27. 03. 2013:
Palm trees extend upwards at every stretch, neatly framed against an implausibly blue sky. Soft turquoise-blue waters cut through them, every now and then. As the local train from Calicut to Kannur chugs its way through the humble settlements, the muddy tracks and the tranquil streams... the quaint countryside of the city, the traveler in me peeps out of the window and scans the landscape; the place is a quiet retreat with no trace of chaos or commotion. Keeping in tune, I quietly slide my hand in my bag, bring out my pen and diary and start scribbling.
An extract:
Kerala: God's own Country
An extract:
Nature rules here...
Pristine,
pure, untouched and unscathed. Though it’s been only a while since I
landed foot in this natural wonderland but I am already having a blessed
feeling. No wonder, this is India untravelled, that part of sacred
India where none other but the God’s reside... Swagatham, as the locals say,
Yes! I am in Kerala ... God’s own country...
Rewind: How I came to Kerala
A treasured post dedicated to my grandpa coupled with all your kind wishes had helped me secure a packaged 4D / 3N nature trail for 2.
This prize trip (organized by Shivya of India Untravelled), courtesy IndiBlogger and Kissan, meant we were left with a booklet showcasing 6 nature trails from different parts of offbeat India out of which one had to be picked. Flipping through our options ranging from an opportunity to experience the snowy Spiti valley or the royalty of Raison in Himachal Pradesh to the mountains of Sikkim in the North East, we soon realized what a tough job we had at hand. All the destinations were highly alluring and it was a difficult task to choose just one. After a lot of discussions, we decided to settle down for Kannur and Wayanad in Kerala, a quiet retreat in nature.
A trip down south after a long long time and a long awaited one at that... Ah! Excited that I was, I instantly got down to researching more on it.
( ... To be contd.)
PS: The 'One Picture From My Photo Album' Contest closing dates are extended! Now you can blog and stand a chance to win a shopping voucher worth $100 till the 16th of May. Please read more about it here.
38 Comments
How wonderful!! How long will you be staying?
ReplyDeleteBeing a keraliate...no place is beautiful than this "God's own country"
ReplyDeleteGreat... have a good time Arti. Looking forward to post about Gods' Own Country
ReplyDeleteWahhhh kerala have niece journey arti, greet from north india :)
DeleteI'm sure you'll be pleased with this trip. So happy for you. Waiting to hear more. Enjoy your trip. Arti.
ReplyDeleteGods own country has a magical touch to sooth the spirits and calm the nerves! Await to read more about your trip, Arti:)
ReplyDelete@All: I am already back from the trip, was there in the last week of March for about 5 days. Now, looking forward to sharing it all virtually, here with all of you :)
ReplyDeleteArti, Nice to read your new post.Great, wating for more post and photography from your yatra.
ReplyDeleteOh! so finally you could make it. Have a wonderful time and let us know what you experienced.
ReplyDeleteMade me remember my trip in 2009, wanna visit again now...
ReplyDeleteWonderful . Kerala is always beautiful to visit .
ReplyDeleteIt was tranquil when I visited Kerala as I stayed in an ashram.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing back memories.
What a lovely place! Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI love if you post more photographs.
ReplyDeleteKerala is indeed magical & happy place.....
ReplyDeleteThank god the contest date is extended , was travelling and missed the last one!! :)
http://www.myunfinishedlife.com/
Your grandpa post is the one I was talking about. Beautiful lines on Kerala you scribbled on paper. The date for the contest is extended and I'll search my laptop for any scanned pictures. I lost all my photos in flood. :(
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, wish I was here.
ReplyDeleteGod's own country indeed! Kerala is one picturesque state of our country. Your shots are of course always perfect!
ReplyDeleteBigger pictures please... :)
ReplyDeleteBlowing up the images by one size leads them to shoot out of the main window area :(
DeleteArti - another wonderful trip. I'll await the photos of India less traveled - God's country. Glad you're "scribbling" again!
ReplyDelete"Pristine, pure, untouched and unscathed" - I resonate with your feelings. I have shared my experience here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thomasabeesh.com/1250/trip-to-aymanam/
Lovely...
ReplyDeleteoh it is so peaceful Arti, what a very inspiring experience it must be for being there.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely and tranquil location! I can almost see myself on this river with the warm and soft breeze blowing in my hair.
ReplyDeleteHey great experiance Kerela gods own palace , but how many days u have stayed ... all though its a nice post thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, subhradeep. I stayed in Kerala for 3 days but kept wishing I had more.
DeleteWell the photo finally showed now having problems commenting. My internet is not working well right now. What a paradise this place looks like. Looking forward to seeing more.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time for me to see the scape of the winding river lined up with numerous palm trees. I hear the merry ripples along the shore and feel soft, warm breeze on my skin. Enjoy your trip, Arti.
ReplyDeleteyes Gods own country
ReplyDeletebeautiful photo
Now you're making me miss Kerala sooooo badly!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI was there a couple of years back and enjoyed every bit of my stay in God's own country. It is so scenic...would love to go back again.
ReplyDeleteThanks Arti for sharing...
Hello, Arti
ReplyDeleteYou are traveling in such a peaceful and beautiful place! Those palm trees extending along the river is one that I have never seen in person. I had to enlarge it to enjoy much more!
Have a good weekend
Tomoko
Nice to know you had been to Kerala Arti.. Am sure we are in for a sacred treat from Arti's Diary! :) Being a Keralite, I am going to cherish the next few posts from you end.. :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds very nice place. The nature is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI have always heard wonderful things about Kerala. Your picture is a already a beautiful preview of your trip. Looking forward to reading about your experiences and posts, Arti.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you are on a lovely less explored destination. Waiting for the stories.
ReplyDeletehttp://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2013/05/haziness.html
How cool...congratulations on winning the trip..heard a lot about Waynand..have to visit it one day.
ReplyDeleteDelighted you stopped by... Your suggestions, feedback are really appreciated. Thanks a lot :) Hope you visit again!
If you have asked a question, please give me at least 2 days to reply back. Thank you :)