On the final day, there was redemption. Looking ahead, there is hard travel in the near future. It is all the same.
The Kid and I had tried three times to explore the Vallyaparamba Backwaters, North of Kannur. We had tried on our way North, finding two of the government ferry jetties, each at the end of the small point of nowhere. Neither time could we scare up a boat, ferry or otherwise. You may remember that we journeyed North to Nileshwaram and had some fine times, but no backwaters.
We walked the rural pathways, meeting fishermen, teachers, and our local Ferguson guides. We interacted with folks at a level that I have not experienced, until now, even in some of the Lao villages that I have stayed in. But no backwaters except those we walked along.
Friday, The Genetic Envelope awoke with a touch of the traveler's dread, thus ending any hope of sojourning out in search of the now almost mythical ferry system, which seems unknown to any of the local people. By mid-day, the GE felt rejuvenated and we ventured North, via the most crowded buses ever, to Bekal Fort. This Fort juts out into the Arabian sea and was well worth the trouble. We walked the walls, the turrets and the amazing beaches, pictures of which will follow. But still no backwaters.
Today, our last day traveling in Kerala, we decided to explore on the way back South to Kannur. We bused to Payyannur and then tried one more time to convince the Auto-rickshaw drivers that this ferry system existed and could they please take us there. The guide book said East, 8 kilometers, lay the boat jetty at Ayitty. Discussion, passing around of the paper with the information, more discussion, pointing and commenting and a general hub-bub of debate. This is what ten tuk-tuk drivers do when faced with something out of the ordinary.
Finally, we all agreed that our driver knew exactly where we wanted to go. Everyone was convinced with the exception of Liam and myself. And so we headed off, West. Well, the worst that could happen was that we ended up back in Payyannur, which had happened before. And yet, and yet, after ten kilometers West, I saw the sign for Ayitty, that mythical paradise where ferry boats are said to roam. Ferry Boats! You will laugh when you see the pictures. Yes! We had found it.
Almost two hours later we proudly chugged south. For an hour and a half we chugged through the backwaters, a series of barrier islands and the deltas of four rivers that make up the aquatic tangle of palm shores and channels. People live on the islands and depend on the boats, though less and less as bridges are built. But there we were.
At the end, they put us off at the lonely jetty that we had found on the first day. But now, there were people and a little bus and all was well with the world. But it only happens three or four times a day and otherwise, it is as if it were some sort of bizarre, Indian Brigadoon.
We came full circle today. In fact, circles within circles. We are back in Kannur, having done a great loop North and back. We have looped from a lonely jetty in the Indian backwaters to the same jetty, arriving both from the land and from the water. And in one day we traveled slowly, and primitively, from Payyannur back to exactly the same spot in Payyannur.
Tomorrow is a twelve hour bus ride to Bangelore. The next day is a 24 hour flight to Seattle. Hard traveling ahead, but that is the price of the journey. Unless we bump into some wifi, a rarity here, the rest of my post will be apres' arrival in Seattle, but I have some great pictures still to share and videos as well.
I am heartened by all of the page views that these humble posts have received. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Namaste, be well, travel often and much love.
Marco
The Kid and I had tried three times to explore the Vallyaparamba Backwaters, North of Kannur. We had tried on our way North, finding two of the government ferry jetties, each at the end of the small point of nowhere. Neither time could we scare up a boat, ferry or otherwise. You may remember that we journeyed North to Nileshwaram and had some fine times, but no backwaters.
We walked the rural pathways, meeting fishermen, teachers, and our local Ferguson guides. We interacted with folks at a level that I have not experienced, until now, even in some of the Lao villages that I have stayed in. But no backwaters except those we walked along.
Friday, The Genetic Envelope awoke with a touch of the traveler's dread, thus ending any hope of sojourning out in search of the now almost mythical ferry system, which seems unknown to any of the local people. By mid-day, the GE felt rejuvenated and we ventured North, via the most crowded buses ever, to Bekal Fort. This Fort juts out into the Arabian sea and was well worth the trouble. We walked the walls, the turrets and the amazing beaches, pictures of which will follow. But still no backwaters.
Today, our last day traveling in Kerala, we decided to explore on the way back South to Kannur. We bused to Payyannur and then tried one more time to convince the Auto-rickshaw drivers that this ferry system existed and could they please take us there. The guide book said East, 8 kilometers, lay the boat jetty at Ayitty. Discussion, passing around of the paper with the information, more discussion, pointing and commenting and a general hub-bub of debate. This is what ten tuk-tuk drivers do when faced with something out of the ordinary.
Finally, we all agreed that our driver knew exactly where we wanted to go. Everyone was convinced with the exception of Liam and myself. And so we headed off, West. Well, the worst that could happen was that we ended up back in Payyannur, which had happened before. And yet, and yet, after ten kilometers West, I saw the sign for Ayitty, that mythical paradise where ferry boats are said to roam. Ferry Boats! You will laugh when you see the pictures. Yes! We had found it.
Almost two hours later we proudly chugged south. For an hour and a half we chugged through the backwaters, a series of barrier islands and the deltas of four rivers that make up the aquatic tangle of palm shores and channels. People live on the islands and depend on the boats, though less and less as bridges are built. But there we were.
At the end, they put us off at the lonely jetty that we had found on the first day. But now, there were people and a little bus and all was well with the world. But it only happens three or four times a day and otherwise, it is as if it were some sort of bizarre, Indian Brigadoon.
We came full circle today. In fact, circles within circles. We are back in Kannur, having done a great loop North and back. We have looped from a lonely jetty in the Indian backwaters to the same jetty, arriving both from the land and from the water. And in one day we traveled slowly, and primitively, from Payyannur back to exactly the same spot in Payyannur.
Tomorrow is a twelve hour bus ride to Bangelore. The next day is a 24 hour flight to Seattle. Hard traveling ahead, but that is the price of the journey. Unless we bump into some wifi, a rarity here, the rest of my post will be apres' arrival in Seattle, but I have some great pictures still to share and videos as well.
I am heartened by all of the page views that these humble posts have received. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Namaste, be well, travel often and much love.
Marco
Safe travels home to you both! It sounds like you once again had a most excellent adventure!
ReplyDeleteNamaste, Marco and Liam. Your journey enriches us all.
ReplyDelete