Kerala Backwaters Cycling 2011-12

A thin strip of land between backwaters 
& the ocean - Chavara, Kerala

Kerala has beautiful countryside. Riding a bicycle past lush-green palm-groves strewn between emerald backwaters on one hand and turquoise-blue Arabian Sea on the other was one of the best choices we (Prateek, I & few other friends) made for celebrating the ‘New Year’. Not to forget the clean, speck-less, white sandy beaches for taking a dip whenever we wished, which happened to be quite often.

Devi Puram Beach, near Mayannad

Early morning at a deserted 
seashore near Allepey

'Holy' Backwaters - Chavara

“People can take everything away from you except memories” … Memories of my very first bicycle tour with Prateek (One can almost call it cross-country) in the backwater area in the year 2010 are still so vivid in my mind. Sense of adventure of the unknown rising way above apprehensions, moments of joy, excitement, as well as that of frustration, shared with equal honesty within the team, eagerness to capture as much beauty as we can on our cameras in the very little time … it’s all as lucid in my mind as the crystal clear seabed of ‘Devi Puram’ beach.

Devi Puram Beach

Devi Puram Beach, 
near Mayannad

I would never forget the sight of those long stretches of clean white sand around Mayannad area, against turquoise oceanic background with hardly a couple of fishermen here & there. We could not believe our eyes! It was enchanting, inviting … these shores were out of the blues, untouched, never visited by tourists; they looked like being preserved by the fishermen and I hope they remain as sanctified for the coming years as we saw them.

Morning action at a beach on the way to Varakala

More than a year later, the essence of each and every small ride is still afresh. Finer moments of achievement, childlike joy of smaller things, decisions gone bad, togetherness, disappointment … altogether made it a perfect tour. As much high it sounds to be on the emotional scale, it was just as sound on the technical & practical front. All of us had spent good amount of time practicing, planning & programming ourselves for the first longest journey of our lives (Not for Prateek, of course, who had done 2000 km of cross-country cycling before, twice); I feel our preparations only helped us to get the most precious experience out of our journey.

Real beauty of the region, however, lies not only in the land but more so in the people, who make the ‘country’ as wonderful as calling it ‘God’s own’. May be, except for certain strata of the society, we witnessed high level of simplicity in almost every aspect of living; be it commuting via local transport such as a ferry, clothing (except for, of course, the gold ornaments that the ladies wear), or the food … Kearla, as a whole, gave me more than one reason to thoroughly enjoy my first cross-country-cycling experience with Life Away From Life.

 

I loved the way the day started with a fabulous breakfast … simple, no-frills, not much choice, but high on quality. The matter-of-factly way in which a highly efficient ’Anna’ in the roadside stall served hot, delicious idalis or appams or dosas, of course, with unlimited accompaniment of either sambhar or chutney or a simple-no-nonsense curry (remember, not much choice such early morning), while solid, melodious chanting from a nearby temple loudspeaker entered my senses along with soft rays of the dawning sun, made a perfectly positive beginning of the day! It was all ‘simply’ touching. It made me feel at home. Eat as much as you can - one can almost feel the fellowship, a like of brotherhood that is long lost in the city. Even as a visitor like me, who does not understand the language beyond a few set words, getting by was simpler than I thought; partially thanks to the 100% literacy of the state. Common people’s lifestyle, piousness, cleanliness, eco-friendliness, awareness of civic duties … all of it makes Kerala truly unique.