Wednesday, February 08, 2006
The Baxozens in God’s Own Country
The Baxozens in God’s Own Country
"So, let’s confirm 12th and 13th for our trip", we said in unison. Finally we made it on 25th with just one postpone. People who have known us for long, would definitely rate it as an achievement, considering the kind of people we are. It was a hiatus of 5 months for the Baxozens. They knew it was going to happen and lo!! They were at it again!!! This time they have chosen Kerala to get the privilege. It all started with an online conference with some of our class mates a few weeks back. At last 5 people agreed upon the idea of Kerala trip. Things took a real turn around when Mahender opted out of the trip on some personal reasons. This was when Murali agreed to come in the place of Mahender for the trip.So it was all set for the trip extending from 24th to 27th March with Myself, Mastan, Murali, Pradeep and Ravi Kiran as the final confirmations.
The Coimbatore Connection
Mastan, Murali and I started to Coimbatore on 24th March in Sabari Express @ 12:30. We have reached Coimbatore on the morning of 25th March. Ravi received us in the Railway station and took us to his hostel room. We had the honor of giving bumps to the Birthday Boy from Bangalore.
Ernakulam- The Lazy City
Then, we have started our journey to Ernakulam by Dhanbad-Alleppey express at 2:00 in the afternoon and reached Ernakulam Junction by 6:30 in the evening. We took a room in a Hotel nearby (Ceylon Bake House) with the help of Pradeep’s ex room mate.The Hotel room was compact if not cozy. We refreshed ourselves with a shower and went out into the city.
For the information, Ernakulam and Cochin are twin cities. Cochin is also known as Kochi. It has the title ‘The Queen of Arabian Sea’. Cochin was a lazy city with roads occupied scarcely by people and traffic. It is surely a get-away for people who live in the hustle bustle of busy cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore. The shops in the hotel premises did not open till 10: 00 in the morning confirming the fact that it was indeed a Lazy city even by JNTU Hostel Standards!!!
We went to a place called the Marine Drive in the night. It was actually a stretch of road on the banks of the harbor waters of the Arabian Sea. We strolled along the road till we were really tired. We had the privilege of accessing the India’s first ATM on Water. The SBI ATM was totally floating on water with a wooden passage to reach it.Then we returned to the Hotel where we have boarded and Pradeep treated us at the restaurant for Dinner. We went to the Room and quickly fell asleep following an exhaustive day’s travel.
Baxozens at the Back Waters
The day started at 7 O’ clock for us and we were out of the hotel room by 9:00 AM. We reached Alleppey by bus at 10:00 AM .Alleppey is the anglicized name of Allapuzha. Alleppey was a medium sized town which ahs close resemblances of a typical Andhra town. The notable feature of this town is its greenery and the canals which connect the backwaters. Back waters of Alleppey are actually a collection of naturally formed water bodies created due to the tidal effects of the Arabian Sea on the low lying plains of the land. The backwaters act as a vital waterway for the transport of goods, people and their produce are often the only link between isolated villages and crowded towns. In Kerala, the total expanse of backwater stretches over 1500 kms, with a network of 44 rivers, lagoons and lakes from north to south. Alleppey which forms the main part of this network has the peculiar geographical feature of having the water in level with the land. This gives the advantage of getting a closer look at the village life on shore while on a backwater ride. A glide in a "Kettuvallam" (Houseboat) through the enchanting backwaters of Alleppey is sure to rob your heart. Palm fringed narrow canals winding through the vast expanse of paddy fields and the neat tiny hamlets lined up along either side of the canals are panoramic sights one can never forget. The Chinese fishing nets, the reminiscent of our past trade links, are also found on the way. Flocks of ducks swimming around the banks and tiny birds flying across the sky remains as enduring pictures reflecting the charm of this unique land.
The sparkling water and the caressing cool wind is a temptation too strong to resist. Country boats of various types crisscross the path with passengers from all walks of Kerala's rural life ranging from milkman and newspaper boy to local politicians, priests and wedding parties. It is a unique experience as this is as close as one can get to feel the vibrant life in the countryside of god's own country.
We have hired a motor boat for about 3 hours to go around the back waters. The ride was amazingly refreshing with the boat maneuvering through the labyrinth of the water ways. The back waters were interspersed with pieces of land all over. The inhabitants of the place cultivated whatever land is available and also built houses. Almost every house had at least one boat. Coconut trees and fishing tools are almost mandatory for them. A government run Ferry service transports people in and around the backwaters.
The small boats carried vegetables which are grown in the lands surrounded by backwaters, drinking water and other items. We had our Lunch at a restaurant which was served us some typical Kerala dishes much to the delight of the Baxozens. We started again in the boat to cover some more places in the backwaters and returned to the place where we started by 2:30 PM.
Back to the Backwaters
We were ready to start to the Alleppey beach, but God had plans otherwise. We forgot our bag at the restaurant where we had our lunch. We hired another motor boat to go there and get back our bag.
The Baywatch boys at the Beach
We then took an Auto to reach the Alleppey beach. It was the first sight of the Sea for some of us. The Arabian Sea was the only thing that we could see, with the horizon separating the blues of the sky and the water. The feeling of the sand and water under the feet was unforgettable for us. We shed all our primitive inhibitions and unleashed the kid within us. We played with “catches” and had a photo session. The sight of the sunset at the west coast was one of the beautiful sights one would ever see. The sun slowly slipped into the sea with our spirits still soaring high. The body was very tired and we felt that we badly needed a shower. We walked to the Alleppey railway station and got the “Intercity” train to Ernakulam. We reached the hotel room and quickly had a shower. Then we went to a restaurant nearby and had our Dinner.
The last day
We woke up in the Sunday morning and came out of the Hotel room at 9AM. The city was still in a slumber by the time we strolled around the sleepy city. We went to the Marine Drive again and spent some time there watching the Big Cargo ships stationed at the Harbor. Then we checked out of the Hotel room and walked back to the Ernakulam Railway station. The train was already on the platform ready to depart to Hyderabad. We already had a wee bit of agonizing pain of departure from the beautiful state. Pradeep and Ravi Kiran got down at Coimbatore at 4PM. Mastan, Murali and I continued our journey in the same train. The journey was a long one especially after so much of travel, at least that’s what we felt. We reached Hyderabad by 1:30 on the Monday afternoon.
"So, let’s confirm 12th and 13th for our trip", we said in unison. Finally we made it on 25th with just one postpone. People who have known us for long, would definitely rate it as an achievement, considering the kind of people we are. It was a hiatus of 5 months for the Baxozens. They knew it was going to happen and lo!! They were at it again!!! This time they have chosen Kerala to get the privilege. It all started with an online conference with some of our class mates a few weeks back. At last 5 people agreed upon the idea of Kerala trip. Things took a real turn around when Mahender opted out of the trip on some personal reasons. This was when Murali agreed to come in the place of Mahender for the trip.So it was all set for the trip extending from 24th to 27th March with Myself, Mastan, Murali, Pradeep and Ravi Kiran as the final confirmations.
The Coimbatore Connection
Mastan, Murali and I started to Coimbatore on 24th March in Sabari Express @ 12:30. We have reached Coimbatore on the morning of 25th March. Ravi received us in the Railway station and took us to his hostel room. We had the honor of giving bumps to the Birthday Boy from Bangalore.
Ernakulam- The Lazy City
Then, we have started our journey to Ernakulam by Dhanbad-Alleppey express at 2:00 in the afternoon and reached Ernakulam Junction by 6:30 in the evening. We took a room in a Hotel nearby (Ceylon Bake House) with the help of Pradeep’s ex room mate.The Hotel room was compact if not cozy. We refreshed ourselves with a shower and went out into the city.
For the information, Ernakulam and Cochin are twin cities. Cochin is also known as Kochi. It has the title ‘The Queen of Arabian Sea’. Cochin was a lazy city with roads occupied scarcely by people and traffic. It is surely a get-away for people who live in the hustle bustle of busy cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore. The shops in the hotel premises did not open till 10: 00 in the morning confirming the fact that it was indeed a Lazy city even by JNTU Hostel Standards!!!
We went to a place called the Marine Drive in the night. It was actually a stretch of road on the banks of the harbor waters of the Arabian Sea. We strolled along the road till we were really tired. We had the privilege of accessing the India’s first ATM on Water. The SBI ATM was totally floating on water with a wooden passage to reach it.Then we returned to the Hotel where we have boarded and Pradeep treated us at the restaurant for Dinner. We went to the Room and quickly fell asleep following an exhaustive day’s travel.
Baxozens at the Back Waters
The day started at 7 O’ clock for us and we were out of the hotel room by 9:00 AM. We reached Alleppey by bus at 10:00 AM .Alleppey is the anglicized name of Allapuzha. Alleppey was a medium sized town which ahs close resemblances of a typical Andhra town. The notable feature of this town is its greenery and the canals which connect the backwaters. Back waters of Alleppey are actually a collection of naturally formed water bodies created due to the tidal effects of the Arabian Sea on the low lying plains of the land. The backwaters act as a vital waterway for the transport of goods, people and their produce are often the only link between isolated villages and crowded towns. In Kerala, the total expanse of backwater stretches over 1500 kms, with a network of 44 rivers, lagoons and lakes from north to south. Alleppey which forms the main part of this network has the peculiar geographical feature of having the water in level with the land. This gives the advantage of getting a closer look at the village life on shore while on a backwater ride. A glide in a "Kettuvallam" (Houseboat) through the enchanting backwaters of Alleppey is sure to rob your heart. Palm fringed narrow canals winding through the vast expanse of paddy fields and the neat tiny hamlets lined up along either side of the canals are panoramic sights one can never forget. The Chinese fishing nets, the reminiscent of our past trade links, are also found on the way. Flocks of ducks swimming around the banks and tiny birds flying across the sky remains as enduring pictures reflecting the charm of this unique land.
The sparkling water and the caressing cool wind is a temptation too strong to resist. Country boats of various types crisscross the path with passengers from all walks of Kerala's rural life ranging from milkman and newspaper boy to local politicians, priests and wedding parties. It is a unique experience as this is as close as one can get to feel the vibrant life in the countryside of god's own country.
We have hired a motor boat for about 3 hours to go around the back waters. The ride was amazingly refreshing with the boat maneuvering through the labyrinth of the water ways. The back waters were interspersed with pieces of land all over. The inhabitants of the place cultivated whatever land is available and also built houses. Almost every house had at least one boat. Coconut trees and fishing tools are almost mandatory for them. A government run Ferry service transports people in and around the backwaters.
The small boats carried vegetables which are grown in the lands surrounded by backwaters, drinking water and other items. We had our Lunch at a restaurant which was served us some typical Kerala dishes much to the delight of the Baxozens. We started again in the boat to cover some more places in the backwaters and returned to the place where we started by 2:30 PM.
Back to the Backwaters
We were ready to start to the Alleppey beach, but God had plans otherwise. We forgot our bag at the restaurant where we had our lunch. We hired another motor boat to go there and get back our bag.
The Baywatch boys at the Beach
We then took an Auto to reach the Alleppey beach. It was the first sight of the Sea for some of us. The Arabian Sea was the only thing that we could see, with the horizon separating the blues of the sky and the water. The feeling of the sand and water under the feet was unforgettable for us. We shed all our primitive inhibitions and unleashed the kid within us. We played with “catches” and had a photo session. The sight of the sunset at the west coast was one of the beautiful sights one would ever see. The sun slowly slipped into the sea with our spirits still soaring high. The body was very tired and we felt that we badly needed a shower. We walked to the Alleppey railway station and got the “Intercity” train to Ernakulam. We reached the hotel room and quickly had a shower. Then we went to a restaurant nearby and had our Dinner.
The last day
We woke up in the Sunday morning and came out of the Hotel room at 9AM. The city was still in a slumber by the time we strolled around the sleepy city. We went to the Marine Drive again and spent some time there watching the Big Cargo ships stationed at the Harbor. Then we checked out of the Hotel room and walked back to the Ernakulam Railway station. The train was already on the platform ready to depart to Hyderabad. We already had a wee bit of agonizing pain of departure from the beautiful state. Pradeep and Ravi Kiran got down at Coimbatore at 4PM. Mastan, Murali and I continued our journey in the same train. The journey was a long one especially after so much of travel, at least that’s what we felt. We reached Hyderabad by 1:30 on the Monday afternoon.
# posted by Ravi Kanth @ 4:27 AM 
Comments:
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is it the same kerala trip u talking abt??..i mean u put up few pics in orkut album rite??...
newayz it ws fun reading ...
lemme tel u again...u seriosuly hafta try yer hand in WRITING..seriously!!
newayz it ws fun reading ...
lemme tel u again...u seriosuly hafta try yer hand in WRITING..seriously!!
Yes, its the same trip...I wrote a travelogue then itself..i've blogged it now..
'n reg the compliment,lemme try a Ronnie..
"Give me some time to be proud of myself..:D.."
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'n reg the compliment,lemme try a Ronnie..
"Give me some time to be proud of myself..:D.."
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