Vayalada view point

     Search for tourist locations in Kozhikode district continued and lately I reached Vayalada.  I had read  many articles in Facebook and newspapers about this location, it is a well known place nearby and an ideal destination for a one day trip even with family as well.  It is actually a beautiful place, one can be reached there by own vehicle or a KSRTC bus starting from Kozhikode city.

     I, with my friend Abbas, reached at Vayalada around 3 pm. Vayalada is a small village located in Kozhikode district, around 50km away from the city. It is a high range place. From 'Estate mukku', a bus stop in the Edavanna- Koyilandy state high-way, between Balussery and Thamarassery, we have to take a turn towards Kakkayam route. At Thalayad, we need to take left turn where the sign board says 6km towards Vayalada. After a kilometer, the ghat road begins. This is the route. 

     We started ascending in that sunny atmosphere.  Gaining height, there is a small junction, from there we turned towards right that road is heading towards Vayalada view point. From the tarmacked main road, there is an off road towards left. It is the way to the view point. 

     The road is suitable only for off-road driving. We moved on foot from there. That road was really steep. Along the left side of the way, there was a rivulet in which thin flow of water was there. Either sides of the stream were crowded with bamboo trees which gave a dark look all along.  Huge rocks had stood vertically on the sides. At a point one rock stood head of the passerby just like an umbrella. 

We walked upward.  Started little bit panting but was not much. We gained more height. The road was heading ahead more narrow. After sometimes, we reached on the top. The view there was amazing. Looking down the atmosphere  was misty. The view of water body that  formed as a backwater due to  the hydro electrical project, Kuttiadi, in the river Kuttiady puzha was visible from there. The stagnate water was making a beautiful view for  a long distance, I think, its length may be more than a dozen kilometer. 

We spent an hour there, took photographs.  A group of women and a newly wedded couples also were there enjoying the beauty of the place wading and sitting over the rocky patches.  The number of tourists were less, it may be because of the recent demonetization issue that financially hit the people. 

We started descending soon, reached back to Thalayad, had a tea and drove back home.

The experience was interesting.

(All pictures of this post are taken by TP Abbas)

A tribute

     (A tribute to my friend and relative Mr Naseem, Alukkal, Areekode, Malapuram district, Kerala  who passed away  while he was in a  trekking to  Himalayas at Manali, Himachal Pradesh on 19/09/2016)


My dear friend..

Where you have gone even without a good bye? I still don't believe you departed us.

     Since at what age we became friends? I don't remember.  Only I know is it was since our early child-hood days.  It was you who shared me the classical types of ghazals. It was you who suggested me books for reading. It was you with whom I have had long debates about ideologies and about everything under the sky.  It was you who always had encouraged me to write down something. It was you who always prompted me to prepare for PSC although I was not much bothered about it.

 An avid reader, ghazal lover,  an adventurous traveler and what not you were!   We had played together a lot. Our childhood days were colorful.  Your village was our haven in vacations. We dived into the river Chaliyar together. We swam, we fished and  we played hide and seek in the water.

 We had completed our schooling same year.  But you gradually turned an encyclopedia. At small age you started reading heavy books. Religious comparative study was your favorite topic at that time. You were the winner of all  quiz competitions. You conquered the PSC barricade and became a government employee.

     I don't know when was it that you fell in love with ghazal. I already was a music lover since my child-hood days. But when you started loving the Hindustani classical, you pushed me behind there also.

     When I started trekking local destinations, you made it on the great Himalayas. There also I became smaller.  Never I imagined you would say a good bye in your second expedition to Himalayas.

    But I would say, this was not the right time to bid an adieu. Trekking was there in your breath like ghazal. But never I thought this would be your last trek. But it is the almighty who decides everything. We are just the puppets in his hand. Only we can do is just to play accordingly on his commands.

Beautiful guest

     This is the guest who visited my home today. A rare species of butterfly. Though I have visited many forests and butterfly parks, first ever I see this kind. Those who know the details please share the knowledge here. Thank you all in advance.

A rare species of butterfly found at Cheruvadi, near Kozhikode on 26/08/2016

A rare species of butterfly found at Cheruvadi, near Kozhikode 26/08/2016

Smoking thoughts

     Years ago, I had some friends who were smoking one or two cigarettes daily. I had warned them almost every day at that time.

I said to one of them:

"Now the smoking is under your control. But later it will be the cigarette who controls you".

But he ignored and replied.

"I can stop the smoking whenever I wish to do so. Because now I puff only one or two each time after the lunch and supper."

Ok. Nothing to say.

Now after 15 years I met him once again and found that his lips don't have any free time as they are clamping a cigarette in between the two one after another continuously! 

Smile only the solution sometimes.