Joy and Other Bliss

The one special factor about Kolkata is that it keeps coming back to us. You are never satisfied with visiting the city once or twice. In my case, there was the need for a fifth visit, and if you ask me, it will remain a destination for me again and also a place which I would like to make my permanent residence. The usual visit is for the National Library of India, the greatest collection of books in the whole country. But we continue to visit the other attractions again and again including the Mother House, Victoria Memorial, Science City and those lovely malls which are among the best in the nation. The childhood memories just keep us going again and again, as we could be inside the first metro within the nation as well as the last tram many years ago. We find that there is always something more to visit in Kolkata, some place that we missed the last time – the city gets both new and old at the same time.

When you keep visiting the city again and again, you know where the shopping malls are, and you know which attraction to visit again. The shopping gets more interesting with the realization of the location and availability of the requirements in markets. You know how to travel better and where to get down in the city. Then there is the bigger understanding about the food, which remain our priority. Well, visiting the same restaurants multiple times is also a thing of beauty. We might never know when we will visit Kolkata again, but from our minds, we take out the fact that it would not take too long. Until then, we have these memories to cherish. The City of Joy is in the soul, and we are not done with visiting its heart and soul again. This is something which we will keep remembering in the following months.

South City Mall has the perfect shopping centre look.

The legacy of Mother Teresa will remain as it has always been.

Rabindranath Tagore and the National Library of India with glory.

Visiting the legacy of Missionaries of Charity never gets repetitive.

The picture is self-explanatory, and this is a great work of art.

This is one Spider-Man that we remember a lot.

Some food is remembered for long, like this one here.

The bust market area always have us looking for more.

Nizam’s Restaurant has us visiting the place again and again.

Kolkata Airport has its fine food and sweets joints to visit.

<<< Click here to go to the previous post.

<<< Click here to go to the latest movie review.

***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during my visit to Kolkata.

TeNy

Kolkata in the Soul Again

Kolkata has always remained a favourite destination. It has had that status for me since childhood. Therefore, returning to the same place again one year after the early visit was an easy task. This time, there was also no corona virus with the threat, and this would also mean a visit to the National Library of India once more. We once again visited the largest library in the nation, and managed to find more books of relevance for PhD. The heat outside served to be exactly opposite as the cold inside with the air conditioner on. The place is like no other, and we should have something like this in other states too. As expected, we could visit other places of interest at the same time. This second journey made sure that we could feel like home rather than as a guest during the last time. Kolkata became closer to the soul and leaving the place after fifteen days was tougher.

We started visiting those places from the list – Annabelle House, which would be the first horror-themed restaurant that we visited, managed to be a divergent experience, even though we could have loved to see it as bigger and with a full Conjuring universe effect. We also visited the Science City which I had last seen a decade ago, and there was so much rush there. For the first time visitors, it is indeed a must-visit place. We also visited the Mother House once again, as the kindness and care of Missionaries of Charity would stay. This time, we also took the local train and visited The Basilica of the Holy Rosary at Bandel, a pilgrimage centre known for the blessings of Mother Mary, located about fifty kilometres from Kolkata. We did not miss the wonderful malls this time either, as we visited South City Mall, Acropolis Mall, Quest Mall, Avani Riverside Mall, Forum Courtyard Mall and Lake Mall, one after the other along with the local market areas. This visit made sure that there was some fine shopping for sure. Then Oxford Book Shop with cafe was a favourite place and going through Howrah has always been a thing of joy.

We all need such horror-themed restaurants, maybe with vampires next time.

Traveling through Howrah Bridge a.k.a. Rabindra Setu is true joy.

We can always use some blessings from Lady of Bandel with travel.

Avani Riverside Mall is one busy place which has interesting joints.

Forum Courtyard Mall was the closest shopping centre to our location.

Oxford Book Store at Kolkata remains the ultimate source of literature.

Acropolis Mall will be loved for quite a long time due to its looks itself.

We will keep visiting this science city as it is one of its kind.

Let us keep visiting the library again and again as research scholars.

South City Mall was a new lovely find for us in Kolkata.

<<< Click here to go to the previous post.

<<< Click here to go to the latest movie review.

***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during my visit to Kolkata.

TeNy

Tourism in Goa’s Bowl

Goa has been a destination which everyone has been looking to visit. If you ask any student where the destination for the final year trip should be, the location would be Goa, the land of dreams for almost everyone. This is a place which I visited as a child, and is also the first place from where I first travelled on a flight. There is no shortage of tourists in Goa, as we have those charming beaches with the support of water sports along with the churches which has no matches anywhere else with the classic beauty that they have. We have seen such journeys become part of movies, the most prominent one being Aanandam. As it was shown in that movie, there were troubles in this journey too, which restricted the destinations covered during the trip.

The return to Goa did not bring any nostalgia to me, as I remember very less about that earlier trip which happened such a long time ago. This last tour which happened on a train and a bus was indeed different from what I had in my memories though. The beaches and churches served the purpose really well, and the journey on the scooter to discover the interesting areas would also be worth the time. Aguada Fort would be the place where one could look out for a peaceful sunset, while the beaches like Anjuna continues to be places of interest. We remember that a long time ago, it was Dona Paula that roused one’s interest, but now, there are others. Still, you have so many beaches and churches that never cease to amaze us.

Anjuna Beach gets a lot of attention with the rock formations.

There is always something more when there are rocks with sands.

The sunsets are always there to bring the charm on beaches.

We always have that cute little church building on the way.

St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church at Thivim is one of its kind.

The Syro-Malabar model of the churches of Kerala is maintained well.

You look around to find one old church dedicated to St. Christopher.

The altars in the old style has us interesting more than ever.

Some churches seem to be closed, but we enjoy the architectural beauty.

Aguada Fort with the lighthouse from Portuguese times make a heavy impact.

<<< Click here to go to the previous post.

<<< Click here to go to the latest movie review.

***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during my visit to Goa.

TeNy

Trivandrum: A Quick Return

I have been to Trivandrum multiple times. The first time goes a long time back, and the most recent one was related to the Airtel 4G launch some time ago. The last journey has been different as the motive was to visit the University of Kerala as part of my PhD studies. As a research scholar, this happens to be one of those interesting library visits, which includes the time spent in the National Library of Kolkata, British Council Library of Kolkata, Calicut University Library of Kozhikode and Kannur University Library of Cannanore. This was not really a visit as a tourist, which means that there were not many places visited, and not that many photos taken. After all, we just cannot have them all during a trip, if there is a specific focus. But during my early journeys, I have visited a lot of tourist attractions in Trivandrum.

This is also my first journey to Trivandrum during which I was driving the car all the way; this makes the journey much different – we took the Perumbavoor-Ramapuram-Palai-Ponkunnam-Ranni route as the route was comfortable to travel. There was always one Indian Coffee House on the way to take a break. If you are a tourist, you know that there are many options in Trivandrum from those churches and temples to the beaches which have remained the classic destinations for such a long time. Kovalam Beach and Padmanabhaswamy Temple have been there as the first priorities for an eternity. On the way to Trivandrum, you are sure to find Jatayu Earth’s Center on the way, where we didn’t stop as there was a certain shortage of time. There was also Museum of the Word, a Bible Museum showing on the map available with a diversion. Well, there is so much more to be seen in Trivandrum and on the way back, but that would be left for another day.

University of Kerala has one peaceful library.

Madre De Deus Church (Vettucaud Church) is legendary.

St. Mary Queen of Peace Basilica of Palayam enlightens.

Palayam Juma Masjid is a place frequenting the films.

St. Joseph’s Metropolitan Cathedral features in many movies too.

A beachside church has remained a thing of beauty.

There is the eternity of serenity in these places of worship.

Some places of worship are not to be avoided during any trip.

Why wouldn’t one visit the Indian Coffee House even when there is a choice?

God faces the tides; the eternity of the sea and its waves.

<<< Click here to go to the previous post.

<<< Click here to go to the latest movie review.

***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during the last trip to Trivandrum.

TeNy

Calicut: University and Others

This would be my third journey to Calicut by car, even though there were a few train journeys before that. The first one was the longest one, with a Kannur-Wayanad combination added to the trip. The second one was a direct trip to Calicut. If I am asked about which side of Kerala would I go from the centre, I would go North, to Calicut side. Well, food is one major reason for that. Otherwise, there are also others contributing to the same. Calicut’s Hilite Mall is my favourite mall from anywhere in South India. People would have wanted it to be Lulu Mall, but this one feels more like a divergent place. There are the best shops with fine offers, and the food, once again, is so good. Well, my next favourite malls are also Shobha City Mall of Thrissur and Centre Square Mall of Cochin – not the ones most people would have guessed.

This particular journey was meant to be about visiting Calicut University library rather than anything else. I visited the library for collecting some material for my research, and it seemed to be the better option in comparison with the other university libraries in Kerala, and going outside the state seemed to be difficult, considering the fact that there were too many Corona virus based restrictions at that time. So, this journey to library was made into a combination of different things – we wandered through the city, visited two beaches, and one mall – we were thinking about adding another mall to the list, but Hilite Mall was too good, and we really had to keep visiting it again. We had food from some more interesting places, and then decided to come back. We shall return to this side to visit the remaining beaches and a few historical places on the list.

<<< Click here to go to the previous post.

<<< Click here to go to the latest movie review.

***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during the last trip to Calicut/Kozhikode.

TeNy

Thanjavur: Cholas and TTDC

We have been to Thanjavur multiple times, and the last one was in 2010, when we stopped on the way back from Velankanni – we had booked an a/c bus which had too much of air conditioning, leading us to choose the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation buses on the way back – then we had stopped at Thanjavur to visit the temple and then stayed in Trichy. But the new situation was different, as we were traveling in Tata Tigor, and the location chosen to stay was TTDC Hotel Tamil Nadu in Thanjavur. Unlike their counterpart in Kerala, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation provides some fine facilities at a cheaper rate, and the free breakfast in the morning is just perfect. We have stayed in their Hotel Tamil Nadu at Kodaikanal and Yercaud before, and they had also proven to be some fine choices. But their hotel at Thanjavur is even better, as it is a very old building converted into hotel, providing the beauty of architecture along with the bigger rooms and a lot of space to walk around and also to park the vehicles. I would suggest that those who are traveling to Velankanni can also stay here, to travel early morning and return here.

Thanjavur is located ninety kilometres from Velankanni and sixty kilometres from Trichy, making it a fine space in between. When we stay here, the one place which we cannot miss is Brihadisvara Temple which is part of the Great Living Chola Temples, the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The architectural marvel from the times of Chola Empire never really gets old, and provides the feeling out of this world – a perfect place to spend the evenings, as we witness the grandeur of an empire which needs to be considered among the greatest of the world. If you can travel some more distance, there are two other similar temples which can also be visited, but this one in Thanjavur city remains the best known work of architecture. Then we also visited Sacred Heart Cathedral, a lovely church located in the heart of the lovely city. We also found a favourite in Shri Dhivyam Sweets and Snacks, with Arya Bhavan vegetarian restaurant on the next floor, both serving as fine examples of quality. It is a fine place to buy some sweets to take home. Despite the posh looks, it is not that expensive a place either.

TTDC Hotel Tamil Nadu is where we would stay whenever it is possible for us.

This TTDC hotel scores with the food & the looks both from outside & inside.

Thanjavur is one nice place which combines different elements for you to love.

You would never want to miss the Great Living Chola Temples in life.

Spending an evening with spirituality and history combined into one will be special.

There are not many UNESCO World Heritage Sites that provides such beauty.

Brihadishvara Temple, also known as Thanjai Periya Kovil is one of its kind.

Sacred Heart Cathedral of Thanjavur is a peaceful place of divine worship.

The cathedral is at a main area of the city & has people praying inside most of the time.

This proved to a perfect place for sweets & snacks, with also a vegetarian restaurant.

<<< Click here to go to the previous post.

<<< Click here to go to the latest movie review.

***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during my visit to Thanjavur.

TeNy

District 13: Kannur Shores

I had my second visit to the thirteenth district of Kerala, Kannur recently. The summer in the busy town as well as the district in total felt very much hotter than what we had in the central districts of Kerala. Well, we used to complain about the heat then, and this felt more like in proximity to the sun than anything else. The journey was also very much difficult after Thrissur as the roads became narrower and with the drivers being more careless; it seems to be getting widened with more bypass paths though – the buses were more terrifying out there as we came across them; we feel that we have to move away from its path or die. But it is indeed a beautiful district, especially with the beaches which are much cleaner than what we have in the central of southern side. There seems to be poetry in the seas out there, and we enjoy the less polluted world out there.

Kannur has the beautiful town of Thalassery, which catches our attention, even though the roads are too narrow – same is the case of Mahe which is officially the part of Pondicherry even though within Kerala’s geography. Muzhappilangad Beach is among the best drive-in beaches which you will see anywhere in the continent, and there are so many other beaches to remember. St. Angelo Fort is a very well preserved Portuguese fort which provides a beautiful view of the sea in serenity. There is a lot to see with the fort too. Holy Trinity Cathedral also happened to be a lovely sight. For more of spirituality, you can travel to the Parassini Madappura Sree Muthappan Temple. There are some fine Indian Coffee Houses located in the area too. Parassinikadavu also has its own interesting Snake Park. The malls in the area are smaller, but still good enough for some random shopping.

Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach – nothing better for Tata Tigor.

You continue to visit the libraries, this time at Kannur University.

Holy Trinity Cathedral serves the spirituality well.

Tata Tigor has its first visit to any fort anywhere.

St Angelo Fort is surely among the best 3 forts of Kerala.

How many battleships has this particular cannon struck?

You look beyond the borders of the Kerala lands.

The view from the top of the fort is good enough for a soldier.

Kannur is a place which can easily be proud of its history.

Indian Coffee House never losses its charm.

<<< Click here to go to the previous post.

<<< Click here to go to the latest movie review.

***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during the last trip to Kannur/Cannanore.

TeNy

Velankanni: Longest Car Trip

This is not our first journey to Velankanni, as we had been to the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health the last time in 2010. But this is the first time that we are traveling in that direction by car. Tata Tigor was ready for the most distant location from its origins, and the journey was a memorable one. We took the journey in two different routes – on the way there, we went through the Palakkad-Coimbatore-Karur-Trichy route and while returning, we took the Trichy-Dindigul-Pollachi-Nenmara route, and I would suggest that traveling through the return route, but avoiding Nemara would be the right choice, for traveling from Trichy to Pollachi is joyful. While getting to Velankanni, the route through Mannargudi was better than the shorter Nagappattinam route, which was undergoing repair. Well, we reached Velankanni at a time when there less visitors. There are times when so many people go to the pilgrimage site, and there is rarely even the space to pray in peace.

The better roads in Tamil Nadu made sure that the journey was not troublesome, and only a few areas were troublesome for the vehicle’s suspension. I don’t remember much about that earlier journey to the sacred place, but it didn’t feel like something that far away from memory; yet the place has changed in twelve years. Velankanni is part of Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) for urban planning, economic growth and heritage conservation, which means that we have hope for the place to feel better. We prayed in the Lourdes of the East, and hoped for the best, as we live in an uncertain world. These are the times when life in this world seems irrelevant, and therefore, such spiritual journeys seem to be the need. Among the requirements to survive in this world, the connection to the other world becomes more important than ever. This trip has been pending for a long time, and the completion of this one provides more confidence and self-belief.

The trip anywhere would require a Tata Tigor and the usual food.

There is something about visiting Velankanni that never leaves us.

The beauty of the basilica will continue to enchant us.

The basilica has been visited by all of us for such a long time.

There is always something about the prayers and penance around here.

You keep looking towards divinity for the spiritual guidance.

Resting at places of divinity has never ceased to bring blessings.

The shrine of the old times continues to be a place of faith and belief.

You look up to God and hope for redemption in a world of chaos and hatred.

No journey is complete without Tata Tigor stopping by the side of highway for tea.

<<< Click here to go to the previous post.

<<< Click here to go to the latest movie review.

***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during my visit to Velankanni.

TeNy

Yercaud: Vagamon’s Twin

There are many interesting hill stations in South India, and among them, we have Yercaud, the less visited and lesser known one in comparison to the others of the same kind. With Ooty and Kodaikanal being the better placed attractions, and also with a cooler climate, this place has gone unnoticed by many nature enthusiasts. If we look at the climate there, the two places in Kerala which can be compared to it are Vagamon and Kumily. The place is located about thirty kilometres from Salem, to which a journey from Coimbatore is remarkable, considering the quality of the roads. We did think about going to Valparai, another hill station with a similar climate, but this one was preferred due to the roads. You can always trust Tamil Nadu with their roads, as they are as good as you will find anywhere else in the South. Well, always choose the less travelled good roads.

Yercaud is well-known for Montfort School, its chapel and the Sacred Heart Church, but all of them were closed. The three lovely viewpoints are Gents’ Seat, Ladies’ Seat and Children’s Seat, all providing some fine views of the area around. Cauvery Peak, despite a long drive away, is a must visit for coffee lovers – they also have some activities of adventure and some history attached to it. The boating and park area is pretty good, and the lake in the middle of the town is a lovely thing of beauty. There is scarcity of big restaurants, and the Guru Restaurant turned out to be a favourite. We stayed at Hotel Tamil Nadu just like we did in Kodaikanal, and it turned out to be lovely option, very close to the boating and lake area, also providing some fine breakfast. Our journey was quick, and it was lovely. The place was not crowded at all, and that helped us to go through the whole hill station very quickly.

You have the wonderful roads and you love the 20 hair pins.

We loved the rowing boats over everything else.

Just cool enough on the lines of Vagamon in Kerala.

The hair pin roads can be seen from a distance here.

The misty, foggy world of Vagamon was missing here though.

There are always the signs of antiquity being seen around.

Cauvery Peak is a place of coffee, unlike the usual tea plantations.

It is calm, peaceful and without the crowd; so love the serenity.

I would always choose Hotel Tamil Nadu (TTDC) when available.

When roads are so good, why wouldn’t you choose to drive Tata Tigor?

<<< Click here to go to the previous post.

<<< Click here to go to the latest movie review.

***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during my visit to Yercaud.

TeNy

The Highland Connection

Kerala has always had its natural beauty in its hills, as these are the more preferred destinations in comparison to the beaches during the days when temperature is higher than it used to be. Among all these options, the first choice would always be Munnar, followed by these two special places – Thekkady and Vagamon. Located forty two kilometres, and about one and half kilometres apart, these two were to be combined in our trip. Our original idea was to travel to Thekkady and return after spending some time there, but the tour was rather extended. These two have been among our most visited destinations, with Thekkady being a place visited even when we traveled to the Tamil Nadu side, even though Munnar comes first as the most traveled hill station of all time, but a journey there would have meant eighty six kilometres and three hours, and so Vagamon seemed to be the much better choice.

At Vagamon, we stayed at Chillax Vagamon this time, and it was a simple place very close to the town itself, and the main attraction was a swimming pool at the roof top. During our earlier trip, we had stayed at Fairmount Vagamon Resorts, which was located further away from the town, and had a better view of greenery. At Thekkady, we stayed in Crown Valley Resorts, which was a grand place, a four star hotel which provided some fine facilities. During an earlier trip, we had stayed at Hotel SN International, which was closer to the town. The idea about this journey was more about traveling all the way there, and staying there to enjoy the atmosphere, and sight-seeing was not part of the plan. Well, at times, you need these hill stations for just the same, and not more.

The journey towards the destination always matters.

Reached the Crown Valley Resort, and then I had to take online classes.

Ford Aspire resting at Crown Valley Resort makes a fine view.

Note the route between Thekkady and Vagamon which is one grand sight.

What lies between Thekkady and Vagamon is the treat for the eyes.

Vagamon has its cute little hills at all places for you to see and admire.

There is always the setting sun which has the hills and clouds to hide itself.

Vagamon, even though the smaller among the hill stations, has its special charm.

View of the rooftop swimming pool of Chillax provided something to cheer for.

Some greenery is always there to be seen, from different angles and spaces.

*All the above photos were taken by me during our earlier trip in March 2021.

<— Click here to go to the previous post.

<— Click here to go to the last published review.

TeNy

Kerala Drive: 14-1 Districts

In the last few years, I have driven through thirteen out of fourteen districts of Kerala, along with three districts of Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore, Theni and Dindigul. The only district in Kerala in which I haven’t driven by myself is Kasargod, where I haven’t tried to travel, and when I had finally had my plan, COVID-19 pandemic came upon us. As the district where I have been living, and where my ancestral home is situated, journeys through Ernakulam have been many. Ernakulam itself is a place with all kinds of tourist destinations, which can be visited again and again. Then, the other districts also follow, and among them, Kottayam and Thrissur have the lead with such drives.

Kottayam: Vagamon’s location in Kottayam itself makes the district a favourite travel destination. Along with the same, I have driven to Ilaveezhapoonchira multiple times, and Illikkal Kallu was also added to the list later. Along with the same, visiting St. Alphonsa Pilgrime Centre and shrine at Bharananganam came naturally to us. Other pilgrim centres like the Kuravilangad Church also comes into the picture, and these have made the district regular driving destinations. Along with the same, there are some relatives’ places out there which made me go through the district early itself. Kottayam should be the most driven through district outside Ernakulam.

Thrissur: It is to be noted that Thrissur is so close to Angamaly that we keep visiting the district’s border areas on regular intervals. There are also some relatives’ places to add to it, and pilgrim centres also exist there, starting from the Koratty Church. Some of the best known tourist destinations, Athirappilly and Vazhachal Waterfalls are there, and it is the district which serves as a border to Tamil Nadu through the Sholayar side, and towards Valparai on the other side. We have also loved traveling to the Shobha City Mall in Thrissur City itself, a mall which is one of the best in Kerala, and having a fine multiplex to go with it. There are some very nice resturants on the way.

Idukki: Having some of the best places of natural beauty, Idukki is a district which provides all the beautiful scenery to the eyes. There is always Munnar and we always have Thekkady out there. Along with the same, when we are crossing the borders, Kumily is always there to have a charming journey through the area. The best of tea is also available there, and just crossing the borders, takes us to those grapes in the vineyards of Cumbum. There are so many places which we have visited in Idukki, and you know Munnar very well in advance. Parunthumpara, Panchalimedu, Kuttikkanam and all have you there, and in the lowlands, there is the town of Thodupuzha which I always come across.

Alappuzha and Kollam: There have been many journeys witnessing the beauty of the backwaters of Kerala, and Alappuzha is indeed close enough – we also have some nice beaches to go with the same. Kollam might not be that close, but it also has the beauty of backwaters and those fine beaches. We remember having visiting a good number of them, and going through some interesting journeys on this path. Both the district capitals got their own fine beaches too. Yet, it has been some time since we went through this path, and there is the feeling of such a requirement.

Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram: The former is known for its beauty of nature, which we have quickly gone through, and the latter, is the charming capital of Kerala. The most recent visit to Thiruvananthapuram was for Varkala Beach, but there have been other journeys to that direction earlier. The capital city does have many interesting places to visit, and we have covered most of the beaches. Yet, Pathanamthitta is a district which we require to explore more. With some presence of the relatives, maybe that could happen later at some point of time.

Malabar (Palakkad, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Malappuram): We keep on traveling through Palakkad whenever there is the need to cross over the border to Coimbatore, and Palakkad Fort is always a charm. The Kozhikode trip was a nice one with Thusharagiri Waterfalls, multiples beaches and others. We had visited Thunchan Parambu and other beaches in Malappuram, and more beaches like Muzhappilangad, as well as multiple forts in Kannur with a fine dose of history. We also had a taste of the natural beauty of Wayanad even though a more detailed trip is needed there, as well as in most of Malabar.

<—Click here to go to the previous post.

<— Click here to go to the last film review.

***The images used in blog post were taken by me during these trips between 2005 and 2019.

TeNy

Kodaikanal: Hills and Us

Kodaikanal has been as much a well-known destination as Ooty has been, during our childhood. There hasn’t been many people from around here who didn’t go to the place, it reminded one of Ooty itself, and the temperature was around eleven. Coming from Cochin, Kodaikanal is almost as the same distance as Ooty, and both becomes perfect destinations for vacation as they have served for a long time to the students and families of Kerala. There are many routes to Kodaikanal, and we decided to go through the one which goes through Kuttikkanam, Kumily, Cumbum and Theni. It was a fine route except for the high traffic of Sabarimala season. Unlike the other hill stations, I have felt that Kodaikanal is not a place of different tourist attractions, but a grand attraction all by itself. We stayed at the TTDC Tamil Nadu Hotel, and that proved to be good too.

Journey through the mist means towards eternity.

One side of TTDC Hotel Tamil Nadu located close to the town.

The clouds are never too far away when in Kodaikanal.

The views are grand, and we need to be there again.

Some smaller, but lovely views are yet to be had here.

Always have a look from up above when in Kodaikanal.

You have to stop often, either for tea, or for some fruits.

Some places of spirituality are around when at this hill station.

A foggy morning serves Ford Figo Aspire with tea.

Some roads are divergent, and less traveled, but too good.

***All images here were taken on my Samsung Galaxy J4+

<— Click here to go to the first big movie of the year 2020.

<— Click here to go to the last big movie of the year 2019.

TeNy

Varkala: The Beach and the Cliff

With its long coastline, Kerala is certainly not short of its beautiful beaches, and the names which everyone knows and is full of visitors at all times might be Kovalam and Cherai. Muzhappilangad is our lovely drive-in beach to remember. On that long list, there is one place which stands tall. Varkala Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches, one which is not to be forgotten. It is the only beach in Kerala with cliffs like these so close to the sea. It is the kind of place which reminds one of Dover Beach, and that wonderful lyric poem by the English poet Matthew Arnold, which we have studied more than once – “the cliffs of England stand, glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay”. About 170 km from Cochin, and 35 km from Kollam, the beach is Thiruvananthapuram district, with its capital 45 km from there. The town of Paravur is only 12 km from the place.

Along with its beauty, Varkala also have some places of spirituality with its temples. There are some fine options for food while walking through the cliff. There are some nice shots to be taken both from the beach and the cliff. In comparison with other beaches, this one has its shops opening late in the morning and closing late in the evening. When coming from the North of Kerala, both the Kottayam and the Alappuzha routes can be chosen. There is much to be seen through the latter route, even though both routes can be joined at different places except for certain parts of the low lying areas filled with water. There are some fine choices with food and accommodation, and if it is off-season, the better idea is to book directly from location as rooms should be available, unless some huge event comes up.

You look down from the cliff, and you want to be there right now.

Reached the hotel a little late for lunch, and had to rush through.

As the sunset approaches, you are always hoping to stay on.

Just another side of Varkala Beach which is not that explored.

Spent some time looking at Varkala beach and cliff at night.

The colours of the sunset spreads, and leaves us with a happy feeling.

Not exactly the while cliffs of Dover, but Matthew Arnold won’t mind.

Had some variety food from God’s Own Country Kitchen on the cliffs.

It is happy walking through the Varkala Beach and surroundings at night.

Thiruvambadi Beach Retreat Resort provided some good space.

Also read on the Indonesian Bali journey.

TeNy

An Eternity in a Journey

I need to pass through the bubble. It has been four hours since I reached here. Vagamon is one of the most beautiful hillstations despite it being very easy to reach here from Cochin and its satellite towns. The idea is to take the leap of faith, and it is not just a figurative thing, as literally it remains the same too. The bubble is located far below the suicide point, and the leap had to be perfect. Otherwise, the rock below would have something special to say, and it won’t be beautiful. These rocks had a say between life and death, as they are known to have decided the fate of everyman more than once or twice.

How can someone trust a necromancer with something that is beyond your ability for willing suspension of disbelief? When was the last time a necromancer desired for the betterment of a human being? If I was a creature of darkness, it wouldn’t have caused me any trouble in instantly believing in this. If he was a regular mage, this wouldn’t have been so difficult. But something had to be done, as every second lost in this world will count as a day in what lies beyond the bubble. It has to be the portal that connects the two world. This happens right now or it can never happen. I am taking this chance.

Finding a new world is always difficult, and this one is the closest to nature

I could feel that I am falling into eternity, destined to continue this forever. The fall felt to be very quick, but I could see beautiful castles and meadows on both sides, and occasionally the scenes changed to something darker, with thunderstorms over the ruins of some old buildings. The fall stopped half an hour later, and I could find myself on a smooth surface resembling water. It was not really water as it was solid. It was not really ice as it was incredibly soft. I made my way to the sands on my left side, and after I set my foot there, the surface turned into water. I walked further to meet the same necromancer channeling certain energy into his orb.

The necromancer explained the idea of having this realm parallel to our own. It had to be the utopia which could exist and take all those people who can live in harmony with nature. Below all those meadows, there were houses which were completely made out of living trees and plants. There was only a little bit of metal being used in there, and it was the kind of material which seemed to strengthen the trees. All the vegetation grew in such a way that it was supposed to support the homes as the humans tries to keep the environment intact. The relation here was symbiotic.

There is no lack of beauty with nature staying close to humanity

I left him to wander around the newly discovered place. There were so many wonders of nature all around that small space. I could see aurora in the sky as green lights on the sky reflected the greenery on the meadows. Surrounded by an unknown river on all sides, the place had its own waterfalls and the increasing flow of water kept many waterwheels moving. Along with the same, the wind energy was used with help of those windmills on the top of cliffs and solar energy seemed to taken in using a certain device in the form of an obelisk. The transportation was through ropeway which had car-like things hanging on them.

I noticed that there were two suns on the horizon. I came across the necromancer again, and he told me that it is a natural phenomenon. The portal transports one to that corner of the galaxy which has been unknown to all known alien life forms. It was a few warlocks who found this particular place while exploring their skills of teleportation. One had to go for the #BlindList each and every time to travel all the way here. One also had to #SayYesToTheWorld, to that kind of a world which opposed modernity and its exploitation. Then there was the need to take the leap of faith, where almost all rationalists failed.

It was like being invited on a blind date. To travel to a place you know nothing about, for an experience you have no clue about, has never been something designed for the brain – it was always about the heart and soul. In a world of chaos, people can’t be open-minded enough to say yes. Compared to the #BucketList which has known wishes, #TheBlindList is the one thing that goes a step forward. At some point of time, we have to go for this list, and there is the need to explore more, finding that perfect place which is “magical”, figuratively or literally. The traveler in us asks for the same. Be openminded, #SayYesToTheWorld now and begin the exploration!

**The images used in this blog post are taken from the Official Facebook Page of the popular video game, Mass Effect.

TeNy

Vagamon Revisited

Vagamon is a destination that goes back to childhood, and it was only a developing tourist place at that time. One can say that even now, it is a lesser hill station compared to Munnar and Thekkady. The elevation is surely less, and it might not be as cold as it can be in Munnar. On these days, when the road to Munnar is not that great, we decided to go on another trip to Vagamon, and the result was an interesting one. The shooting of Pranav Mohanlal starrer Irupathionnaam Noottandu was going on at the place, and the number of tourists was low. The traffic was also low, and the roads were not that good. There are some areas where the road is in a pathetic state, thanks to the rain which was continuous and had hammered the state.

Well, the journey this time was still better than the last one, as there was not much of a crowd there, and the options were still there. We saw a new suicide point coming up as an attraction with those usual destinations, and it is certain that it could be something to look out for next time with much more being built around that area. There are not many restaurants here now either, as it used to be then. The town hasn’t really developed that much as Munnar and Thekkady did, and the Kurisumala Farm was closed at that time. But the climate was cooler than ever, and the fog added further beauty to the scenic world. It was the combination of Muharram, Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi, Fourth Saturday and Sunday.

*All photos of Vagamon shown above were taken by me on my Asus Zenfone Max during my last visit.

Click here to go to the latest movie reviews.

TeNy

Bangkok: A City that Loves You

The last few months, we have been reading about the Thailand Cave Rescue – Tham Luang cave rescue which was a large-scale rescue operation to find and rescue twelve boys from a local junior football team named the Wild Boars and their coach. The same has been on the news for long, and that brought me back to those memories at the nation which was wonderful. I had recently written about Pattaya, the city which we first visited, and for writing about Bangkok, the following pictures and their captions will tell the tale better than anything else. Well, there is no wonder about the fact that so many people are visiting Thailand with a Bangkok and Pattaya package – you will know why.

The lions at Safari World were crossing the road when we arrived.

Note the courage of that bird as it checks if the tigers are hungry.

All of these together at Safari World of Bangkok!

The skyline with the arrival of rain gets even more glorious.

Standing on that bridge and watching the traffic with fog around!

Some tall buildings catch your attention and they stay!

The beauty of modernity at night is not to be missed.

A city that stays beautiful throughout the night, and you feel love.

The Golden Buddha is in this beautiful temple of Wat Traimit.

Wat Benchamabophit with peace and serenity is also known as the Marble Temple.

***All photos on this blog post were taken by me on my Asus Zenfone Max during my last visit to Thailand. Read interesting movie reviews here, here, here and here.

TeNy

Pattaya: Where Everyone Goes

A long time had passed since we wanted to go on a trip outside India, and my last foreign trip was the one to United Kingdom eight years ago in the same year in which the trip to Sri Lanka had happened. Here, the obvious choice of nation for a quick visit was Thailand, as most Keralites do prefer the country these days, and the other options like Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka were already covered by me. Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket have been becoming dream destinations for our people, especially Pattaya with its water sports, islands and beaches bringing quite the reputation.

Coral Islands of Pattaya, where you desire to go!

Even though the holiday packages have both Pattaya and Bangkok on the list, the former is the place where we get to spend more time. It is Bangkok where we arrive, at the Don Mueang International Airport to which Air Asia operates daily direct flights from Cochin. It is Suvarnabhumi Airport which seems to be the sight to behold though. But for now, the travellers from here will have to wait to have a flight to travel in that direction. Even though we arrive at the city of Bangkok first, the itinerary from the holiday agencies will have us beginning our expedition at Pattaya with a quick ride from the airport to the beach city.

The Pattaya about which you know from descriptions!

There is one mistake that we tend to make due to this travel plan, and it is that we leave the idea of buying goods to the end, and the problem here is that it is always cheaper in Pattaya than in Bangkok. The price of goods that you see in Pattaya is only going to get higher in Bangkok. So, waiting for the trip to get to the final stages before going shopping will be the wrong thing to do, unless you have a lot of money to spend. Pattaya also have a good number of Indian restaurants, and for us, they become the obvious choice – the selection of food is mostly North Indian though, with not much of a dosa team presence.

The Tiger Zoo is a fine place to begin the journey.

Just before we reach Pattaya City, there is Sriracha Tiger Zoo, situated on the outskirts of the city. The place claims to have the largest such populations of tigers and crocodiles for a zoo all around the world. The tickets would cost nearly one thousand rupees when converted, and will be part of almost all packages. There is a lot of space to walk around and souvenirs to buy, along with separate shows involving tigers, elephants, crocodiles and pigs. Indian breakfast was available there including Poori and Uppumavu. We can watch the tigers roaming around outside the glass, as we have food.

Parasailing is certainly a common sight out there.

At Pattaya, before anything else, finding an Indian restaurant was important to us, and there was one close – there were actually many of them to be exact. Then there are those shops on the side of the road, and there are those 7-Eleven and Family-Mart stores which come to save the day. These are those days when visiting McDonalds or Burger King are cheaper, and one finds tea to be the expensive drink. But the days are worth it, and spending on each and everything here is absolutely worth it. There were so many other Malayali families around there too, as it was the grand vacation time.

Pattaya’s Floating Market – expand your trip with this.

Then there is the programme on the way to Coral Islands and on the island, starting from parasailing which is done from a boat located a little away from the beach and underwater walk which are conducted from boats located further away from the coast. Watching some marine life and walking underwater was a different and interesting experience for sure, even though the water was not that much clear as expected – 1200 bahts for a person is worth it for sure, especially with a CD of the experience for 700 bahts. It is still something that is to be remembered for long. The time spent at the island is rather less, and one has to be quick to go through jet ski and banana boat, and there was not much time to explore out there – we avoided them for a walk.

The Sanctuary of Truth – one masterpiece on wood.

Pattaya was indeed a fine experience, and we spent a lot of time on the streets, especially late night. The journey to Bangkok followed, and leaving Pattaya surely didn’t feel good, as we never really felt that we had enough. Maybe, one needs to travel through Pattaya without a holiday package, and it should be just wandering. Some exploration lasting a few more days would do better, without doubt. The two extra additions to our packages were the Sanctuary of Truth and the Floating Market, both which should be part of any travel plan, former for its beautiful carvings on an astonishing structure and the latter for that kind of a market to which we are strangers. Well, others know Pattaya from Amar Akbar Anthony, but that movie had a silly reason.

*All photos were taken by me on my Asus Zenfone Max. My friends on Facebook can see more of our experiences at Pattaya.

TeNy

Life and its Journeys

Throughout our lives, we have the opportunity to see many things that will change our prespective about the world. It is by traveling to different places that we are able to achieve this. It is our privilege to be Indians, being part of a nation which has so many cultures, giving us a different experience in different states, or even while traveling through different districts within a state. As we keep traveling, there are those places in the world which makes us feel safe as well as happy, and there are those which we hesitate to visit. Well, if we don’t visit, we never know.

The Ceylon Ramayana trip was one such journey which brought new experiences to shape my thoughts and life. It was spiritual, and there was more to it. Each cup of tea we had there meant more than just tea. Each person we met, whether it was a Buddhist monk or a commoner at the streets, had a story to tell – each in different ways, but all of them becoming part of our lives and thoughts. It was that kind of a journey when spirituality was frequent, whether it was a Buddhist temple, Hindu temple, church or mosque, and it was the journey which had life as a major part of it.

Towards Kandy, would be a spiritual journey for the soul (Captured in Sri Lanka).

But the British trop was entirely different, and it came only a few months after the trip to Sri Lanka. It was not spiritual or religious, even though it came right after that journey to the holy lands in and around Israel was cancelled due to some bomb blasts and possibility of war in the area. This one was a journey into modernity, but not far away from history and literature which were present throughout the trip. There were the favourite poets, novelists and history’s most famous people right before our eyes. Then there was the vision of this other side of the world.

England’s history, even the ruined side reflects a new world (Captured in England).

There was plenty in both cases, and I was able to find more than one side of my thoughts in each place. This plenty was displayed in one model in Colombo and Kandy, and in another way in London and Manchester. The admiration that we feel in each case is different, and just like we love each city of India in a different way, we saw such divergence here too. But this time, this was more than one could have imagined, and a divergent world is always a beautiful one, just like India has thrived with its unity in diversity.

Among all our neighbours, Sri Lanka has something special (Captured in Sri Lanka).

There can always be differences between closer places. The two towns of Kerala, fifteen kilometres from each other, belonging to the same district of Ernakulam, between Aluva and North Paravur, there is difference. The former being close to the river and the latter being close to the sea can be seen to have developed different cultures in the past, even though Ernakulam district has come close to each other making that difference minimal. We often hear people say that Kerala is like one big city, but the differences are clearly there in between the similarities.

Kerala has its one beautiful culture, and there too divergence (Captured in Kerala).

Considering such a situation, United Kingdom and Sri Lanka were always going to bring different lessons of life. Both places did feel good, and there was the desire to continue to stay there. At the same time, there was the need to be home. Traveling through these places provide the feeling of not being restricted to one place, for we, as humans are part of all of these places, and a part of these will follow us home. We are never really away from these places which we have lived or visited, and no city, town or village is really alien to us, if we look closely.

It is more or less the path that we take, that defines us (Captured in Kerala).

The story of humanity is the same in each and every place, and as we see the people and talk them, we will only know this better. By traveling, we enjoy these tales of those seemingly different people who are the same within, and we feel the need to travel more. At the same time, we understand ourselves more, for there might be more to us than we could ever know. We explore the world, and by doing the same, we explore within us, and the journeys change us, creating something different inside our souls. What more do you need for travel inspiration?

This is why I #SayYesToTheWorld. There is something for the soul around us with beautiful divergence, and there is always more than what meets the eye, bringing hope for a world traveller. Please watch this video and think about traveling more!

TeNy

These Hills Have Eyes

Whenever there is a talk about waterfalls in Kerala, it is all about Athirappilly Falls – Yes, there is no match for that wonderful waterfalls which should be the largest and the most talked about fall of water in Kerala. It is Thommankuthu Waterfalls which managed to gain some attention with its multiple group of falls which come one after the other, at a location which is easily accessible. Then there is Thusharagiri Waterfalls in the north, in the district of Kozhikode, which has become more popular than ever, these days, located about fifty one kilometres from the big city of northern Kerala. I leave you with some of the photos taken during our last visit through this beautiful place of wonderful greenery. Well, this is not where the natural beauty of Kerala begins or ends, as there is always score for more greenery with the state!

***The images used in this blog were taken by me on my Asus Zenfone Max, which has proven to be a fine mobile phone. As you read this, take time to read reviews of the latest flicks from Malayalam movie industry, Aadhi and Shikkari Shambhu which are nice entertainers.

<— Click here to read the previous post.
TeNy

Nilambur: Teak and More

There are not many things that has the power to stop you from visiting a place like Nilambur – it has no villains, for it is close enough to the midland area, and never really asks you to go on that long ride up, but there is a lot of natural beauty around, away from pollution into a healthy environment to fall in love. Often, it is all that we need during these busy days of life. It is easy to get around, being close enough to the big towns of Manjeri, Malappuram and Perinthalmanna, all well connected through road, and sufficient services of Kerala State Transport buses. Nilambur’s Teak Museum is one special thing, and along with Adyanpara Waterfalls, there are more things of natural beauty that you will need to consider. Valamthode Waterfalls, Nedumkayam, Conolly’s Plot and more should follow. We had our stay at Metro Regency when we visited, and it is a very good place for the cheap rate. Nilambur might be the best known tourist destination in Malappuram district, or at least it is the one place about which we have heard above the rest. It is also just forty five kilometres from Calicut International Airport. Be advised that Google Maps here can’t be termed as among the best guides, for local people will do better.

***All photos used in this blog post about Nilambur were taken on my Asus Zenfone 5 by me only.

For the detailed review of the latest Hollywood superhero flick which is breaking all box-office collection records with ease, not only all around world, but also in India and even Kerala, click here.

For the detailed review of the new Bollywood flick which is driven by best performances of the time, positioning itself safely above many overrated hundred crore dumb flicks in quality, click here.

TeNy