Ammachi is posing for the camera!

Saturday, we had been to Cherthala as usual. Ammachi was in a good mood when I took this portrait of her :)

The Memory Tree

The year was 1982 and it was after school hours on our way home when my cousin Johnson and I took a detour to a house called Manackal at Thycatusserry village. There, Kerala Social Forestry department was distributing saplings for all who were interested. Saplings of Perumaram, Gulmohar, Manimaruthu, Mahogany, Nelli, Mango and a variety of other plants were distributed freely. We were late and therefore we could grab only a few remaining saplings. I got some Perumarams and Johnson a Manimaruthu. We both did not like what we got as Johnson wanted a tree for wood and me a flowering one. So we decided to exchange them and did so happily. That Manimaruthu today is 35 years old. Over the years, she had grown into a full tree, bloomed and painted the sky in violets, dropped flowers, shed leaves and withstood all seasons. The other day, as I watched the tree standing tall in our front-yard glistening with fresh beautiful leaves, all memories visited me again. They were fresh and beautiful too!

Rains!

At the lake!

Kappil Bhagavati Bhadrakaali Temple, Kollam

Beautiful Mandapam

Iravipuram, Quilon

Iaavipuram is a picturesque locality near Kollam (Quilon). On the one side of the road you see backwaters and on the other the vast beautiful sea.

The Hansita ship

The ship Hansita marooned at Kollam Mundakkal beach is now a tourist attraction. Ever since its owners failed to pay the repair and wharfage charges, the port had made it anchor some three nautical miles away from the shore. A few months ago it broke loose and washed ashore and now is sand-trapped. In dim light it resembles the 'Black Perl' of 'The Pirates of Caribbean'

On the way to Trivandrum we saw the ship on the beach and thought of taking some snaps.

കൊല്ലം മുണ്ടക്കൽ ബീച്ചിൽ ഏതാനും മാസങ്ങൾക്ക് മുൻപ് വന്നടിഞ്ഞ ഹാൻസിറ്റാ കപ്പൽ ഇന്ന് ടൂറിസ്റ്റുകൾക്ക് ഒരു കൗതുകമാണ്. നന്നാക്ക് കൂലി കൊടുക്കാതിരുന്നതിനാൽ പോർട്ട് അധികൃതർ വിട്ടുകൊടുക്കാതെ മൂന്ന് വര്ഷങ്ങളായി തീരത്തു നിന്നും മൂന്ന് നോട്ടിക് മൈൽ മാറി നങ്കുരമിട്ട് പിടിച്ചു കെട്ടിയിരുന്ന കപ്പൽ അതും പൊട്ടിച്ചു തീരത്ത് എത്തിയതായിരുന്നു. മണ്ണിൽ പുതഞ്ഞു പോയതിനാൽ കപ്പലങ്ങനെ ഉപേക്ഷിക്കപ്പെട്ടതു പോലെ കിടക്കയാണ്. അരണ്ട വെട്ടത്ത് കണ്ടാൽ 'പൈറേറ്റ്സ് ഓഫ് കരീബിയൻ' സിനിമയിലെ ബ്ലാക്ക് പേളിനെ അനുസ്മരിപ്പിക്കുന്ന നിഴലുകൾ. ഇതുവരെ പോവാത്ത ഒരു വഴിയിലൂടെ തിരുവനന്തപുരത്തിന് മടങ്ങുമ്പോളാണ് ഇത് കാണുന്നത്. ചില ചിത്രങ്ങൾ.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/060716/sand-trapped-ship-now-a-tourist-attraction-in-kollam.html

Beautiful Kollam (Quilon)

This picture was taken at Kappil on the way from Kollam to Varkala. 

കായലിന്റെ മാറിൽ

കായലിന്റെ മാറിൽ

ഇരുട്ടിന്റെ നിറവിൽ
തുഴയാനെന്ത് സുഖം 

അലയാനെന്തു രസം

Vagabonding

I'm in a coffee shop at Kalpetta, Wayanadu on the way to attend a funeral. A truck carrying a container to collect coffee and other produces from Kudag stops by. The coffee vendor wonders, "ho! What all places this fellow (container) must have visited! Cold, hot, beautiful, barren, warring, friendly and hostile lands! So lucky!". Was there a hint of jealousy, I'm not sure.

Thycattussery St. Antony's feast and pamplemousse

Today (9th Oct 2016) is Thycattusserry St. Anotony's feast. A few decades ago this was an important day for the people around Thycattusserry. The church was very crowded in those days. On this day, Kambili Naranga (Pamplemousse) was the main attraction. Most would return home with at least one on the shoulder.

Today, I could not locate a single vendor of this fruit. No crowd! No traders! The feast has become a quiet affair.

From Kelamparampil house front-yard at Thycattusserry

Forbidden fruit?

I found this fruit on the widespread climber on the outer walls of Trivandrum Technopark. It looks ominously beautiful and positively poisonous. Not sure though.