Kerala – God’s own country

44 days since my last post and 101 days since I hit the road, the restlessness started to creep in. Fortunes change when we least expect them to strike and this time I cashed in. I have been traveling to most places all around the year (apart from 2020) and for once haven’t thought of penning down my experiences in Kerala. Seeking new adventures and meeting new people does a world of good but traveling back home with the humble sense – with knowledge there is more to discover – one can easily pack an entire year with brand new adventures. Probably,  the most treasured lessons from 2020. 

As soon as the talks surfaced, I started counting the days. The excitement to shoot off in all directions like-colored arrows was glowing in me. There are a few norms to take care of before heading to Kerala. 

• Do ensure to register in the link https://covid19jagratha.kerala.nic.in/ where you will have to provide all necessary details 
• A short stay duration can last for 7 days 
• Post which we have to adhere to the quarantine rules. 

With all boxes ticked, we set off to Kerala – God’s own country.

The beauty of traveling by road is the wonderful pit stops we can choose. Due to the recent pandemic, we did not stop by any hotels and had our food at some pretty scenic places en route. 

Reminiscent to my vacation stays during childhood, where we stay put in one place, play our hearts out, have good food followed by an afternoon nap, these routines never found it’s way again into my packed calendars.

As adults we laugh less, play less and wear a mask, beneath which, we are still the same child seeking simple needs.

During the brief stay I tried my best to rekindle the childhood. The stay had all the ingredients – food, chitchats, laughter, love, games, evening walks. The food definitely deserves special mention. Even before I could take out my lenses and capture these moments there were hands lashing out to get a piece of it.The aroma and the textures were so pleasing that even while penning down the experience I am still drooling.

Presenting to you the plethora of food for your perusal.

Good food, birds flitting constantly, where the breeze talks to you and calm is the norm, the scenic beauty of the place filled me with serenity.

A few steps down the road and we had a wonderful farm to keep us occupied.

Apart from accompanying others to the farm, I did try to re-create a rainbow and the efforts didn’t go in vein.

As if all of this wasn’t enough to keep us occupied, our feathered friends kept me busy gazing at them with constant chirping and flitting around.

Bird watching became a hobby and sometimes I felt I wasn’t equipped enough to capture certain moments. Peacocks were in abundance and to see them fly was magical. I have hardly seen Peacocks fly, twice- in my entire life , and yes it’s a sight to behold.

Evening walks became a routine , we wandered and explored as if we were searching our true selves. The paths differed each day, but the exploration never stopped.

Life doesn’t come with instructions on how to live, but it comes with trees, sunsets, smiles and laughter.

A year spent in solitude and then to finally break the shackles , blend with nature , and more importantly to have people around felt like being alive.