The 8 day south side story

Hey as you know a blog runs sequentially in reverse order. The last post coming in first... I tried to construct this trip story in one or two posts, but tough luck, then it ran into quite a few pages. So the only option was to break it up into a few posts and make it by day and place of visit.

As usual lots of things happen when you have an open mind and a restless soul.

To get to this trip story from the beginning click here. Do leave your comments. And thanks for stopping by.

October 5, 2007 – Friday. Calicut to Wayanad

Off to Wayand. The route took us through many villages, towns and plantations. We were plagued by bad roads here as well, but then, we knew this time we were on route to exiting them.

We stopped for grabbing a bite a small joint midway. The place was clean to sit and have a bite and tea. The famous Parotta’s came hot along with traditional mallu gram curry. We hogged like never before. The serving boy put two glasses of colored liquid on our table.

When I asked what it was. I found out it was drinking water. Yellow colored! This is the water all of them consumed. And we talk of literacy levels and communism and equality. When the bloody state can’t offer people simple clear drinking water, the rest of the promises and festivals is complete hog wash and nonsensical. Gods own country my foot. All this amidst plantations ... twistin by the hill side.

I suddenly hated myself yet again. What are we as a civilization? What have we become? This was worse than stone age. And here we’re spending a few crores on cricketers? Shame on our souls. I wished I could do something about it.

Waynad was spent in brooding over my own soul. Dark and grim thoughts in mind.

Moving on? Click here.

October 4, 2007 – Thursday. A Theyyam look see and to Calicut

Up at 5:00 but could make it out of the door only at 6:00 wifey opted to sleep it off. So it was a solo ride of about 18 kms to the temple in the forest village.

Long winding lanes after a reasonable Mangalore – Kerala highway I found myself in a temple like surrounding. What struck me was the cleanliness of the place. And the absence of touts and I was just yet another tourist.

By the time I reached the main abstract of the ritual was over and there were two fully dressed people (made up like in the kathakali) standing in front of the actual deity. People were clamoring to talk to them for advice and blessings…

No photographs allowed. So for the time being it has to in writing till I get to sight a full theyyam and click it.

Went back to the hotel and we decided to move to the next town.

Calicut that day enough of Kannur. At least chill in the sun and sand of the beach.

Kerala roads are bad. Real Effing bad. More potholes than roads. And that’s not just about highways, but also city and town roads. Dirty, polluted, potholed and messy. And to add to misery the road signs suck bad too.

So after losing our way a couple of time we finally hit the right track and into Calicut. This was only about 90 Kms but took us about 4 hours. And we were exhausted too.

Lazed about the town in the evening. Hung out at the beach. And soon came the topic where next. While this was a more prosperous town than Kannu, this was no chill joint.

So, the forest is what we knew was possible and we could head back homewards as well as the holiday was coming to an end.

Wayand would be it. And lucky again one night’s stay available there. A distance of about 100 kms to Bethery or about 90 Kms to Kalpeta, which seemed doable regardless of whatever roads stretch came our way.

Continue by clicking here.

October 3, 2007 – Wednesday. Kannur

Reminded me of that song by Winwood
Bird flying high and you know how I feel
Sun up in the sky, you know how I feel,
that's what I mean
It's a new dawn
It's new day
It's a new life for me
And I'm feelin' good

That was how I felt at 7 AM. New dawn, new day. Albeit, with a little back ache no doubt. Wifey was not yet up and she was more tired than me. So I let her be.

I took some time out to re-live the day before. This was one I’ll not forget in a hurry, don’t think both of us will. But then, we were here in Kannur, and that too for a special reason. To try and locate a Theyyam.

As the local folklore goes, this goes way back. Precedes even Hinduism. It was a religious ritual plus an art form. No one really knew which part was the ritual and which part is the art. But then, it’s a spectacle for anyone, whether he’s seen it or not. While the performer is doing it, he goes into a trance or a possessed state where he becomes identified with the god he’s portraying giving it a mythical identity. Theyyam means godlike.

The make up, dressing and discipline before the act is rigorous and often stretches into hours where the artists fast till its over without even water to drink. These happen at Kavus or mangroves which are plentiful in Kanoor and Kasaragod. Therefore we were at the heart of Theyyam territory and probably in season.

Talking to people around, the hotel manager, locals etc led us to find out about a certain folklore academy in Kannur. If we were up to it we would be going there today.

But first, we needed a change of slippers. So went to town to get our feet covered. The afternoon sun was really hot and were in the mood to just chill for the day. So to hell went all research and out came a few beers and then lunch and crash.

Late afternoon we did find the Kerala Folklore academy … bad luck Theyyam season started end of October none to be sighted now. But on grilling the unwilling boys at the academy there emerged one place where it happened but in a small way in a temple. The Patasinikadavu temple where it happened everyday but then at 5:30 in the morning.

Rest of the evening went out in the regular sightseeing, the fort, the beach, the town.

So next morning’s plan was made. The Bullet was given for clean-up and service after I found out the station. Got it back in good shape. Any other vehicle could not have taken that slaughter. That’s the difference between a Bull and the rest.

Lazed around in the evening to unwind.

Theyyam or other things? Click here.

October 2, 2007 - Tuesday. Nagerhole to Kannur

Trip start point Jungle Inn
Distance 140 Kms (approximately)
Trip end point Malabar Residency, Kannur
Route Nagerhole – Husur - Coorg – Irrity - Kannur
Duration/time 6 hours (11:30 AM – 5:30 PM)

The day began at right earnest. With the morning came the call, that Kerala would be the place to visit and not Mysore. God’s own country beckons.

So at breakfast a short quiz with the manager, re-confirmed the route and went back to the Bullet…ready to go. Problem. The rear tyre was FLAT. The friendly staff at the resort brought out a leg pump for air, the only way out, pump it up take it 20 kms to Hunsur and get it fixed.

Baggage dismantled quickly, a rushed out pumping later, I set out to Hunsur at rocket speed through the narrow lanes…

Found the puncture shop, got it fixed, bought a new tube, got it wheeled in, gassed up and rushed back to the resort. 2 hours gone. The most helpful manager came with me and helped through the entire drama… good to see people like this exist.

Back to resort, the entire baggage settled in. Distraught and a little stressed out, but then, that lit the fire in the belly to do what everyone seemed against. We both decided it had to be Kannur and not Mysore come hell or highwater. 11:30 AM.

So instead of turning right on Hunsur road we turned left. A fatal left turn that we came to learn within an hour or so of cruising through coffee and rubber plantations and slick roads and cool breeze on our faces.

Right after the plantations at Coorg the roads become a little potholed. But then, what the heck we thought, if this was what the guys back there were talking about, we’ve seen worse… this was nothing.

Somewhere, (I just did not observe nor do I remember the point) it starts to drizzle. And then came complete disaster. It came like hell unleashed. We hit what was the remnants of the hill road. It was mudslide, gorged up, watered, loose, bricked up, slush pits…

The speed came down to 2 kms/hour. We had to stop at various point and wifey had to dismantle. There were wide pools of mud which had to be ridden through. Jutting rocks which had to be avoided. Loose slippery mud to be crossed quickly, and that was not all, there was rain beating down from the heavens above. Well here's a real taste of gods own wrath.

We went on, soaking wet, praying that our water resist bags remained water resistant. From one hole to another, hop, skip and skid through the terrain.

Only those who did not know about this terrain chose to venture here apart from some foolhardy truckers who came this route to save a quick buck probably or were insane.

We found a stretch where trucks were stuck in the mud. The drivers were piling up rocks on a sudden death pit so that it could cross over. A couple of cars stalled in the middle drivers thinking of turning the other way around.

The rain began lashing out heavily. We stopped beneath some trees and in a mud pile. I got so stressed that I got the urge to puff a cigaratte. Which I did. I lit one and smoked it in the rain. AAAH. What a relief. That hit felt good. Once the nicotine got into my blood and that too after almost 4 months of laying off I was feeling lighter and the pain reduced, a little refreshed.

After that both of us went for it. Eff the rain. And this time focused and serious about getting over with this. Did not have the balls to take out my brand new camera kit to shoot this terrain as a show piece.

Gods own country they say Kerala is. I am sure, that was God’s own shit pot. Where he farted and crapped leaded balls to devastate anything that moved.

I wish the people in this part of the country woke up and started doing a bit of work. Like booting out their idiosyncratic government to the vultures. Bloody politicians filling up their own coffers while devastation like this exists.

Co-incidence that this was Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday as well. What a debacle to the state of the nation.

On one side we talk of progress and on the other such disasters exist. The only thought I could summon up at that time was to build a remote controlled car chain the state head and his crony inside and run that car at 50 kms/hr (no more) flat out on the terrain ONE WAY. If he’s still alive, then, I am sure he would do something about the road within the next 24 hours.

For gods sake at least BLOCK THE TERRAIN for traffic!

We soon reached a shack which seemed like a place to get some tea and also get out of the rain and terrain for a bit. The shop served up delicious Kerala parotta’s (pancakes) and sweets. Wifey dug into them and we lighted up a bit.

As the rain slowed down a bit, we mounted the bull and were off again. We found that the rocks would last another 2 kms. Well after about half an hour we crossed the landslide zone and into a small town.

Passed through it quietly. Surprise, even here the roads were pothole ridden. Nothing compared to other terrain but then, not roads by any standards.

Wifey had taken the brunt of the attack from the rear… the jerking is more painful for the pillion rider and she almost gave up at a point. Where she just wanted to break off. Try to hire a cab (if one existed in these villages) and go.

Somehow managed to coax her to hang on. Some coffee and cigarettes later we rode on to Kannur. And that last 10 kms was good, we made it in one piece. Victory. Found our way to Hotel Malabar Residency a 3 star hotel vending out cheap rooms… well this was off season mate and no one comes here anyway.

The rest of the day went into unpack, drying, slugging a drink, eating and then blacking out! The worst was over.

Next day at Kannur. Click here.