The Wild Mushrooms

Recently during a trek to Sagargad in the Western Ghats of India, we came across a wild species of mushrooms. Their white color looked spectacular against the brown mud and green grass. But in all their glory they looked lethal and not good to eat or even touch.

The village local guide trekking with us, picked on our curiosity and casually dug one out. We quickly surrounded him hoping to hear some information about the mushroom, but to our surprise, all he did was started nibbling on it.

It seems the gorgeous looking mushroom was infact edible and often picked up by the local boys around the area. He pointed out to us some non edible ones as well, but the white one was definitely eligible to be go into the “Guide for Surviving the Forests of Western India”.

He didn’t know the name of the variety of the fungi, so I came back and read a little on the internet. My reading suggests they could be the Termitomyces variety known to be a popular wild food wherever they occur, but I can’t say for sure. I’ll be glad to if someone can point me to a correct name if I am wrong.

We have a beautiful variety of flora and fauna around the western coast of India. These get even better during the monsoons. And there is always something new to learn when you head out to explore them.

The edible fungi

The edible fungi

The view on the way to the Sagargad Fort

Worship place along the way to Sagargad Fort

The French Summer in Paris and a Dance

The French summer of 2010 is marked in my memory with a travel to the beautiful and lighted city of Paris.

Paris enchanted me with its Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Notre Dame. The shopping was fantastic and so was the food. But my days there were never planned. I just moved around the streets without a map, discovering new things about the city that 'tourists' can never. I would recommend this method of travelling to anyone who loves a little adventure, because losing yourself in a new city leaves you with so many more opportunities to discover it.

Eiffel Tower in Paris

But the story is not about the things I saw in Paris, instead it is about a memory that will stay with me for a long time.

One early evening I was scouting for a place for dinner. As I walked along the Champs-Élysées I noticed that the summers in France brought in a lot of tourists. The cafes and the shopping places were always brimming with crowds. The city felt vibrant and lighted in every way!

The Champs-Élysées Avenue

While walking along the avenue, I came across a cafe called Cafe George V. They had an indoor seating arrangement which was full, but the tables set along the sidewalk had a couple of empty ones. I peeped around the tables to see whether the food at the tables interested me.

While still in the midst of contemplation, a waiter suddenly walked up to me and asked "How many?" to which I replied "Just one."! And within no time I was there sitting at a table and looking at the menu card.

Salmon Fillet at Cafe George V

I ordered for salmon fillet with herbed lemon sauce and steamed rice and vegetables. By the time the waiter had finished writing my order, he had introduced me to an experience that was fun but at the same time a little embarrassing.

But a little prelude before that -

"Foreigners are always exotic in the countries they visit. But if you are foreigner from the Indian subcontinent, you are sometimes mistaken to be a Mexican when in the US or Spanish when in Europe"

So the waiter asks me in Spanish -
"Nothing to drink with your dinner?"
I reply back with a "Just water!".
"Not even some Sangria. I'm sure you'd had a lot in Spain, try some here."
"Merci but No."

"Well in that case..." and he broke into a dance right in front of my table. I was taken by surprise and looked at him with wide eyes. Everyone from the other tables turned around and started clapping as he continued dancing for a couple of more minutes.

Finally he took a bow, got an applause from everyone and then turned to me and said "Some sangria now?".

A soda is what I really ended up with after all that!

After that evening I never had another experience of meeting anyone so friendly and pleasant while serving me food at a restaurant. But I'll always remember this incident because it is only once in a while where you meet someone who can handle the pressure of buzzing hungry crowds during a peak tourist season with such panache and good humor!

Munnar takes the Tea

The last leg of my Kerela travel ended with a heady entry into the greenest tea plantations I've ever seen anywhere in the world -Munnar. You know you are in Munnar when the whirling roads stop becoming a migraine and the views get so fantastic that they convince you that nothing in the world can be devoid of life!

The road at Munnar

After settling for a day, I knew for sure that I had to visit a Tea Estate. What's the point of visiting Munnar and not knowing their tea! I assumed it to be a very touristy affair, but nonetheless I was curious. After talking to a few local people, I settled for a visit to the Kolukkumalai Tea Estate. Visiting it came with some essentials though - a strong jeep to sustain the terribly bumpy road and a happy, informative and patient driver. I think I got it all because the visit was fantastic. A word of caution though, the ride is very uncomfortable and can leave you with an aching body so go for it only if you think you can handle it!

Kolukkumalai Tea Estate Info

The jeep ride to Kolukkumalai Tea Estate

Tea Plantations 

Some of the must do on the way to the tea estate -

• Stop by the plantation workers, borrow their gear and learn the art of leaf plucking. Their daily wages are very low (less than $1) and will be happy if you tip them for teaching you.

• Get out of the jeep and walk though the tea plantations or on the road. The plantations are on a slope so walking through them can be risky sometimes.

• Stop by the point from where you can see the mountain ranges separating Kerela from Tamil Nadu. It is a beautiful sight.

• Drink the tea prepared by locals at the estate. You will be convinced to buy some after trying it.

• Just stay calm and enjoy and beautiful views of the tea plantations. The green color is very calming and you will often see them freckled with sparkling butterflies.

The road is not as good as it looks!

Interacting with the tea plantation workers

Kerela and Tamil Nadu seen from the Kolukkumalai Peak

Drinking tea at the Kolukkumalai Tea Estate

The Kolukkumalai Tea Estate is one of the highest tea estates of the world. It is a long drive away from Munnar (over an hour) and actually falls in the Tamil Nadu region. The tea manufacturing process in Kolukkumalai is still done using the orthodox method. It is interesting to to see the green leaves go through different processes to turn into an aromatic black tea favored by people the world over.

Kolukkumalai Tea Factory

Withering Process of Tea Leaves

Fiber Extraction Process

Munnar has many other commercial places of visit such as the Anayirankal Dam and the Eravikulam National Park. I did not visit them. However while walking around the place I was staying, I did see a co-existence of orange and tea plantations which are great to walk through. I remember passing through these fenced orange tree areas and did something that I had always wanted to do. Yes, I entered a private property, jumped until I could grab a tree branch and plucked an orange off it. Some things we never enjoy living in cities!  

Oranges for sale

Munnar also has private estates where they grow spices in their own gardens. Kerela is known for it's spices and therefore it is recommended to visit these spice gardens because you learn a lot about how the spices grow. You can also purchase high quality spices at very reasonable rates from the same gardens.  Some of the spices you can purchase include cloves, pepper, cardamom and cinnamon all which go into daily Indian cooking.

The Spice Garden

The Spice Garden

Coffee beans

Pepper

Experience the rustic Kumarakom Life!

If you want to spend a few days away from everything urban, Kumarakom is the place to be! A very popular destination in Kerala with not much crowd around.

Kumarakom Map

Kumarakom is like a serene village where time stands still! It doesn't have the rich history and monumental buzz of Cochin. Nor does it have the soaring altitudes and lush green tea estates of Munnar. What it has is, abundance of nature, open spaces and quietness that lets you laze around lapping up the calm backwater views.

Vembanad Lake in Kumarakom

There are several well known hotels and resorts spread across Kumarakom but the one we chose was the KTDC WaterScapes Resort which is located right inside the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary. It is a simple resort built to be extremely eco-friendly offering fantastic views of the Vembanad Lake. It is also one of the only resorts in all of Kumarakom that has independent huts for accommodation build on top of stilts with water canals passing through them. The resort has no internet connectivity in rooms which makes life even more simpler.

Entrance to KTDC WaterScapes

The WaterScapes huts with canals

The best way to spend a day at Kumarakom is spot a free boat and paddle around in the maze of canals within the resort property, get on to the hammock under your hut and read as much as you like, take a dip in the resort pool, book yourself a therapeutic Kerela spa treatment, and when you are done with all that, just step out of the resort and walk around the quiet bird sanctuary!

The best time to walk around the sanctuary is early morning. The forest is quiet and the uneven path is like an adventurous trail expedition. It may feel a little too quiet at times, but the sanctuary is well managed by the resort and therefore safe. At the end of the sanctuary trail, you may spot a local fisherman with a canoe. It is safe to hire a canoe ride with him because he will take you around the Vembanad Lake showing you different bird varieties and help you in understanding the ecological significance of the area.

Early morning at the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary

The resort has a single restaurant that offers some of the fine dishes of Kerela. However, I was in favor of sampling home styled food. So I headed out away from the resort to a small shack outside the village. At the shack I ordered a vegetarian thali which was actually a smaller version of the traditional Sadya (an elaborate vegetarian meal eaten during festivals and important occasions in Kerela).

South Indians are known to have a staple diet consisting of rice and that is what dominated on the thali. The other dishes included rasam, thoran, avial, buttermilk, pickles and papad. The Indian bread (also known as Roti) was conspicuous by it's absence. The meal was very delicious and what made it better was the personal attention by the owner since we were the only guests there.

Kerela Thali

Every city in Kerela has something unique to offer and Kumarakom is no different. Leaving Kumarakom after a two days stay was fine because there is very little to do there, but a longer visit with the intention of just doing nothing can also be fantastic.

Early morning canoe ride

Some interesting facts about Kumarakom -

• Kumarakom got a global appeal after Arundhati Roy's book "The God of Small Things" mentioned a bordering village in the same Kottayam district as Kumarakom. 

• November to February is the best time to see the migratory birds at the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary especially the Siberian cranes. The other popular birds are the egrets, kingfisher, water ducks, herons and more. 

• Karimeen is a popular fish and a delicacy. This fish is especially found in the backwaters of Kerela and should be tried if you enjoy seafood.  

• Fill your self up with a lot of coconut water. Not only is it healthy but also available in abundance.

If you have read this article and have also visited Kumarakom, please share your experience because I'd love to hear!