Memoirs from Kerala : Part-IV - Kochi to Munnar - Serpentine roads & Breathtaking Tea Gardens

Click Here to read the detailed travelogue of journey from Kochi to Munnarin Hindi (Devnagari) script

Date 24.12.2007

Rubber ke jungle aur rubber ko ek ardhvritakar (semi circular) pot mein nikalta kisaan (farmer)

dekhiye ananaas ke khet !(pineapple field)

Gyarah baje tak hum Kothamangalam mein the. Waise traffic ki betarteebi har bharteey shahar ki pehchaan hai.

Ohh tedhe medhe raston se sar chakrane laga. Shukra hai Munnar ab jyada door nahin

uff ye hariyali

ati sundar, just speechless

kya pose hai, kyun na ho itna sundar jharna jo peeche hai.

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Memoirs from Kerala - Part - II : Kochi's Appam, Marine Drive & linguistic Hurdles

Click Here to read this post in Hindi script.

Pichli post mein aapne padha ki humne kaise Ranchi se Ernakulam ki 2300 km ki yatra poori ki.

vaise to kochi (purana nam cochin) das chhote bade dvipon se milake bana hai,par mukhyatah ise aap teen bhagon me bant sakate hain. ek hissa manav nirmit Willingdon Island hai jise angrejon ne samud se nikali gaee mitti se 1920 mein banaya tha. kochi ke is hisse mein konkan relave ka cochin relave stationa, havaee adda aur bharatiy nau sena ke karyalay aate hain. vilingadan dvip ke ek or fort kochi Mattancherry ke ilake aate hain jisamein kochi ki jyadatar aitihasik virasaten sthit hain to doosari or mukhy bhoobhag se juda eranakulam ka vyavasayik nagar aata hai.

aksar log kerala package tour ke tahat jate hain. viman se utarane ke bad vahan aur hotal ki suvidha ke bare mein paryatak ko sochana nahin padata par ye jaroor hai ki jeb achchhi tarah se halki ho jati hai. hamalog jab eranakulam pahunche to hamare pas jane vali sari mukhy jagahon ka ek-yek din ka aarakshan tha. ye sochakar aa gaye the ki pahale din to koee chinta nahin rahegi aur doosare din ghoom firakar koee thaur thikana dhoondh hi lenge .

eranakulam station par utare hi the ki kali kali poshakon mein jhund ke jhund log bhagavan ayappa ki jayajayakar karate huye relave overbridge par jate dikhaee pade. train mein hamein sahayatriyon se pata chal chuka tha ki jis tarah uttar bharat mein jagah jagah kanvariya kanvar uthakar dharmik sthalon ki taraf jate hain (ranchi ke samip devaghar mein bhi savan ke samay aisi yatrayen hoti hain) vaise hi ye dal kottayam ke samip pahadi par sthit sabarimala ke mandir ja raha hai.

jidhar pri paid auto ka booth tha ham udhar hi chal pade. vahan andar light jal rahi thi par rasid katane vale ka door-door tak pata na tha. ye anupasthiti suniyojit hi thi kyonki 6.30-7 PM ka vakt trains ki aavajahi ke hisab se vyast hi kaha jayega. purani dilli station ki yaden taja ho gaeen. is bat ko fir bal mila ki anekata mein ekata vakaee hai hamare desh mein. khair das pandrah minat pratiksha ke bad bhi jab vahan koee nahi aaya tab hamane taxi aur auto valon se poochhana shuru kiya. tis ki jagah hamase sau rupae mange ja rahe the. koyee aur upay na dekh hamane dedh sau rupaye mein ek taxii kar li jo das minute se kam samay mein hi hamein apane gantavy tak pahuncha gayee.

hamara guest house rihaeeshi ilake mein tha so naha dho kar ham khane ka jugad dhoondhane lage. thodi der chalne ke bad hamein ek chhota sa hotel dikhaee pada. keral mein aam taur par bhojanalayon mein roti nahin milati. isaki jagah milata hain paratha jo tikona na hokar gol hota hai aur prayah maide ka banaya jata hai. menu card mein jo ek nayi chij dikhaee di vo thi appam (Appam) chaval se banaye jane vale is vyanjan ko hamare suputr ne shighra hi apana priy aahaar bana liya. samanyatah tamilanadu aur kerala mein log ise nashte ke taur par chatani ke sath (ye apane aap mein fika hota hai) khate hain. khane ke bad hamane tourist bus ke bare mein poochhatachh shuru ki. ab vahan aangl bhasha ke janakar gine chune the. hotal ke malik ne kuchh logon ko hamari bat samajhane ke liye aage kiya par vo bhi hamare prashn ko samajhane mein asafal rahe.


agali subah das baje jab tourist office meinphone lagaya to pata chala ki kochi ke pramukh sthanon ke liye unake yahan se motaraboat seva upalabdh hai. tourist office se din ka ticket le kar ham bagal ke energy yani urja park chal pade.

bachchon ko vahan kanr chalane, aur tarah tarah ke jhoolon mein aanand aa gaya. sham ko jab jetti se laut kar vapas aaye to park mein til bhar pair rakhane ki jagah nahin thi. poora utsav sa mahaul tha.

park ke pichhavade mein Vembanad Lake hai jo bharat ki sabase lambi jheel hai. is jheel ka vistar eranakulam, kottayam aur allleppy zilon tak hai. kochi mein aakar ye arab sagar mein milti hai. is jheel ke kinare-kinare chahalakadami ke liye khoobasoorat sa marg bana hai jo kochi ka merin draiv kahalata hai. marg mein bich bich mein ardhavrttakar pul bhi hain. marg ke doosari or bade-bade vyaparik pratishthanon aur shanping manls ki lambi katare hain. par marine drive ke raste mein shahar ke gande nale aakar milate hain jinase nirantar aati badabu raste ki shobha ko dhoomil kar deti hai. isi vajah se hamase pal bhar bhi marine drive par baithane ki ichchha nahin huee.

din mein jetti lene ke pahale ham aage ke safar ke liye gadi book karana chahate the. hamane socha ki ye kam station ke aas pas badiya tarike se ho payega. isaliye ek auto ko roka aur station kahate huye baith gaye. ab vo malayalam mein hamase kuchh poochhane laga. hamare angreji mein samajhane par usane sar par hath rakh liya aur kaha NO ENGLISH. fir kuchh der sochane ke bad usane kaha northa..sautha. hamane socha ki lagata hai ham kahan se aaye hain ye poochh raha hai to daant niporate huye hamane kaha northa.. usane ajib sa munh banaya aur fir kuchh kaha. hamane bina samajhe fir ek muskurahat se pratyuttar diya. thodi der mein mujhe laga ki ye vo rasta nahin hai jis taraf se ham raat mein aaye the, par use ye samajhayen kaise ye sochakar chup rah gaye. thodi der mein sadakon par ghoomate ghumate vo hamein eranakulam town station le aaya aur tab hamein ehasas huaa ki vo shayad shahar ke uttar ya dakshin disha vale station ke bare mein poochh raha tha. khair 30-40 rupaye ka choona lagavakar ham mukhy station pahunche.

choonki kochi railway station aur havaee adda Willingdon mein hai, jyadatar travel agent shahar ke us hisse mein hain. December ki bhid aur christmas ki vajah se tamam gadiyan pahale se book thin. ham logon ki yojana thi ki Non AC Qualis le lenge par vo mili hi nahin aur hamein AC vahan lena pada. is bhagadaud mein din ka ek baj gaya. din mein hamane kochi ki shanadar birayani khaee aur chal pade jetti ke safar para.

jetti se hamane kya dekha aur kya nahin dekha iska khulasa agali kisht mein.

Map of Cochin is taken from here

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Memoirs from Kerala - Part - I : 2300 km journey from Ranchi to Ernakulam

Click here to read this post in Hindi (Devnagari) script.

uttari sikkim, pachamadi aur andaman ke baad ab le chal raha hoon aapako kerala ki yatra par. is yatra ke dauran main aapako cochin, munnar, thekkadi, kottayam, kovalam aur trivendram hote huye vapas allleppi le jaoonga. aasha hai har safaranamon ki tarah aap shuru se ant tak mere sath honge.


pichhale sal kerala jane ki yojana hamane september men hi banani shuru kar di thi. jana december ke antim saptah men tha. pahali samasya thi ki kaise jayen. sun rakha tha ki pahale se havayee ticket katane men kaam kam paison men hi ho jata hai. par jab net par cochin pahunchane ke tamam havaee margo ka adhyayan kiya to paya ki prati parivar sirf aane jane ka hi kharcha 25000 se 30000 hajar rupaye aa raha hai aur sidhi udan na hone ki vajah se samay ki bhi jyada bachat nahin ho rahi. ab itani rakam mein to poori yatra ka kharch nikal jata so hamane faisala kiya ki jab do parivar sath hain to 2300 km ki ye lambi yatra ham mauj masti mein gap hankate, khate pite hi bita denge.


to janaab, aarakshan khidki par theek do mahine pahale subah das baje yani counter khulne ke theek do ghante baad main aur mere mitr maujood the. panch logon ka aarakshan parcha khidaki se andar sarakate huye mainne clerk se kaha ki bhaee agar chhah vale koope mein ikaththa de do to badi meharabani hogi. udhar se javab aaya ki sir,, kul jama chhah seat poore coach mein bachi hain aur aap ek sath dene ki baat kar rahe hain. hamara sar chakaraya ki kahan poore raste ek sath baithakar gappe hankane ki baat ho rahi thi aur yahan to sari siten idhar udhar ki mil rahi hain. koee aur chara nahin tha is liye ticket lekar bujhe man se ghar laut aaye. laga ki ye sab internet ki karamat hai so agale hafte vapasi ke ticket ki booking net par baith kar ki par natija fir vahi raha. samajh nahin aaya ki ye sab peak time rush ki vajah se tha ya kuchh aur !


khaira, 20.12.2007 ko ham dhanbaad alleppi express mein din ke3 baje baith gaye. hame orissa, andhrapradesh, tamilanadu aur kerala ke 91 stations ko paar kar 22 ki sham 6 baje eranakulam pahunchna tha. raat tak sahayatriyon se seaton ki adala badali kar ham sab ek jagah baithane mein safal ho chuke the. bhojan ka jakhira hamare pas maujood tha jisaka jam kar upabhog kiya gaya. vaise bhi train mein mujhe to baithate hi bhookh lagani shuru ho jati hai.


subah hone tak ham orissa chhod andhrapradesh ke tateey ilake mein pravesh kar chuke the. ranchi ki december ki kadi thand ab halki garmi mein tabdil ho chuki thi. dakshin bharat mein ghusane ke sath chay chaya ho jati hai aur coffee ke sath falon ke ras dhadalle se lagabhag har station par upalabdh ho jate hain. vishakhapattanam mein ham sabane angoor aur ananas ke sharbaat ka khoob aanand uthaya. din ke do baje ke lagabhag jab ham log rajahmundari se thoda aage bade to godavari nadi par bana adbhut vishalakay pul hamare samane tha. is ka shumar asia ke sabase lanbe rail aur road pul mein kiya jata hai. is pul mein rail bridge ke oopar sadak pul hai jabki aam taur par isaka ulata hota hai. 25 saal pahale bane is pul ki lambaee mujhe 6-7 km ke aasapas lagi.


22 december ki subah jab doosari raat bitane ke bad aankh khuli to pata chala ki hamari train chennai station ko par kar salem ki or badh rahi hai.

ab ham poorvi ghat ko chhod pashchimi ghat ki or badh rahe the. bahar ka drshy manoram ho chala tha. apane apane camere le kar hamane apane dibbe ke dvar par sthan le liya. pahadiyon ki kataren, dhan ke hare bhare khet aur unake bich faile nariyal ke pedon ke jhund man ko mohit kar rahe the.


din ke dedh bajane tak hamari gadi tamilanadu ke aakhiri padav coimbatoor par pahunch chuki thi. bhaugolik roop se is jile ki khasiyat ye hai ki isaka pashchimi sira nilagiri ki pahadiyon ko chhoota hai to uttari sira munnar ki pahadiyon ko. itana hi nahin is jile ke pas hi pashchimi ghat ka sabase kam oonchaee vala hissa hai jise par kar kerala mein pahuncha ja sakata hai. ye hissa Palakkad Gap ke roop mein jana jata hai aur ye 32 se 42 kmi tak chauda hai. pashchimi ghat mein is gap ke aalava tamilanadu aur kerala ke beech aur koee paas yani darra nahin hai. isaliye is marg ka vyapar ke liye prayog aadi kal se ho raha hai.


din ke karib dhaee baje ham kerala mein pravesh kar chuke the aur palakkad jisaka pahale nam palaghat tha hamare samane tha. sham tak hamari gadi shornoor, trichoor hote huye eranakulam pahunch chuki thi. do hajar kimi ki yatra mein sach poochhiye to hamein aisi kuchh khas thakan nahin huee jisaki kalpana ki thi. yatra ke agale padav mein baaten hogi aitihasik shahar cochin ki..

godavari pul ka chitr yahan se liya gaya hai. baki chitr mere camare se.

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