The drive to Kannur.... ..of forts ,beaches and lore

                 

       My quest for the unknown has always driven me to places away from the mundane urban life, where every mile rode has brought in expectations and possibilities of an entirely new experience. Kannur was one such place ,which was little heard of ,and drew me to some exciting new exploits.

Breakfast at Kamat Lokaruchi,

          An early morning breakfast at Kamat Lokaruchi,in a chill December morning ,and we were on our way to this northern district of Kerala,which was called the land of looms and lore. Kannur is known for its weaving industry,and hence the looms,and talking about the lore ,it had many to narrate.And it did recount to us the rich history of its land,slowly  unfolding the many stories which it had to tell,through its numerous forts,palaces and harbours.

The car had finally taken a turn at the Brindavan garden,and we had started on the  Bangalore Virajpet highway.We were glad that the hustle of the traffic on the Mysore road was finally over,and so was the concrete jungle as the road slowly changed to different shades of green.The greenery around was not an unfamiliar one ,as the lure of it had brought us to the fourth visit to the state

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The coffee berries put out to dry in the sun by the roadside

Wild flowers along the way

I don't know what the writing on the top of the gate meant ,I just loved the scene

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Few more flowers to fascinate me 

Some tender coconut water and pineapple slices are all we need on the way

    The roads were in perfect condition allowing us a smooth ride .We could not stop ogling at the palm lined roads with coffee plants and pepper climbers completing the picture.In such a pleasing situation a stop at the Rajiv Gandhi National Park seemed nothing but compulsory,to watch the forest department elephants ,or to take a very close look at the beautiful coffee berries.I had seen the coffee blossoms in other visits but this time I had luck for the berries.

  I must admit that I have a thing for those clay tiled houses  more so when they are double storied which dot the already splendid scenery.A look at those houses sparks off an imagination of the peaceful  and slow paced life they must have amidst nature.

Do not miss these pineapple,mango and carrot slices dipped in spiced water,they are an excellent thirst quencher,you will find them at every corner of Kannur,

      We were about to cross the Karnataka and Kerala border we came across  a small  nondescript concrete bridge across a narrow river,and paid least attention to it,only to learn later that it was the  Koottupuzha bridge,that  was built by the British in1928. I am not a history buff as such ,but when it comes in slices like this ,amidst nature I am awed .  Koottupuzha is the name of the village where it was built .So on my way back I did not miss an opportunity to click these pictures.

 The  Koottupuzha bridge

The coffee berries

The pepper climbers

           As I sat in the front seat of the zooming car,happily clicking away every random scene,no frame ,no composition worked .Only a  desire to grab the most of what was served before me in this bountiful platter,and take back home with me to remember.

  

 The temperature soared as we crossed the crowded market place of small town Irrity..In about 7 hours we were at Mathannur(The place in Kannur where we had booked our stay).The home stay was  The Amban Heritage,a cosy two storied villa,where we had booked our stay for three nights.We were glad to see our smiling hosts ready with  glasses of  cold butter milk for us after the long drive.

Where to eat and what to eat there

If you happen to go to Thallasery go for the Thallasery biriyani,(Kerala is a haven for non vegetarians)though you can get the same in restaurants in Kannur too.Very close to the Payyambalam Beach is the eating joint named Odhen's.We had our lunch there.It was quite a satisfying experience.This places is for seafood lovers.They have  seafood cooked so differently ,that we can vouch for.One should be careful not to reach there late because lunch gets over soon and they wind up by four in the afternoon.One should also be prepared to wait for a table for about fifteen minutes.

   

Places to visit in Kannur

• St Angelo's fortRead here
• TheThallasery fort
• The Chera beachRead here
• The Parashini Kadavu temple
• The Payyambalam beach
• The Muzhappilangad beach(drive in beach)
• The lighthouse and the walk way
• The Arrakal museum

       The Kannur district in north Kerala is about 310 kms. from Bangalore.It takes roughly 7 to 8 hours for a leisurly drive to the place(considering the Makkoottam Churan Ghat that comes on the way).
The route-Bangalore-Mysore-Virajpeta road-Makkoottam Churan Ghat-Koottupuzha bridge-Irrity-Kannur
  One can find many hotels and refreshments at Irrity,ATMs and hoispital facility is also available there.THere are not many eateries after one takes the deviation from the Mysore road to the Virajpeat road.
               The railway station at Kannur is also well connected to all parts of India.The nearest airports are at Calicut and Mangalore,while the new airport coming up at Kannur is expected to begin commercial operations in mid 2017.Kannur is on national highway 66 between Kozhikode and Mangalore.