A Relaxing Holiday - Thekkady and Alleppey

A particularly upsetting week with various problems had us looking forward to this getaway with more zeal than usual. Having booked Club Mahindra resort at Thekkady and their Ramada Alleppey, we were packed the previous night and ready to leave bright and early.

18/08/2015 - Day 1 - Bangalore - Thekkady

Morning dawned wet and drizzly.. when we woke up at 4am. By the time we left at 5.45am, the drizzle had stopped, and a cool breeze was wafting..we drove straight through to Saravana Bhavan after the Krishnagiri toll plaza and had one of the most mouth watering pongals I have ever eaten..Toshu is a dosa guy and having had that we left again at 8am. Just before Dindigul, we turned on to the road to Vatlagundu and set off...barring some bad patches here and there, the road is good. 

Unfortunately we were past Theni by the time we were nearing lunch time and here is where we ran into road works, diversions and no food. Breakfast had long since vanished and we wre left dingy holes in the wall which did not appear too clean..so we bought some biscuits, thus fortified, reached Thekkady at 2.30pm...stopped at the first decent looking place and had lunch. Checked in at the resort at my requested room no.304 and crashed out.

An evening swim and a stroll around the resort restored us..and we had an early dinner and hit the snooze button early..

 Day 2 - Thekkady

One good thing about going to familiar places is that there is a familiar rhythm one falls into easily. A leisurely morning swim followed by a hearty breakfast, an hour of reading and relaxing...it was a nice way to spend the morning. 

Left the resort at 11.30am, went to our regular spice shop and bought our annual supply of spices, banana chips to eat and gift...pineapple and dry fruit halwa...all stuffed into 3 bulging bags..we went to the Orchid restaurant and had some typical Kerala food..absolutely yum...after a relaxed lunch in a quiet ambience..we reached the resort at 3pm and had a good nap till 6pm...

A swim and we settled down to watch 'Badlapur'...a taut movie..of greed, modern day erosion of values and primeval instincts...had a simple dinner and called it a day...but not before Toshu and Ranga bought me a cake, and it was cut in all splendor -  ringing in my birthday.

Day 3 - Thekkady - Alleppey

Next morning had a leisurely coffee, read the newspaper... Enjoyed the numerous gifts from both including a Kerala saree (touch wood, aren't I lucky?), breakfast whipped up by hubby and left for Alleppey at 8.30am. 

A coasting along drive through lovely green ghats, was remarkable for the lungful if pristine oxygen, the cup of masala chai, the sparkling waterfalls and streams...it was bliss... This was all on NH 46 and after 60 kms of this we hit NH 7. Drove on the excellent roads till we had to use Google maps to reach our hotel on reaching Alleppey. We had had a simple lunch at Aariya bavan at Changanaserry so we were in no hurry. En route we were driving along the backwaters, admiring the many kettuvellams dotting it...

Reached Ramada at 2 pm, checked in to our fabulous room and were immediately bowled over by the view of the finishing point of the Nehru trophy boat race, the immense expanse of the Vembanad and dotted on the horizon the paddy fields, Green and soothing. For the next two days time was spent majorly imbibing this nature's bounty.

This Beautiful scene of the boats gliding on the lake with the golden rays of the setting sun enveloping the entire world in its shimmering embrace has got etched in my memory forever.

Evening went to the bar where father and son shared the son's first drink after he turned 21 and later we all went to the restaurant for a super dinner...the buffet was good and the local delicacies were the hero. Sated, happy and at peace I was busy replying to calls and messages pouring in from across the world from all friends and well wishers. We enjoyed the beautiful hotel and then returned to our rooms.

Day 4 - Alleppey

All ideas of a visit to kochi was pooh poohed by the men...saying no sightseeing.. Just relaxing!! So be it...a swim and a siesta later we went out exploring the market, saw the lovely boat taxis and canals, a temple and walked into a restaurant called Sisir's Palace... A misnomer...a small little place but clean and neat. Food was adequate if not excellent... And we returned to a nap. A long session in the Spa hit all the right spots, esp the ayurvedic massage and treatments...and we came out languid and oh so rejuvenated!!!

Drove down to a place "Makkani" for some amazing food and called it a night.

Day 5 - Alleppey - Bangalore

Started raining and the pitter patter of rain drops lulls one to sleep. Awoke at 4.30am, made some simple sandwiches as standby and some coffee. Got dressed and left at 6am sharp...it was still raining...and the route with canals and trees on either side bathed in a calm sunlight drenched with rain was surreal.

Stopped at Aluva for some hot pongal and vada for breakfast. Moved on towards Thrissur...to the ghats to Palakkad.. And we got caught in a mother of all traffic jams because a truck had overturned... On the ghats..no way forward or back...so we moved an inch at a time...we covered 7kms in 2 1/2 hours...it was nerve wracking... Not knowing when we would clear this...and it threw all schedule haywire.

Once we were out of the traffic snarl we stopped to have sandwiches and coffee (thank God I made them), and settled down for a long long drive. Reached Krishnagiri around 4pm and had some snacks at A2b before we moved on...entered Bangalore at 6pm and crawled home at 7.15pm. Over 14 hours...thanks to my big boys Ranga, Toshu and the Scorpio  morale was high and fatigue low respectively.

Lovely, laid back rejuvenating holiday...couldn't have asked for a better birthday !! 47 but feeling on top of the world !!!

Notes

On the odo - 1463kms.

Fuel efficiency - 14-15kms to a litre.

Routes

Bangalore to Thekkady

Bangalore - Hosur - Krishnagiri- Salem-Namakkal- Dindigul..just before Dindigul, turn right on to Kodaikanal road towards Vattalagundu-Cumbum-Theni-Kumily(Thekkady) - about 540kms.

Thekkady - Alleppey

Thekkady - Vandi Periyar - Mundakayam - Changanaserry - Alleppey - about 150 kms.

Alleppey - Bangalore

Alleppey - Ernakulam - Aluva - Thrissur - Palakkad - Chittur -Coimbatore - Namakkal - Salem -  Krishnagiri - Hosur -  Bangalore - about 700 kms

Weather - Rainy, cool...awesome!!