey which was located at a distance of 600kms from Whitefield, Bengaluru. It generally takes about twelve to thirteen hours to cover the distance and we were expecting to reach the place by two in the afternoon. However, there were some obstacles along the way as the traveler’s tyre got punctured at around 3AM. It delayed us by about half an hour. Getting the Kerala permit was also time-consuming as it took us around ninety minutes to get the permit and it was pretty expensive at Rs.6500. As if this wasn’t enough there was heavy traffic owing to construction work all along the roads which was further aggravated by Christmas holiday season.
Backwater is a part of a river where there is little or no current and one simply cannot miss the scenic backwaters of Kerala. We had intended to cruise along backwaters in Alleppey having booked a houseboat which included a stay at night. Having stuck in traffic the backwater sail started looking a distant possibility. Moreover, the houseboat gets stationed at a place by around six in the afternoon. We were going to Alleppey via Thrissur, Kochi, Ernakulam and one couldn’t miss the sea of CPI-M flags present every hundred yards. We finally managed to reach our destination at 5:45pm. We had missed sailing through backwaters which was a major draw to the houseboat but our caretaker assured us that he can arrange for the same the next morning. Hearing that was a big relief. Anxious to get to the destination we had skipped our lunch and as soon as I set foot in the boat I pounced upon the food that was kept ready for us. To my delight, the food included fish fry. That very night I had two meals within a span of three hours.
The next morning sharp at 7AM the boat roared to life and we set out on a journey through the backwaters. We cruised along the picturesque backwaters covered in the lush vegetation of palm trees which teamed up with aquatic wildlife. We also saw some other boats pass by us with tourists having a good time. We sailed at a leisurely pace getting away from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day and city life. It was definitely a relaxing journey. Here are some of the pictures which capture the essence of what we witnessed.
Present day houseboats are used for tourism but I was curious to find out what was their purpose in older times. I got to know that these houseboats were used for carrying tons of rice and spices to Kochi and each houseboat could hold up to 30 tons of goods. They were earlier called Kettuvallams. Let’s also have a look at the structure of the boat. The hull is the main body of a ship or a boat and we can think of it as the main framework. Wooden planks held together by ropes of coconut fiber make up the wooden hull. We notice that these boats have a thatched roof cover which is made up of Bamboo sticks and palm leaves.
Next destination was Varkala, approximately 120KM drive from Alleppey. From Kollam, Google Maps took us through a rustic road rather than the bustling city stretch. We drove past the charming coastal towns and the scenic view reminded me of the Sierra Nevada track in Roadrash game.
We had booked Airbnb cottages in Varkala and it was quite cheap. The best part was that it was just 100 meters away from the beach. There was a narrow road from the cottages that led to the beach. We reached Varkala at around 2 in the afternoon and it was time to have lunch. We had already decided upon the place that we were going to have lunch at and we started off for the beach with that intention. However, there were only a few restaurants lined up along the beach and our decided restaurant was not to be found there. Google Maps showed that the restaurant was on Varkala cliff. Reaching the cliff included a steep walk up from the beach. The cliff has a large variety of great restaurants (mostly Tibetan), cafes and shops. The view of the beach from the cliff is breath-taking.
After a lavish lunch, I could no longer resist the magnetic force of the beach and we descended to the beach from the cliff. The beach is quite clean and unspoiled despite a lot of tourists flocking to this place. There were both domestic and international tourists here. The sea, however, had strong current and big waves. We only got knee deep in the water and didn’t risk going any further. We then had a walk along the long stretch of glorious sand. Overall it was a refreshing experience.
Before embarking on the journey, I had made up my mind of sampling the local cuisine with the primary focus on seafood. If one is a seafood lover they simply cannot resist the fish delicacies found here. At night in Varkala, I had prawns masala served with rice and also a portion of steamed butterfish in banana leaf. No wonder I was treated to a gastronomical delight.
We reached Bengaluru back in the early hours of Monday morning. The trip was a much-needed break from the daily routine with sun, sand, seafood, and serenity.