I embarked on a scenic coastal road trip to reach the stunning seaside destination of Rameswaram. After traversing the beaches of Varkala, I reached Trivandrum on third day. My Rameswaram trip was lying ahead. So the early morning of the fourth day saw us driving through the empty roads of Trivandrum city.
Pleasant drive and hearty breakfast
The roads of Kerala are infamous for their curves, and bends. But whether it was the energy of morning sun, or the joyous expectations of reaching the destination, I was least disturbed by the winding roads. The sun was just rising, and seeing the first rays piercing out through the greenery around, had a magical effect on my mind.
My friend’s ancestral home was on the way, and we stopped there, to have our breakfast. The pretty little house was still kept in the traditional way, away from the clutches of modernity! Soft, fluffy Idlis that his mother made, reminded me of my own mother back home. The Idlis, Sambhar, and chutneys tasted too delicious. After all, they had one extra ingredient, a mother’s love!
Windmills and salt fields
As we crossed the borders, and stepped into Tamil Nadu, there was a drastic difference in scenery, and weather. Kerala was having a wonderful romance with rains, while Tamil Nadu was still waiting for its share of downpour. The only pleasant distraction was the innumerable windmills on both sides of the road. Standing tall, they were just rolling, as though under some magic spell. It was such a poetic beauty!
When the windmills made way for brick making factories, I dozed off. There were only chimneys to see, with thick smoke coming out from most of them. After a while, my friend woke me up. I glanced around. Did I miss my Rameswaram trip, and go to some magical snow-land? There was only a white color all around! It took me a while to realize that it was salt fields. The place was near to Vaippar in Tamil Nadu, and it was the hub for salt manufactures. We enjoyed the white beauty for a while, and moved on.
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Palm wines, Jaggery, and more
The roads stretched for miles without human presence, before we spotted a palm wine vendor. It was a relief for our thirsty throats. As palm wine was not intoxicating, we relished it. There was also an indigenous pine Jaggery making unit nearby. We spent some time watching the process, before continuing with our Rameswaram trip.
Though Kanyakumari was on our way, we had no plans to explore the place. Just a few months back, I had a lovely time in Kanyakumari, and had captured those memories in my video. You can watch it here.
By afternoon, we reached our final stop for the day, ‘Cabana Coral Reef Resort’ in Mandapam. Rameswaram was still around 20 kms away, but our Rameswaram trip had come to a close, for the day.
Lovely evening in Cabana
Cabana Coral Reef is not the typical swanky beach-view resort. Here everything was eco-friendly. Cabana provided hut-like container accommodations, and a variety of water sports, all for reasonable prices. All pretty huts had the most magnificent neighbor, the Bay of Bengal. The accommodations looked ordinary from outside, but inside, there were all basic amenities needed for two people. If I was travelling with my family of four, this would have been a little insufficient.
I took a short nap after the long drive, but was awakened by a noise. Peacocks in our backyard! It was amazing to see the beautiful birds so close to us. I roamed around the beaches in the evening, and saw an array of sea creatures like jelly fish, oysters, and crabs. Bay of Bengal was calm, no waves, just serene and quiet. I sat on the small swing on the shore, only me and my reveries. My Rameswaram trip had been so delightful.
A morning in water
The next morning, we took the plunge. Kayaking and snorkeling was part of the package, and we went for those. Kayaks were easy to manage, as there were no waves. I had tried it before, so I felt like a pro in front of my friend, who was still struggling.
Snorkeling in Bay of Bengal was a unique experience. We went in a boat, though not very far, and from there, it was underwater exploration. I had tried scuba diving in Kovalam, but this was entirely different. In scuba diving we go to the depths, but not in snorkeling. Water was crystal-clear, and we clearly saw the life under. Schools of fish, colorful coral reefs, everything was magical.
At the end of it, we were famished, and attacked the sumptuous food provided by the resort. Later in the day, we travelled to Dhanushkodi – the lost village – to complete our Rameswaram Trip. See you in the next blog, with the details of our Dhanushkodi Journey.
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