[Mysticeyes]

From the kid who would lock the door and windows at evenings as lightings came along with summer showers, he grew to a teen who got fascinated by lightings, those streaks that lit up world around him, making him see things in new light. In his 30s, journeys were moments of lightning for him; moments between unknown destinations, making him feel people & places around him and lit the thoughts inside. Few roads captivated him like those passing through Tamilandu and they were his ‘charging points’ across years. Once again, he took others on a journey through those landscapes starting from Trivandrum. To go along with the flow of the implusive heart, the exact route would be visible lateron only.

Apt time to start Trivandrum is around 4:00 AM, due to diversions in NH at Marthandam. But the real ‘journey’ often started the moment as the vehicle came to halt at Parvathipuram before Nagercoil, where the sides of National Highway 66 started clearing of concrete structures and fields & plantain cultivation began to appear on either sides, bordered by the unbroken mountains that ran from left to right, crimson rays of sunrise slowly stating to emerge from behind the mountain to right, from the ocean at Kanyakumari..As for Oceans, he had never thought much about them except for being point of sunrise/ sets. But like poetic justice, he was part of a recent rejoining of broken friendship chains dating back 18 years that took place during sunset in a beach in his hometown. That was probably when he recognized the power of those crimson rays from the depth of ocean.


He would never missed the spot at Parvathipuram, a spot which he considered to be his own, where he had halted during his journeys, year after year, to wait for the moment as sky started to burn between orange and red tones carrying the rays from across the distant ocean, The mud in the fields near the Highway would reflect the sky, combining the green of the paddy.

Sunrise at Parvathipuram


Nature was lifting its veil for the sun to make the appearance and he knew that at Kavalkinar at NH 944, 20 Kms from Parvathipuram, he could watch the sun emerging from beyond the mountain in the backdrop of the unending windmills. That 20 Km drive would take him through Thovalai, where the aroma of flowers would seep into the passing vehicles and Arulvamozhi, where the windmills began to make their appearance.

Thovalai on a sunny day


There's a floating effect when this sight sets in at Arulvamozhi


The images from mirror may disappear as you go forward, but they would remain etched in heart forever


Kavalkinar – it meant a lot to him, the emergence of sun in all its hues, the windmills that had fascinated him from childhood, rail-lines running parallel to highway under the windmills, early morning silence broken by that one train carrying passengers who are more privy than him to the burning morning sky, the glimpse of unobstructed horizon ahead and, the last point before the narrow highway merged into the wide open NH 44 from Kanyakumari, giving his heart more space to wander & explore. Probably the most beautiful Highway in India, NH 44 was the playground for his heart, for it took him through those landscapes & peoples who now, have becomes part of him. A particular windmill, he named as ‘Windie’ stood adjacent to the highway, another spot, where he had always stopped for that exact spot gave an unbroken view of endless sky and innumerable windmills and the rail line.

There stands 'Windie' - don't know why the particular spot has such a magnetic effect



You're treated to one of the most beautiful sights here






Moving on, a restaurant near Kavalkinar junction was his favourite breakfast point. The old man, Ram, at the restaurant counter welcomed the traveller. An affable man, with the long ‘Bhasma Kuris’ drawing across forehead had a charming smile. Ram knew that on the days of the traveller’s journeys, he would be Ram’s first customer. Ram, it felt, had an unspoken knowledge of the traveller’s journeys as he always asked the traveller “sunrise eppadi?” (how was the sunrise?) Sitting at the window table, he could see more of the sunrise and the vehicles passing through the highway ahead. At times, he wondered who all would be the passengers in the vehicles plying in the highway. There may be many like him on an aimless journey, or those who are going for pilgrimages, those who are travelling to Chennai/ Bangalore in pursuit of their career, those old couples visiting their kids in those cities.

View from the restaurant window


Stepping out after bidding farewell to Ram, he would pause for a moment, to look back Windie before resuming the drive. NH 44 lay ahead offering a traveller something like:

One can't ask for a much better straight road, dotted with nature's art works. Blue sky, floating clouds


The best company to have on long drives..rain & music


Halt a moment to be a kid & count those drops


On the road, miles & miles ahead of you locked to the horizon


With a bit of man-made 'greenery' thrown in..the ubiquitous RTC


But then, few kilometres into NH 44 is a small unremarkable diversion at Panagudi adjacent to a tile factory, underneath the huge furnace named ‘Sakkarapazham’ and few thatched shops.

Where next?


Can't say they're short on colors





It was the classical Sholay coin-tossing moment - Heads or Tails? More often, it would be Heads or Tails on both sides, heart pulling to pull-off to left. Those who travelled along with him for the first time had asked, why the sudden diversion into this small road from the magnificent NH 44? But those who travelled with him before always had the urge to pull the steering to left as they knew what lay ahead in that small road. Straight or left? To the ultimate openness of endless horizon or through the landscape dominated by unbroken mountain on one side?

Rain always played a factor in route decisions. If you stand you’re at Kavalkinaru and if the mountains to the distant left are capped by clouds, it’s pretty sure that taking the ‘Left’, would take you through one of the best places to watch and experience rain. With the sky greying up before reaching Panagudi and the mountains being covered by clouds, the course was altered left, to the ‘Emerald Route’, nearly 100 Kilometres of agricultural landscapes and rustic villages bordered by the mist-capped Western Ghats taking you through Kalakkadu, Kalladakurichi, Ambasamudram, Alwakurichi, Sundarapandiyapuram, Thenkasi, Mekkarai, Puliyara, Shenkottai.. places still out of the old ‘Bharathiraja Frames’. Once heaven open up, this route would be drenched to core – at times drizzling continuously, at times pounding the earth incessantly, at times taking a short break, clouds brooding for the next round any time.

A glimpse of the emerald route proved that ‘left’ was right indeed.

Windmills at Panagudi on a sunny day


Same spot few months later


Seasonal changes at same spots near Kalakkad



Ambasamudram/ Ambai - You've to experience the breeze coming in from the mountains to the side..and they carry the naive songs on workers in the fields around


Drive on..you're covered


Sundarapandiapuram during cultivation season. SOme scenes reminds of Ilayaraja songs




Enchating Mekkarai in July, when the clouds roll down almost to touch you.


His master's, truly


Incessant mountain wind opened the natural curtain..beyond which men, women & kids were turning the earth more green


Paddy fields ready for harvest, dancing to the evening wind


The question was - Should he keep 'left' and take fellow travellers more deep into the Emerald route or make U-trn and get back to NH 44?

[benbsb29]

The call of the highways, and the accompaniment of rain. I know exactly what you mean.
Every time it rains, we embark on the same. A simple drive, aimless and meandering. Sometimes you discover new places, sometimes you discover yourself.

A pic i had clicked along one such drive, quite moody, but tells a tale of adventure and serenity in one frame.

[saleem_k]

Awesome pics capturing the natural beauty of rural South India.

[prince0407]

Someone rightly said- "Travel makes you speechless and then turns you into a story teller." Such an epic travelogue!! What stunning pictures to go with the poetic narratives! TN in rains seems so inviting. Travelling in monsoon is cathartic. It's captivating. The gush of wind, the kiss of rains and the smell of the farms. Aah!! You seemed to be at the right place at the right time.

Are we expecting few more pics and narration? Or was this the complete travelogue? If you answer in affirmative to the 2nd question, I would be a crestfallen soul.

Cheers to the spellbinding images and narration!!!

Pratyush.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by Mysticeyes

From the kid who would lock the door and windows at evenings as lightings came along with summer showers, he grew to a teen who got fascinated by lightings, those streaks ......... take fellow travellers more deep into the Emerald route or make U-trn and get back to NH 44?

Great write-up Mysticeyes - and a great photologue! We've felt the same distant drums too on our ambles through Kumaon.

[Aditya]

Stunning pictures and superb narration!

I have travelled on these roads in the past, but it has only been in the drier months. While it was beautiful in its own way, the rain has transformed the landscape into one of the most beautiful and inviting pieces of land. The wonderful highways of Tamil Nadu just better the experience. Gotta love rural India!

Originally Posted by Mysticeyes

There may be many like him on an aimless journey

Nothing better.

[risham]

Saw the title and thought Shashi Tharoor has joined T-BHP!!!
A superb narration.

[ToothyPetrohead]

Hey Doc Risham , You made me Chuckle. But yeah the title is a Tharoor.
Mysticeyes, I must say your Voice over is meritorious but the photography for me très bien.

[Ananthc]

Excellent photography and amazing writing. South of TN is the place to go to for wonderful drives. Somehow TN is lucky to have good SH as well NH roads.. Keep going mate with more stunning snaps. Cheers!

[DicKy]

The write-up made me home-sick, and want to catch the next flight home.
Don't get me wrong, am a native of Thiruvananthapuram, but having relatives in Nagercoil, with yearly trips to Thirichendur and farms in Valiyoor/Radhapuram. This part of Tamilnadu is like a 'home near home'.

Not to say, the closest place we have access to, for wide open roads.

But Ambasamudram, Mekkarai and Vallioor. So near, yet so far. Really couldn't get to visit these places, even though they are barely a couple of hours away.

Originally Posted by Ananthc

Somehow TN is lucky to have good SH as well NH roads.. Keep going mate with more stunning snaps. Cheers!

Tamil Nadu SH roads?

Sorry, but we did an Aarupadaiveedu circuit a couple of years back. The SHs in the interior parts of Tamil Nadu were horrible. Not bad per se, but spoiled by the SHs in Kerala, these were like travelling through village roads with SH road signs.

(Pssstt... Though I must confess, these two states are the only ones where I have gone on road trips. So...)

[Ananthc]

Originally Posted by DicKy

Tamil Nadu SH roads?

Sorry, but we did an Aarupadaiveedu circuit a couple of years back. The SHs in the interior parts of Tamil Nadu were horrible. Not bad per se, but spoiled by the SHs in Kerala, these were like travelling through village roads with SH road signs.

(Pssstt... Though I must confess, these two states are the only ones where I have gone on road trips. So...)

I would not say TN SH are that bad. Majority of the roads are in good shape barring few routes.

You will not believe we have our NH from Chennai to Bangalore and till wallajah we have pathetic road condition and no sign of improvement despite we paying tolls.

Probably I guess if KL SH are good, then TN needs to improve the same to that level.

[Mysticeyes]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

The call of the highways, and the accompaniment of rain. Sometimes you discover new places, sometimes you discover yourself. A pic i had clicked along one such drive, quite moody, but tells a tale of adventure and serenity in one frame.

Attachment 1755922

Thank you for sharing Bens. The mood of the pic is so captivating..fallen leaves, moist tarmac. what more does one need to push on

Originally Posted by prince0407

Aah!! You seemed to be at the right place at the right time.Are we expecting few more pics and narration? Or was this the complete travelogue? If you answer in affirmative to the 2nd question, I would be a crestfallen soul.

It has been a time tested trick of watching sky & experience. If sky turns grey over the Eastern flank of Trivandrum for 1 day, possibility is there that the 'Emerald Route' would be under constant cloud cover/ rain. More often, we were lucky that our 'weather instincts' were right. An issue with the eye is hindering continous exposure to monitors. Hence, the break.

Originally Posted by shashanka

Great write-up Mysticeyes - and a great photologue! We've felt the same distant drums too on our ambles through Kumaon.

Thanks for sharing mate. Probably, one day, we would make it to those places.

Originally Posted by Aditya

Stunning pictures and superb narration!

I have travelled on these roads in the past, but it has only been in the drier months. While it was beautiful in its own way, the rain has transformed the landscape into one of the most beautiful and inviting pieces of land. The wonderful highways of Tamil Nadu just better the experience. Gotta love rural India! Nothing better.

True. Earlier, we prefered rain drives alone. But now, we're discovering new facets even on 'dry' rides. Just stop somewhere, meet few people sitting by and listen to their stories. At times, they do pour out some gems

Originally Posted by risham

Saw the title and thought Shashi Tharoor has joined T-BHP!!!

Oh boy..glad that you don't kopw what people in Kerala think for the name of 'Shashi' in particular. Mallus in TBHP would know

Originally Posted by ToothyPetrohead

but the photography for me très bien.

Thanks to Google

Originally Posted by DicKy

The write-up made me home-sick, and want to catch the next flight home.
Don't get me wrong, am a native of Thiruvananthapuram, but having relatives in Nagercoil, with yearly trips to Thirichendur and farms in Valiyoor/Radhapuram. This part of Tamilnadu is like a 'home near home'.
But Ambasamudram, Mekkarai and Vallioor. So near, yet so far. Really couldn't get to visit these places, even though they are barely a couple of hours away.



Sorry, but we did an Aarupadaiveedu circuit a couple of years back. The SHs in the interior parts of Tamil Nadu were horrible. Not bad per se, but spoiled by the SHs in Kerala, these were like travelling through village roads with SH road signs.

(Pssstt... Though I must confess, these two states are the only ones where I have gone on road trips. So...)

You should have those stretches in your list mate, especially during mid- July. Probably, you'd end up owning a home there somewhere The roads (State Highways) are beautifully laind and maintained in TN for majority of the stretches I had travelled. The Kulachal - Nagercoil portion is an examplary one.

Originally Posted by Ananthc

I would not say TN SH are that bad. Majority of the roads are in good shape barring few routes. Probably I guess if KL SH are good, then TN needs to improve the same to that level.

TN has the factor that the vehicle density in most SHs are less, whereas in Kerala, the vehicle density in SH, is comparable to those in Kerala NHs. SHs are already runnng on saturation point, where as the newly widened NHs would soon reach saturation point within 2-3 years. As you know, land availability in KL would be an issue for future widening.

Journeys are often the time for discovering what maybe within us..through what's outside us


Being happily chained to memories at Ambasamudram. Beyond the fields, undeneath the mountain lie a marvellous rail-line to Chennai




At times, beauty may hide the source of beauty at SambarVadakarai


As rustic as it can get at Mekkarai


Connections from 'Real World'..connections that no amount of Data or GBs can give. This comes free of cost at Sundarapandipuram






Theater of nature


Remniscent of those Mahabharatha battle scenes - Like one arrow, splitting to many


Can serenity get any better?


The mighty Western Ghats capped by oncoming rain clouds at Puliyara, near Shenkottai


It's an art, to observe how the barren land is turned into green-treasure over days. In the end, you've endless stretches of vegetables/plantain/ paddy

[shashanka]

^^ Lovely captures again! There is no getting around the monsoon rains in the tropics, specially in Kerala, God's own country! - there is something evocative and surreal about them. Like that great shot from benbsb29.

[prince0407]

Just wow wow wow!!! What stunning captures!! You are coming up with even better images each passing post. One is tempted to travel through the roads in your pictures.

[arun_josie]

Awesome pics and very nicely written TL

Originally Posted by Mysticeyes

Sunrise at Parvathipuram
Attachment 1755834

Nature was lifting its veil for the sun to make the appearance and he knew that at Kavalkinar at NH 944, 20 Kms from Parvathipuram, he could watch the sun emerging from beyond the mountain in the backdrop of the unending windmills.

Yes, the route from Parvathipuram to Aralvaimozhi is a scenic stretch, especially when it rains. Here are couple of pics which I took three years back.