Monsoon in Western Ghats and Kerala is something one should
never miss. In the six years I have been coming – irrespective of weather -
Wayanad never disappointed me. Lush greenery around in the monsoon was the best
welcome back! Busy traffic on the Kalpetta – Bathery route at 5.A.M made sure
there was enough light to enjoy the green hue with the rain drops. Staying
awake on this stretch, I was longing for a black tea (preferably the Malayalam
word “kattan”). It was a perfect way to celebrate our 6 years of marriage, rain
in Western Ghats and Ayurveda massage.
Wayanad is the first place I visited in Kerala and each time we get
here, I can feel the Goosebumps.
Massage at Kannur Ayurveda Clinic was relaxing and refreshing. They have
variety of Ayurveda therapies as well as a homestay. I thoroughly enjoyed my
three day session of Full Body Massage and Shirodhaara.
The comfy rooms come with attached bath (with hot water
shower). They have a limited collection of books and a few games, in case you
don’t want to step out during the rains. Right next to Kannur Ayurveda Clinic
on Emily road, Hotel Kukku named after the owner’s grand-daughter, dishes up
basic meals including seasonal fish fry. Hurry for breakfast and lunch, it gets
over really fast.
This vacation was a big gastronomical therapy as well. After
every session of therapy, we marched to the nearest ‘thattukada’ (cart on
wheels) which serves ‘ennakkadi’ (fried snacks) and ‘kattan chaya’ (black-tea)
throughout the day. We also raided other bakeries on the main road. Hotel
Thoufeeq adjacent to the mosque, opposite to Sindur Textiles, was the best
place for breakfast. Affas Udupi Hotel,
opposite to HDFC Bank on the main road serves the best vegetarian meals in
town. On Sunday, there are many retailers offering spices and organic
vegetables arranged in front of the closed shops.
The ride to Dasanakkara to meet our friend was a gripping
story-telling session, it was a really long distance auto rickshaw ride -52 km
round trip. The view was mesmerizing with the continuous rain and our new local
friend, Samad kept us entertaining with stories and current affairs. During our
Northeast backpacking trip we had met Jobin and Varghese in Menchukha. Jobin
was riding home from Bangalore and decided to catch up at Wayanad. This
rendezvous was after a good 5 years and it was nice recalling the old stories
and sharing new travel stories.
How can we leave Kerala without riding a KSRTC bus? We
boarded the first bus that came our way at the Kalpetta bus station. The bus
was headed to Vaduvanchal, we bought the ticket for the last stop. The ride was
ravishing, with occasional downpour enhancing the freshness and green hue. After
contemplating on whether to get off the bus and take a different route back,
downpour helped us make up our mind to return in the same bus.
