In search of my Kurinji: The Tale of a Land across Time

Kovalam to Cochin via Alappuzha… and the Pazham Pori

An evening shot of Kovalam beach 

From Kovalam I drove to the bustling port town of Cochin, which is the most happening place in Kerala. A tourist can fly in to Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala from anywhere in the world. From the International Airport, the renowned beaches of Kovalam are just ten kms away.

View of Varkala beach from the Cliff

On my way to Cochin, after an hour’s drive, I decided to take a detour to the laterite cliffs of Varkala, very much akin to the White Cliffs of Dover. From the cliff top, the coast of Kerala is a shimmering line of golden sand and wanton sea. On a clear day, there are silver dolphins pirouetting in the waters and I settled down to a little cliff side shack which had mouthwatering seafood on its menu. The lazy drive back along Kerala’s central main highway on a warm afternoon with hardly much traffic had me thinking that this was so much better than many of the touristy destinations bursting at the seams that I had unwittingly visited in the last few years. I stopped for tea at a small shanty in Alappuzha where they were selling hot Vadas and lovely banana fritters. For any tourist to Kerala, the banana fry or Pazham Pori or Ethakka Appam is a must try, for you get the other snacks elsewhere in the country, but this is the quintessential Kerala savoury, a little sweet and a little tangy, made out of ripe Kerala plantains.
 

A backwater view from Pallathuruthy

It was already four in the evening but I decided that I could dash for a quick boat ride in the backwaters. There are all kinds of boats for hire. I decided that I would be a budget traveler since it did not make sense to hire a large and luxurious houseboat for an hour and therefore went for a small private boat. The one hour cruise on the languishing backwaters as the evening stole over the backwaters in a hush of subdued hues, left me in a philosophical mood. This land had so many shades, so much of poetry, and the darkening waters rippled in tune to my spellbound heart that was mutely singing a paean to the swaying coconut fronds lulling the waves to a twilight calm. A sunset on the backwaters of the Vembanad Lake is a sight one must not miss during a visit to Kerala.

Focus of 2018 Kurinji

Responsible Kurinji tourism

How we are going to control this year’s kurinji is a major challenge for the entire people. . more

The Changeover is not positive

Balan Madhavan says he has travelled extensively between 1988 and 2018 in this region.more