Just back from my first visit to Kerela, unfortunately a business trip. My very first visit & I realised why it is called "God's Own Country"...
I fact, I traveled by road from Kochi to Thiruvananthapuram & Kerela is really a beautiful place. For someone from Gujarat, it is an out of this world experience - so much greenery all around (seems, there are more trees in Kerela than mallu's all over the world), no dust (you can travel with the windows down), hear the birds when you stop by the roadside even late in the morning!
But I discovered the real essence of the famous tagline, when the gentleman across the table told me in a very friendly manner, "You are not from Kerela. We will confirm the time for the meeting. You will reach here. But some bandh may be declared. Some strike may take place. Some minister may die. We will then have to cancel it. This is Kerela. Such things happen."
Thanks, chettai. I would still come & welcome the day off!!
LOL. Yeah, a glimpse into this beautiful land...
ReplyDeleteYou would surely have had more opportunities!
DeleteHey Ash, good to know that you loved Kerala. Life would be different without bandhs, it's always been a negotiating tactic with the Government, not sure with whom the Government wants to negotiate when it calls for a bandh. Can the mallus do without it? May be one day !!!
ReplyDeleteWithout the Bandhs, even Kerela would be different! The no of posters depicting Lenin, Marx, Engels that I saw in the short stretch between Allapuzha & Thiruvananthapuam were more than those of Modi in Gujarat! There were a few depicting Stalin (even the Russians might have forgotten him), Che (already a known face on the tee's) & Bhagat Singh. In fact, the most interesting one was the divine left troika with Gandhi.
DeleteWithout these, only the natural beauty would make Kerela interesting ;-)
sounds interesting sir...I would love to see some more pics if you have any
ReplyDeleteSure, but be warned that most of these are from inside a car as it traveled across the beautiful land. The best views are of the backwaters, but the bridge is always too narrow for the car to stop without obstructing the traffic :(
DeleteAt other places (Kottayam distt.), you never know when to click as each turn of the road brings an altogether different view & you would rather enjoy it 1st hand than through the lens of a mobile camera!
Anish, you would definitely have some good ones... can you pls send a few across?