@Andhakaranazhy, Aleppey, India.
What is a journey if not on a Honda?
Welcome to Andhakaranazhy, translated as “the lagoon of darkness” or as “the darkness lagoon” as we would prefer, as one of those wonderful beaches which lies near the National Highway on the way to Aleppey from Cochin. Located 47 kilometres from Alwaye, 58 kilometres from the Cochin Nedumbassery Airport and 30 to 35 kilometres from whichever area you would consider as the Cochin City Centre. If we consider the most significant landmark of recent times, Lulu Mall as the starting point, that should be 37 kilometres. The journey goes through Vyttila, Maradu, Aroor and taking a right turn a few kilometres after you reach Thuravoor and pass through Vayalar Railway Station.
The sea & the lagoon, greenery around.
We started at around four in the evening; well not really started, but pretended to start as the original journey will happen only a few minutes later. The journey is actually the worst around the area from Pulinchode Junction Alwaye to the Lulu Mall Edappally, which is why we took a left turn for the easier route with less traffic which turned out to be horrible as all the heavy vehicles took that route. But that was the only plan failure, as the rest of the journey was smooth enough even with a slower journey due to the existence of speed cameras. Even as the sun was strong, it was one of those cloudy days, and it helped.
Nature & modernity comes together.
It is all about the journey on Honda, and that is the only two-wheeler brand which we would take for a journey – for we have owned seven or eight Honda vehicles so far and looking forward to more. The beauty of the journey comes when you take the right turn, and there begins a beautiful rural setting with lots of greenery, and special mention for that railway station which sits almost in the middle of the road, with parts of the train stopping in front of you and only a small part at the platform. Then there are the beautiful visuals on the sides, which has lots of water and in the absence of it, greenery, the water threatening to come up, being just one thumb length lower than the path.
A walk through the beach with crabs.
Then there is the bridge on the left which takes you to the Andhakaranazhy beach, and before you get on that bridge, you realize that you have seen it before. Yes, it is the same place which we had seen in the movie Idukki Gold from Aashiq Abu, starring Vijayaraghavan, Pratap Pothen, Raveendran, Babu Antony, Lal and Maniyanpilla Raju. I had noticed this place then too, and as I liked the movie enough, there was a certain need to find where this place was. The interest for the same suffered with the same director’s terrible venture called Gangster, but there was something about that shot of Andhakaranazhy. There is even a lighthouse, seemingly keeping the darkness away from the lagoon.
It is indeed impossible not to take this shot.
As we parked the bikes, there was the huge entrance to the beach, but as usual, we chose another path to enter. The beach was actually very crowded, at around five fourty five on the evening and only managed to have more rush as time passed. There were kids playing cricket and soccer, along with a deserted volleyball court. People seemed to be more confident than ever, venturing quite a lot into the water. There were some fishing boats around, the non-mechanized versions. Strangely, the only creatures around there were black cats and black dogs (contributing to the dark name), and then came the crabs of different sizes threatening to say hello to our legs.
If this is not beauty, what is it?
Despite the occasional attack of the dark clouds, the sunset was pretty much a beautiful thing to watch, and its reflection often outdid the same. The rain threatened to attack, but never really got its troops together. Then there was the beauty of the lagoon which came up with incomparable serenity. It had the sands and sea with the sunset sky on one side, and on the other side, it had the silhouettes of the thin trees which raised their heads to the dark clouds. There were small restaurants and tea shops and there we had cardamom/elaichi tea and finished the journey which was extended to more tea at Indian Coffee House on the way back. Well, when it was dark enough, we agreed to the name of the place.
All the good things begin & end with tea.
PS: “Andhera Kaayam Rahe” (May Darkness Prevail) — Tamraj Kilvish 😛
Diving out —>
TeNy
✠ Travel Diaries ❅ My Journey ❅ My World ✠ 
Nice blog Teny. It was really refreshing to read your experience. I personally feel that traveling by road with friends is always an amazing experience. I have been to Kerala and it is a wonderful destination for a relaxing vacation trip and I can see it from your pictures. Thank you for sharing this post.
Thank You 🙂 Yes, it is a wonderful experience, and I am hoping to give it more chances. I feel that travel during the monsoon will be the best experience 🙂
I love Kerala, and proud to be a part of it, although it may have its drawbacks too, but scenery wise and its beaches, it is one of the best. I liked this post especially because it was on a Honda — to quote yourself “what is a journey if not on a Honda!”
Thanks, yes the drawbacks present; but there aren’t a lot of places without drawbacks 🙂 Honda is also an addiction 😀
Yes true..all places have some drawbacks..:)
That’s one addiction that nobody complains about in my life..:D
Beautifully narrated and very nice photography. Darkness glamorised!
Thank you 🙂
🙂
So you write on travel and places also… nice I did not know… anyway Dr Abdul Kalam Azad died… I guess you think think he was a inspirational personality… will read these travel places surely, nice pictures… so your more passionate on watching movies than exploring??…writing seems one of you passions so are you going to be journalist, technical writer, financial writer or editor??…
Yes, and we will miss him.
Thanks. I write on places, but not much these days; as I travel less. This blog hasn’t been updated for long. I am tired of journeys. I think I will end up being nobody. There is no hope.
hmmm… I don’t know why you say that… anyway… but travel is a fun thing, how can you get tired of exploring, having adventures etc, or breathing fresh air, enjoys the waters, mountains, forests… observing different people, listening to stories, seeing new birds, eating different food etc etc… dark clouds over you for a while I guess… anyway
Yes, with the right state of mind.
oh you mean the journalist… don’t be silly you will become somebody, very sure of it…never ever lose hope for silly things… future has the potential to be bright for everybody. Goodday
Lets see what happens. Thanks.
don’t become a vampire ok… with all the dark views…
Nobody dies a vampire in the end.
I though I will share a inspirational story anyway for me atleast… my cousin was working on Infosys, I reckong that chap was unhappy though earning a lot… so after 2 years of work he joined Asian College of Journalism and then later became a journalist though earning less money… then looks like in there some girl liked him recently and proposed for mariage and bingo he is engaged as well to a well he knows well and hopefully will be happy… my point is lots of exciting things in life happen too unexpectedly…perhapes thats the only reason many people live on… thats all… so oppurtunity will come at unexpected times but if you be unreceptive to it you won’t recognize it…anyway I guess not much of a story but tried to make a point… I know another person who is on a full IT job but other than that he teaches yoga in the mornings, then goes to work and late evening if time is there he takes up a photography assignment…then on a weekend he arranges for trekking trips, bike trips etc… and he said it is because of all other activities he does he is productive and happy at work(:… so you see oppurtunity plus your endecour and useful actions can bring about fullfillment… so don’t try to hard in one direction alone, keep seeking inspiration and then take your time and work on your dream and sometime everything will fall in place… your seeing just one side of the side, so I think there is block… I hope you see other nice sides of life(not world)…anyway goodday…you can ignore these things if I am blabbering, after all life is a lone journey and it is what you make out of it, rather than what you get of it…ok gooday leaking thoughts, will close the tap.
Thanks. But smart and talented people always get more jobs and get married soon. Those who can talk well will always be the winners.
Maybe… but everyone can get smart… I am a loser myself very good at talking, these things make me sort of depressed… no use of thinking self is not smart or talented, everyone has talent their own way… point is not everyone become winners only those who pursue and go on inspite of hurdles succeed… yeah one must have this nack of talking smartly and selling yourself more than other skills and talent that can be developed… I always would say find the bright side of life and go on, joy is not in accomplishments alone, and we all have a long life ahead to achieve something or other… no one knows the future but one thing is sure you do somethings right now, tommorow you will get results for it, and more than job, marriage, it is only you, your charactor and strenght and freedom that is important… if you don’t trust the world, or a power above you, atleast have trust in yourself… and someday you will succeed in small ways than the big…anyway goodday… even disabled guys do well…they find a task they can do, and then do it, earn money and live with dignity…so anyone can, a average guy has enough power and ability to do a lot in life, and he should never tire in finding himself an outlet to bring out his best… anyway
May be. But that requires luck, reservations, recommendations and connections. Nobody gets anything purely by hard work or by trying again and again, and if such success was possible, Africa would have been the richest continent.
If you do something out of expectations that you will win or something you won’t… there is no gaurentee that you will succeed… and it is not the result but the journey that counts, what you learn from it etc… check out any great guy how much struggle he had to go through to succeed… Thomas Edition, Einstine, anybody… 100 times they failed before they found something. I got loads of people I have heard who came up from loser, from difficulties… check out this girl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZJZ30PpDzk … and google Rajdeep Malwani… He was blind, he wanted to become teacher and he became one as well… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvBn_FxM0Hk … there is no excuse to give up, lose hope as long as there is potential in you, you got to find the opprtunity to come up… it is easy to say but life is hard and that’s the way it, it is harsh and some parts of it dark but it is beautiful as well… about Africa I don’t know but see countries like Singapur, Bhuthan… ultimately people who like you really do like you for you not for money, job etc…they will automatically come if you do things right might be hard at first, but it is worth it. Anyway… also positivity and hapiness is contagious, it lights up the world, must endeavour for it, everyone of us… All is well as Amir Khan says in 3 idots…anyway, it will be well…anyway
I hope that something happens. It is easier when there are no expectations. When being surrounded by achievers, it is difficult. People will like others for money, and it is the way of the world.
It will not be like other places here. Money matters around here, for getting things done and for being respected. And even relations matter, education doesn’t.
Yes, but money and achievement will come only after struggle… and in that struggle you just do it not caring you win or lose. Money is important but achievement depends…in the long run what counts is that you bring out your potential. No one can be like the other…one must not let other’s achievement bother one too much, only focus and care on what you can do… success is on the page, you may not see it but it is there, I hope you get encouragement and positivity from somewhere too… it is indeed grim view of things, one must not direct ones views seeing just the grimness but focus on doing your best and not worry about results… life is a game, play it unseriously… don’t let judgements of others on self or their veiws affect you…truth is not what they think… sure all nice things will come forth someday though, just keep focusing on doing things well, properly, the best that you can and something will come… after years what counts is what you have become with all the struggles, smart efforts, it would make you better and stronger in general and you are so much more closer to success.. anyway
It should have been the struggle that mattered, but here it is just the result that everyone looks for. That is really not fair. Life is never even close to being fair.
Actually, if one is at a dead end and tired of waiting… one needs a change not to refreashen up but be receptive enough to work out a solution… so just think well wwhen you feel like plan…disregard others, failiurs all that and just think… write down just simpily what you want, your skills… then think of what you can do… what one feels is based on what one has experienced but your thinking, motivation alone will pave the way for success… so think and try to form some plan or do anything about some idea…always keep learning, and do something… the views can change only when things change…so just get thinking and paving your way for success… in a way Kerala is a very innovative place they encourage entrepreneurship etc…good luck
Yes, but it is not that innovative here. People stick to a lot of things and can’t accept changes! Not the best place to look for a job.
Come out of Kerala, to cities… simple… you will get a nice job somewhere else where, many Keralites are spread everywhere for education and job…if you get a chance please do… at this point in life job may be important for good career later…nothing else before that…world and its nature is secondary for now… yes it can be hard now… everyone requires a job now, otherwise not much respect…but it would come
I am looking into such a possibility.
hmmm… goodluck, but you really write well, even your movie analysys looks good… so though I am not the right person to give any opinion, you write good movie reveiws, and till now came across only one typo error…crows and crowds…but it may be just anybody can write, I would not know…
Thank you 🙂 I make a lot of typo errors; but most of the time, I just manage to find them before anybody else does.
Well narrated. I am basically from Cherthala, Alappuzha and the said place is near to me. I left the place some years back. Now your writing brought me to old nostalgic memories again.
I wish to go back to the place soon too 🙂