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Published: September 14th 2006
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munnar
the winding road uphill to Munnar from Kochi I will always cherish my memories of our sojourn in Munnar, Kerala for its visual treats and serene surroundings. The nature lover in me easily bonded with the scenery around and left me spell bound in the beauty of the region. Our flight reached Kochi on a balmy afternoon on the 30th of June and we met our friends who were to drive with us to Munnar. As the plane was losing altitude, we got a great aerial view of Kerala below the thick cloud cover. All I remember now is my feeling that this place is ‘too green to be true!’
Our drive up the narrow winding road was bumpy and uncomfortable yet the lush green forest outside the window more than made up for it. Rows of coconut and palm trees dotted the region and I found banana trees interspersed with jackfruit trees( with huge jackfruits hanging from them) all along the drive. Munnar is located at an altitude of 1600m above sea level and as the driver made his way through the meandering narrow highway, (read tiny lane); my only distraction was the cool fresh air and the gently rolling hills blessed by an abundance of flora.
enroute to Munnar
the Mattupatti waterfalls As our vehicle tarried along uphill, I noticed tea gardens everywhere. The tea plants all seemed to be of the same height and appeared to have been all trimmed at the same time! We stopped at Mattupatti waterfalls to stretch our cramped legs and to take some pictures too before proceeding further uphill. It was almost evening; there was a nip in the air as we approached the ‘Club Mahindra’ resort perched atop a hill, across from the Tata tea gardens. The weary visitors were welcomed with a garland of flowers and an exotic fruit drink and sure enough we were happy to be there! The room was warm and comfortable and I settled down to read a book while my husband had to ‘take care of business’ as this was a ‘working holiday’ for him!
The next day was bright and sunny and it beckoned me to step outside and enjoy it, and so I did… to bask in the warmth of the early morning sun and breathe the refreshing mountain air. At that moment, I was filled with a deep sense of gratitude and wonder at the beauty of nature and God’s creation. This place truly deserved
enroute to Munnar
the winding road ahead to be called ‘God’s own country’. After my stroll I headed towards the ‘Tea room’ with its breathtaking view of the valley. The aroma of the breakfast spread and the spectacular view from the ‘tastefully’ decorated food court was a treat for the hungry beholder! After a sumptuous meal I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the hotel stay came with a complimentary facial and massage package and later after a relaxing facial I stepped out of the parlor looking good and feeling great!
That afternoon we drove to the city and stopped at the boat cub to enjoy a speedboat ride. It was cold and my ears quickly froze! The view from the boat was superb. The lake, the vegetation and the cloud cover (yes by 3pm, it was cold and cloudy) would have inspired the poet in some, and I found myself humming my dads favorite Bollywood song from the 50’s; ‘suhana safar aur ye mausam haseen’ and sure enough this was a beautiful journey to a beautiful place! From the boat club we continued on to ‘Echo point’ and went on to hear our resounding voices! We headed back to the hotel later that evening and
destination Munnar!
the Club Mahindra resort watched a fire dance and a bharatnatyam performance rendered by none other than the multi tasking hotel employees! Fish was on the menu that night and though my stomach was recovering from strong doses of flagyl and immodium, there I was pigging out on my favorite meat; having thrown all caution to the wind! Luckily my stomach and its master survived the ordeal!
The next day we checked out of the hotel and boarded a Toyota Qualis in the direction of Kumarakkom. It was 3 pm when we reached our destination and saw our shelter for the day, the famous Kettuvallam houseboats on the lake. Unlike Munnar, Kumarakkom was warm and humid and reminded me of the Amazon rainforest and my seventh grade Geography teacher Ms .Frieda Soans! The boats itself measured 80’ x 20’ in dimensions and had two bedrooms with attached baths. It had a sitting area with a coffee table complete with a tropical fruit basket. The dining area had a built in china cabinet. Even though it looked rudimentary on the outside with its thatched roof, the facilities and the service were impressive! Lunch was served in fine bone china and the food was very
authentic with a generous helping of coconut in all the dishes. The view, the breeze, the sights and the sounds and the overall feeling was a once in a lifetime experience. By 6 pm the boat was anchored by the lakeshore for the night. It had become muggy again as there was no air movement and as the sun went down we tried our best to ward off the mosquitoes. The chef cum captain of the boat lit a few mosquito repellant coils and they helped but a bit! For dinner we had fish fry (yahoo!) among other things and by 10pm the women folk were ready to call it a night while the men had other mundane tasks ahead of them such as conference calls, and yes it was still a working holiday for them! The bedroom thankfully had air-conditioning and we were assured of a good nights sleep.
The houseboats cranked up their motors and were off by 8am the next morning for a sight seeing trip of the backwaters. Peddlers on boats were selling their wares to people on the banks of the canal or waterway. It was business as usual for folks washing their clothes
Kettuvallam house boat
Traditional 'rice boats' on the Kerala backwaters and utensils on the banks. The waterways were lined with coconut groves, the trees bending over, vying for the suns rays following the doctrines of phototropism. It was natures very own example of the ‘survival of the fittest!’ The boat reached Aleppey by 9 30 am and we were ready to disembark. The Qualis was back and this time it was headed in the direction of the ‘Brunton boatyard’ in Kochi. Built on the ruins of the erstwhile boatyard, the Brunton boatyard was a Victorian style hotel with modern amenities. It had its back to the Arabian Sea and we were given a tour of the premises and advised about the history of the place. Later that evening we visited St Francis church where Vasco da Gama lay buried for twelve years before his body was exhumed and returned to Portugal. We also visited the Dutch palace formerly known as the Mattanchery palace which was badly in need of restoration work. A visit to Kochi would be incomplete without a trip to the spice market; after all it was the spices that had lured many an explorer to the Malabar Coast!
And thus ended my maiden trip to Kerala;
Kettuvallam house boat
Replete with hardwood flooring and built in cabinets, its definitely an experience worth savoring! a haven for environmentalists and horticulturists alike and a paradise for just about everyone else. Untouched by commercialization, the breathtaking hill station of Munnar is quickly becoming the favorite destination of the Indian tourist.
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