An Aleatory and Unusual Trip to Kerala- God's Own Country!

by Deepti Ratnam (India)

A leap into the unknown India

In all your life, it is your mind that travels the most! Even if you stop moving, it is your mind that still won’t stop you from wandering into those deserted streets, landscapes, valleys, waterfalls, and rural & rustic life that you have already ventured. Throughout my life, I have always been keen on traveling, planning a trip, seeing new places, meeting new people, and digging out the uncovered history. Still, I couldn’t find what I am looking in my life. I decided to pursue an unconventional way of wandering where I will redefine my life. Believing on my instinct and knowing the fact that South India is a hub of various unexplored locations, I decided to take a chance of visiting Kerala- a place of alluring landscapes and captivating mountains and valleys that will transcend you into the lap of Nature. I knew this is my first unplanned trip, and I will inevitably face some severe challenges, but instead of getting nervous, I chose to be my own God and decided to venture into the unfathomed locale of God’s own country! Reaching Kerala is not a difficult task; you will quickly get flights from major cities to Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, and that will, of course, save your time. I opt rail route to be the initial step towards my journey, and straightaway booked the ticket to Trivandrum Central. I reached there at 11:00 am and decided to take a halt of one day. The next day, early morning, I booked a cab to Ponmudi and stepped into the first unplanned trip of my life. What a thrilling experience it was! The tea plantations, waterfall, wilderness, and the sound of Nature instead of the noise of the fast-moving life of Delhi. I was baffled by the fascinating beauty of the place.I saw Menmutty falls, Golden Valley, echo point, and Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, and many more scenic locations. While riding on the fuzzy roads in Ponmudi, my driver told me about one of the oldest festivals in Kerala that was going to held on the next day in Pathanamthitta district. The festival was Aranmula Boat Race. The next day I called the same cab driver because there was a repo built between us. My cab driver Athiya was now my tourist guide in Kerala. From Ponmudi, the distance to Pathanamthitta is a total of 3 hrs. If you leave early morning, then you can spend your entire day enjoying the Aranamula Boat race festival. As soon as I reached there, I noticed that the festival has started. I was a bit late but haven’t missed the entire festival. The snake-shaped longboats sailed by around 50 men were worth a watch. The traditional music and the charged people, everything was blocking my mind with surprise. After the festival was over, Athiya asked if I want to taste few local dishes of Kerala and took me to a local restaurant where I ate some of the most relishing dishes of my life- FISH MOILEE & KERALA PRAWN CURRY. I talked to some of the local people with the help of Athiya. It was the first time when I was talking to people I barely knew, listening about their culture, traditions, and folklore, and most importantly, trust them. After meeting people like Athiya, it changed my perception of seeing people. It’s not the place that will make you feel safe; it’s the people who do ordinary things and let you feel safe at the unknown home! I returned to Trivandrum and stayed there for one day and explored other places nearby it. I still don’t know about getting answers for what I am looking for in my life, but yes! For one thing, I am very sure that visiting Kerala made me more confident and more self-reliable than before. I started seeing the world and people differently. Exploring Kerala made me realized that it’s only about the matter of your self-confidence, and you can unfold the hidden treasure of India through your own eyes. Kerala made me understand what I was looking for in life; To become the best version of me!