Early morning view of the backwaters - Kumarakom |
“Welcome to the gods own country” – the manager of the resort at Munnar said, courteously, but more like it was part of the package.
God's own country, for the uninitiated, is the way the locals describe Kerala,
a state on India's tropical Malabar Coast, one of the most attracted tourist
destination in India, with its beaches, hill stations, backwaters, birds and
wild life sanctuaries etc.
Wall painting by a local artist - Thekkady |
“Thanks for the warm welcome, but incidentally I am coming
from gods own country” – I said, rather mischievously.
"From where exactly?" the Manager was rather
confused, and asked. The answer emerged from the split millisecond silence;
"You are right, it doesn’t matter" was his response.
I mean the God (if you believe in one) should be omnipresent :-)
I mean the God (if you believe in one) should be omnipresent :-)
We both exchanged smile, with an understanding.
That was a real quick introduction with the property
manager. But a real introduction, I mean we had both touched our inner voice.
He was kind of person I like, with a basic understanding of things, sense of
humor and ability to connect.
I was thinking "God is everywhere, especially where you
don’t think He will be. And if we know that God is out there, what’s stopping
us from finding Him? God appears to us in a different place, a different form,
a different voice every day. Where will you see Him?"
Don't really know what was the interpretation of this guy, but seems I had touched the chords...
That was a great start for the year-end vacation in Kerala.
Backwaters of Kerala at sunset - Kumarakom |
What a year it has been ! From taking keen interest in
farming, a memorable trek into the grand Himalayas, re-connecting with old
friends, having a heart to heart talk with people who matter, being part of the software development team that delivered advertisements worth USD 20 billion this year over
the internet, and last but not the least, losing weight, gaining physical
fitness & coming back in shape.
This year needed a
grand farewell. And a trip to Kerala was my way of doing the farewell.
Fall colors in India, Near Mattupatti Dam - Munnar |
We started our journey on 26th December, and came back on 31st, a 6 day vacation in the God's own country. Depending on who you are, and how you express yourself, this can be one liner statement, just stating the facts.
But then everyone is different.
For me it was an opportunity to see creation of the God in
various shapes, forms and colors. The hills, the valleys, the rivers, the
lakes, the backwaters, the sea, the birds, the flowers, the tea gardens, the
temples and churches, and of-course, the people.
It was also an opportunity to connect with the inner core, to have a self-dialogue, during the drive through the hilly terrain.
It was the time to improve the photography skills. It was the time to taste the Kerala cuisine. It was the time to understand and enjoy Kathakali, "story play" genre of the dance art. Stay in a house boat, a visit to the Tea factory, a visit to one of the oldest functioning Synagogue in India, an audio/visual show demonstrating Kerala history, long walk in a bird sanctuary, tour across a spice garden, evening walk through tea gardens were some of the highlights of the journey.
Someone once said, "Life is a book, and those who don't
travel read only one page". For sure, this time I read few pages :-)
Tea Garden - Munnar |
It was also an opportunity to connect with the inner core, to have a self-dialogue, during the drive through the hilly terrain.
Off road drive - Thekkady |
It was the time to improve the photography skills. It was the time to taste the Kerala cuisine. It was the time to understand and enjoy Kathakali, "story play" genre of the dance art. Stay in a house boat, a visit to the Tea factory, a visit to one of the oldest functioning Synagogue in India, an audio/visual show demonstrating Kerala history, long walk in a bird sanctuary, tour across a spice garden, evening walk through tea gardens were some of the highlights of the journey.
Wild flower - Munnar |
Church - Thekkady |
A flower in the bird sanctuary - Kumarakom |
And some lessons learnt this time:
1) Just GO, visit some new place
2) Don’t plan too much at once
3) Explore hidden gems
4) Enjoy cultural differences
5) Fine dining can be inexpensive
6) Travel opens your mind
7) Back home ... Plan your next trip
Houseboat with the reflection - Kumarakom |
Rose garden - Munnar |