Kya-rla : A trip to Allapuzha and Munnar

       

Our studies coming almost to an end. MTech degree almost in our hands. Feeling free. Feeling to freak-out... and this is when we planned for a trip to the God's Own Country. The trip wasn't pre-planned. 'coz most of such pre-planed trips were bound to flop. it all happened in about 3 days. We formed ourseleves a group of 7. Atul, Naveen, Shahi, Seenu(Nallabilli), Madhu, Bhanu and myself. We started our trip on 28th of April(2006). We were expecting Dayakar to join us. but he wasn't informed properly so we left for Mangalore Railway station to catch the train scheduled at 10PM. We bought ourselves 7 tickets plus one ticket extra if in case any miracle happens and Dayakar lands up. We all sat in the train and then Dayakar calls up telling that he has got down at 'Jyothi'-Bus stop. The announcement that the train is about to leave from platform no.1 is done. Dayakar hires a auto. directs it towards the station. Madhu and myself got down from the train and ran towards the entrance. The train blows the horn!! Dayakar not in sight!! We almost lost the hope. The train almost to move, Dayakar waves his hand from an auto. Atlast caught him. Now another big problem, to catch the train. We ran to towards the train. We just got into the train, the train began to move. It was almost filmi style. Now we were 8. Perfect.

        It was Mavelli Express runnig from Mangalore to trivendrum which we got into. We took our tickets to Allepey. Actually it is very difficult to pronounce it : Allapuzha(...for some it takes life-time to pronounce it). It was a general compartment night journey in a busy train!! Very bad planning!! We reached Allapuzha at around 10-10:30AM. The auto rider took us to an awesome lodging house(Vrundavanam Heritage Home). It was actually a house(old fashioned) converted to Tourist home. it was an architectural beauty. We hired a dormatory for 8 of us. It cost us 1000 bucks per day. Allapuzha is famous for its beautiful backwaters forming a network of waterways connecting the town. People commute in public waterway-transports. Remember 'My Autograph' movie? it was shot here. That day, 29th of April, we planned to go for a Houseboat trip through the backwaters. Had our lunch (pakka kerala style) and all set to go. We cudnt make for a houseboat as it costed us heavily. so got adjusted with a motor boat. it costs Rs.400/Hr. We hired it for a 5 hrs ride(2PM to 7PM). It is very thrilling to watch the real beauty of kerala. Full of coconut trees, men with white 'punche'('puncha') and white shirt, women with typical kerala-hairstyle, Kids playing in water, people commuting in waterways -- Everything so 'keralaistic'. We were sailing and sailing enjoying oursleves. We stopped our boat at a place to have tender coconuts. Coconuts cost the same Rs8/- as here in Hyderabad! very bad! The place where we stopped out boat was the second most widespread backwaters in Allapuzha, and hence in India. It was almost like watching a sea. Very vast. We spent some time there enjoying the cool thin air. We were there till the sunset. Someone told us the sunset at that place is awesome. but unfortunately i didnt find it any interesting! We then took our way back to the heritage home. It was an awesome ride. That night we had our dinner and went to bed with sweet memories but with only bad reminder that we had to get up early and leave to Munnar at around 5AM. In no time the alarm rang!!! We got ourselves ready and reached busstand at around 6AM. This was on 30th of April. We didnt have a direct bus to Munnar. So a bus conductor gave us a idea to hire bus to a place called Changanacheery, and from there you have a lot many busses running to Munnar. It was an 18kms journey. When we reached that place. No bus to Munnar. Another conductor told us to catch a bus to Kottayam to get a direct bus to Munnar. We reached Kottayam. No bus to Munnar. Another conductor told us to catcha bus to Muvvattupuzha to try our luck. Reached. No Bus. There was another conductor who told us to go to Kothamangalam to reach Munnar. Now at this jucture we were so tired that we thought of waiting till what so ever time to catch a direct bus to Munnar and no more bits and bytes. But to our bad luck we came accross a bus which was ready to go to Kothamangalam. So, the same story. Reached Kothamangalam. Waited in the busstand for 10-15mins. Atlast the bus came from no-where written in the 'Gilebi' language - 'Munnar'. Oh my god. by the time we reached Munnar it was 1.30PM. It was a peak holiday-packed week which we chose to come here without any prior arrangements. Searched about 20-30 lodges. Everyone said - 'No Room/s - All Full'. Now where do we go from here? Myself and Naveen went to a Tourism department office and asked for any accomodation. He asked us to leave Munnar as there were no accomodations. Later we pleaded him for some room. He called up someone and talked to few people on phone and atlast told us that there was one cottage about 10kms from Munnar and it costs just Rs.7000/-. it was around 3PM then. It was getting darker. Fog accumulating. It was getting colder. Munnar is a Hill station. A tea plantation area. We had no other go. I called up other guys who were still waiting in the busstand telling them about the situation. Ther was one man sitting on one side in the tourism office listening to our communication. Once i was over on my phone, that man asked me about our situation. He told us that he would give a try and asked us to come with him to his home. We then went to his home, having a ray of hope as he was a localite. He tried his level best, calling everyone he knew to give us accomodation. But couldnt. Now at this point, i was really tired. I asked him if he knew when was the next bus to Ernakulam, so that we drop the idea of Munnar. He thought for a while and had a chat with his wife and told us that he could give us an accomodation. That was it. An accomodation in a house, wow! His house was a beautiful one, a typical hill station house, located on a small hill. We stayed there that night. I dont remember his name, but he came as an angel from no where and helped us. He then arranged a jeep for our next day's trip. It was very cold that night. We went for some shopping. bought some interesting flavours of tea - chocolate, cardomom, ginger, Masala. Had dinner in a nearby Hotel. Munnar is a lovely place to visit in December-January. It has so many sight-seeing places that you need atleast 2 full days to savour its beauty. But on the other side, we just had just half-a-day. We had to catch a bus the next day to Ernakulam at around 2PM. This was because Madhu had to submit his project report the very next day(1st of May) in college. He was late - as usual. Very bad planning again!!
        The next day, 31st of April, We got up and got into the Jeep we hired and rode towards a wild life sanctury situated in Rajamalai. It is famous for a species of Deer, peculiar to Munnar and found no where else in India. The place was not so interesting. So we cut short our sight seeing and went to Echo Point. From there we went to Malumattey Dam, Shooting point and some other photogenic places, but all covered within that half-a-day. We were back by 2PM. but i felt as if 'Yeh Dil Mange More!'. We packed our luggages and took a bus to Ernakulam.
        By the time we reached Ernakulam, it was 7PM. Nallabilli had dome a wonderful job by telling his friend to book us tickets from Ernakulam to Kasargod. We reached Kasdargod and from there took a bus to Surathkal. We reached Surathkal by around 8AM on 1st of May. Those were the beautiful moments we had in Kya-rla(Kerala). I would like to go again to Munnar anytime. Anyone of you planning? Count++.

... and some funny snaps!! ' Gopi Manjoorian' and 'Non-Veg- Tea Stall'?

Date of trip: 28th of April to 1st of May 2006

Team: Atul, Bhanu, Dayakar, Kaushik, Madhumohan, Naveen, Shahi, Srinivas.

Posted by: Kaushik