From Kerala’s northernmost district of Kasaragod (READ Kannur and Kasaragod: Of Forts and History) we traversed the whole length of the state of Kerala, India for a 14-hour train ride to the southwestern tip of the country, Thiruvananthapuram, commonly referred to as Trivandrum. This is Kerala’s capital and biggest city. The Kerala Blog Express Season 4 organizers said this is the first time they are doing it and they want us to enjoy this experience.
Train ride
I am not new to train rides. I have experienced getting from one city to another in China, Thailand, USA, and Indonesia. While most of my train travels were with groups, I also had the opportunity to travel solo aboard this age-old mode of transport.
Thus, my excitement to experience train travel anew, but this time, aboard the Malabar Express. As we were given our bunk assignments, I got separated from the group as I was the lone blogger in our area of 8 beds: 3 levels on both side of this mini-division and 2 more by the hallway part. Good thing I was allowed to transfer to the other side where a fellow blogger was staying, along with 4 members of our video and documentation team.
We boarded at night, carrying our respective dinner. A tiny table by the window was available where we could eat. But we could lounge at the long chair which was convertible into bunk beds. On our third or fourth stop, a family got into our area. I chatted with the 11-year old Vihan while his mom was cuddling his younger brother and his dad was busy arranging their luggage. He was an interesting kid as he asked us about our respective countries.
When the night grew late and the lights in the train were dimmed, we each took to our own beds. A pillow, a bedsheet and a blanket were provided for each of us. A toilet and bath area is located at the end of our cart. I fell asleep lulled by the motion of the train. When I woke up, we were already nearing Trivandrum.
Kovalam Beach
As our last stop, our last night in Kerala was the most exciting, yet most emotional one. Fifteen days with the fun bunch of bloggers and the organizers around God’s Own Country. And while we had a more laidback itinerary in Trivandrum, we enjoyed the relaxing and scenic view of Kovalam Beach. Our hotel was by the beach front, and it was just a few steps descending to the shore where huge waves splash by the boulders.
During our lunch at The Leela, which is an elevated portion along the coast of Kovalam, the view of the beach below was spectacular. I also had the chance to walk by the beach and passed a mosque and a square with various stalls selling souvenir shops.
Strolling Around East Fort
After our dinner and farewell at Uday Samudra, the bloggers departed by batches, heading to the Trivandrum International Airport for their flights back home or to their onward destination. Being the last batch to leave, we still had an extra day in the city. There were still seven of us that stayed behind and we opted to head to the East Fort — about 20 minutes away from Kovalam — where we could visit interesting sites and shop for items that we can bring home.
We dropped off at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, said to be the richest temple in India, if not in the whole world. Its golden top glinted as the sun’s rays reflected on it. We walked the road to the entrance and we were allowed to have a closer look of the temple but only until the bottom portion of the road. Many said that there are trillions of dollars of treasures kept beneath the temple. Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple.
In front of the temple, the long road divides the Padmatheertha pond on one side and the Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Palace on the other. We went around the block, passing by shops, the tiny Navagraha Temple, and the Pazhavangadi Ganapathi Temple until we came to the busy Mahatma Gandhi Road. We saw some fruit vendors at the side of the road, bought some knick knacks and took the auto rickshaw back to Kovalam to our hotel.
The Kerala Blog Express has given me a rich experience of India and fun memories with fellow bloggers from all over the world, as well as with the Kerala Tourism and the Stark Communications staff. We enjoyed in the various hotels where we stayed and the places that hosted our lunches and dinners. More on those in my future blogs.
This article is part of the over-arching post First-time in Kerala: God’s Own Country where you will find the list of my blog posts related to this trip. Get updates on the Kerala Blog Express at the http://keralablogexpress.com/ and check #keralablogexpress #tripofalifetime and #liveinspired in social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.