Kerala – Way to Munnar!

On 4th day morning after breakfast we boarded a luxury bus which was hired by the tour operator and was with us until we reached at KanyaKumari. Our destination on the fourth day was Munnar a tiny beautiful hill station in Kerala. Journey was bit tiring because we were moving up and feeling queasiness yet it was worth because the beauty of the place that kept me awake and tried to capture each frame with my camera.

Kochi to Munnar

Munnar

Munnar town is situated on the Kannan Devan Hills village in Devikulam taluk and is the largest panchayat in the Idukki district in Kerala The region in and around Munnar varies in height from 1,450 meters to 2,695 meters above mean sea level.  The temperature ranges between 5 °C and 25 °C in winter and 15 °C and 25 °C in summer.

Flora and fauna

Most of the native flora and fauna of Munnar have disappeared due to severe habitat fragmentation resultant from the creation of the plantations. However, some species continue to survive and thrive in several protected areas nearby, including the new Kurinjimala Sanctuary to the east, the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Manjampatti Valley and the Amaravati reserve forest of Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary to the north east, the Eravikulam National Park.

Way to Munnar

		Spice Garden on the Way

!!!Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. – Helen Keller!!!

Kerala - Kochi - II!

Third day sightseeing was a treat for the eyes and in this last part I am attaching another set of pictures for the visual treat. This time it is the famous Chinese Fishnets, the St. Francis Church and the original Vasco da Gama tomb situated beneath of the church.

St. Francis CSI Church

Vasco da Gama, who discovered the sea route from Europe to India, landed at Kappad near Kozhikode (Calicut) in 1498. Vasco da Gama was followed by Pedro Álvares Cabral and Afonso de Albuquerque. They built a fort at Kochi with permission from the Raja of Cochin. Within the fort, they built a church with a wooden structure, which was dedicated to St. Bartholomew. The neighbourhood is now known as Fort Kochi. St. Francis CSI Church, in Fort Kochi, originally built in 1503, is the oldest European church in India and has great historical significance as a mute witness to the European colonial struggle in the subcontinent.

Vasco da Gama

The Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama, died in Kochi in 1524 when he was on his third visit to India. His body was originally buried in this church, but after fourteen years his remains were removed to Lisbon.

The Chinese fishing nets

The Chinese fishing nets (Cheena vala) are fishing nets that are fixed land installations for an unusual form of fishing — shore operated lift nets. They are mostly found in the Indian state of Kerala. Huge mechanical contrivances hold out horizontal nets of 20 m or more across. Each structure is at least 10 m high and comprises a cantilever with an outstretched net suspended over the sea and large stones suspended from ropes as counterweights at the other end. Each installation is operated by a team of up to six fishermen.

The system is sufficiently balanced that the weight of a man walking along the main beam is sufficient to cause the net to descend into the sea. The net is left for a short time, possibly just a few minutes, before it is raised by pulling on ropes. The catch is usually modest: a few fish and crustaceans — these may be sold to passersby within minutes.

Kochi Town from the Lake

!!!Wise traveler never despises his own country. - William Hazlitt!!!

Kerala - Kochi!!!

While spending a considerable time in Kochi lake, we had a close view of Kochi Island also known as Willingdon Island and the Kochi Port. Some of these pictures say the story.

Day 3 [At Kochi]

The port lies on two islands in the Lake of Kochi: Willingdon Island and Vallarpadam, towards the Fort Kochi river mouth opening onto the Arabian Sea.

Kochi Lake is the portion of the Vembanad Lake located in and around the Kochi mainland. Among the several groups of small islands that the Kochi Lake forms home are, Vypin, Mulavukad, Vallarpadam, Willingdon Island etc. Kochi Lake is home for the Kochi Port which is build around the Willingdon Island, as well as the Vallarpadam island.

Willingdon Island is an island, which forms part of the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. Much of the present Willingdon Island was claimed from the Lake of Kochi, filling in dredged soil around a previously existing, but tiny, natural island. Willingdon Island is significant as the home for the Port of Kochi, as well as the Kochi Naval Base (the Southern Naval Command) of the Indian Navy and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, a constituent unit of Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

Willingdon Island contains the modern port, serving Cochin city, Kerala. The island is an artificial man-made island created from the sand dug out while deepening Kochi port. It has been named after Lord Willingdon, the former Madras governor, who was instrumental in implementing this island project. The main engineer spearheading this project, however, was Robert Bristow. A port hostel was built to accommodate passengers who wished to halt for a short while and it was named the Malabar Hotel.

When the British withdrew from India after independence, in 1947, they left behind an indispensable and significant transport hub. During its short colonial tenure, the Willingdon Island in Cochin handled almost one million tons of freight. By the year 1960, the traffic had almost doubled. It is a major artificial port in India and a landmark in the Kochi city of Kerala. Willingdon Island also serves as a link between the city and some other seaports of the world.

!!!Travel is worth any cost or sacrifice. -  Elizabeth Gilbert!!!

Kerala - Ernakulam & Kochi!

 

On third day, 11th November morning at 10, we reached Ernakulam. While porter carried our luggage, we walked to the hotel as it is hardly a couple of minutes from the station. Shalimar Residency was the name of the hotel where we stayed while in Ernakulam.

After freshen up, we served the breakfast and as well as lunch by 1p.m. We decided to take small nap which was much needed after 46 hours journey but we have to venture out at 3 for Kochi city. After driving through the marine drive by a bus our sightseeing in Kochi mostly was done by boat on Kochi Lake. The boat was

Ernakulam

Ernakulam widely referred to as Kochi constitutes the eastern, mainland portion of the twin cities of Ernakulam - Kochi in central Kerala. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala. The Kerala High Court, the Office of the Corporation of Cochin and the Cochin Stock Exchange are situated here. Initially, Ernakulam was the headquarters of the Ernakulam District but was later shifted to Kakkanad. Ernakulam was once the capital of the Kingdom of Cochin.

Marine Drive

The marine drive is the place which situated Kochi Lake and the adjoining Arabian Sea to its west. In the 1980s, started the Kochi Marine Drive project (following from the Mumbai Marine Drive) and thus the whole of the present Marine Drive (part of the Kochi Lake, west of the Shanmugham Road to the present Marine Walkway) was claimed from the Kochi Lake.

Kochi

Kochi is located on the southwest coast of India. The city straddles the backwaters, encompassing the northern end of a peninsula, several islands and a portion of the mainland. To the west lies the Arabian Sea, and to the east is the urbanized region in the rest of the mainland area. Much of Kochi lies at sea level, with a coastline of 48 km.  Ernakulam district, in which Kochi is situated, ranks first in the total number of domestic tourists visiting Kerala, and thus contributes to the economy of the city. The tourist enclave at Fort Kochi and presence of several historical monuments, museums etc. as well as natural attractions like the Vembanad lake and the backwaters attract large number of tourists to the city. Presence of several leading hospitality brands have been a major source of employment for locals.

!!!The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - Saint Augustine!!!