Exploring the magical wilderness of India's Wayanad

by Lekshmi Priya Sanal (India)

A leap into the unknown India

Growing up a woman in India is tough and especially one who loves travelling solo can get scary at times. But I wanted to give it a shot and set out on a solo sojourn to the beautiful vistas of Wayanad, in the northern part of my home state Kerala, India. On 24th December 2017, I got into a local shuttle and reached my intended destination in the wee hours of the day! Because it was a common point for travellers, I wasn't left stranded at a time when it was still pitch dark and found a refuge in a local cafe, who were very warm and forthcoming, and helped me out with the local travel that I could use during my stay. This town is such that caters to nature lovers, prehistorical enthusiasts and also those in search of god or peace, if you put it that way. Thick and dense forests that have intermittent tea and coffee plantations and numerous waterfalls and picturesque locales, the way of life for people here is rustic and sylvan, who would go out of their way to help you out when lost. So I decided to go for little bit of everything. My very first pit stop was a 1,000 year old temple ruin site, once the centre point of worship for settlers practicing Jainism. Only ruins remain today, strewn across the region but magnificent nevertheless. For me, it was like a passage into time; trying to imagine what life must have been hundreds of years back at the very exact spot where I was standing then. Next place on my itinerary was a prehistoric site, Edakkal Caves: the only known place in India with Stone Age and i was really excited about going here. It was roughly about 10kms from where I was staying and I decided to try the local buses to get there. There was no direct commute to get here unless you have your own vehicle and buses only get you so far since the site was on top of a hill. Clubbing together a bus ride, a 30 minute trek and then an auto-rickshaw ride, I reached the site to only find it was closed because it was Christmas! Now I was disappointed a bit but not disheartened and a very nice rickshaw guy told me that I could visit Phantom Rocks, which was nearby and he could take me there! I was elated and as the name suggests, the rock formation did appear to look like a skull [resembling the cartoon character, Phantom!]. I had never trying rock climbing until then, but all the dejection from the morning disappeared with this amazing place that was tranquil and challenging at the same time! I spent a great deal of time just being there and happened to meet a group of tribal women comprising mothers and daughters. While they did speak a slightly different dialect, we managed to converse amicably and they helped me with tricks to ace rock climbing. Those women gave me a rare sense of exhilaration and empowerment that is seldom seen in rural women in India. In case, if you wonder if I ever got to see those prehistoric carvings, Yes! I did and that too, on my birthday and it was perhaps the best gift I could give myself. Older than the known history of the region, even today those etchings confound experts when it comes deciphering these. But reaching here takes a lot of energy as the trek after reaching the site takes about 45 minutes and is rather steep. But worry not, the scenic beauty of coffee plantations and small stalls selling local coffee and local snacks will keep you going! Trust me, the coffee is really aromatic and very rich. Being my very first solo trip, it really had been a leap into the unknown for me and it is these experiences that make all of our lives memorable and really worthwhile.